In 1998, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), and the County of Santa Clara, Social Services Agency, implemented a Welfare-to-Work Transportation Planning Project. Consultants from MIG, Inc. and RIDES for Bay Area Commuters, Inc., collaborated with an Advisory Committee, with representatives from all sectors of the community, to develop and implement a work program with these objectives:

• Assess the transportation requirements of CalWORKs program participants and identify transportation-related barriers to obtaining and retaining work;
  
• Identify strategies to increase availability, affordability and effectiveness of transportation services;
  
• Establish agreements among the transportation providers, employers and the Social Services Agency (SSA) to ensure the availability of transportation options.
  

This guide was a product of this planning group and includes an overview of all of the transportation options available to CalWORKs participants in Santa Clara County. It also includes instructions on how to get more detailed information by phone, in person, via the Internet, by fax or mail. Also included is information about support for different options: subsidies for transit riders, park & ride lots for ridesharers, and guaranteed ride home programs. It has been updated since its first publication in 1998, with assistance from MIG, and in association with RIDES for Bay Area Commuters, Elmwood Consulting, Synapse Strategies, VTA and OUTREACH.

This guide also includes information about a new service, the JobAccess/Guaranteed Ride Home Program (GRHP). Jointly sponsored by the County of Santa Clara, Valley Transportation Authority and OUTREACH, a nonprofit transportation provider, the GRHP is a quick start strategy to address some of the transportation barriers facing the CalWORKs participant. The funding for this new service is provided by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the County of Santa Clara.

Did something unexpected happen?

Are you afraid of losing your job?

Did you get home from work or school to find out

you need to find new childcare?

Did your car breakdown?

Do you have to figure something out so you

can get to work or school tomorrow?

Help is only a phone call away J

Trained counselors are available to help you 24 –7 with:

Listening, problem solving and referrals to get what you need in order to keep your job or to stay in school.

Services are available in English, Spanish and Vietnamese

1. Quick Reference Customer Information Services for Transportation Resources

within Santa Clara County Page 5


2. Automobile Page 7
   How to get information and help with automobiles
   
3. Commuter Information / Carpooling and Vanpooling/ SMARTPool Page 9
   1. How to get information and help with carpools/vanpools/SMARTPools
4. High-Occupancy Vehicle (Diamond/Carpool) Lanes Page 10

1. How to get information and help with carpool lanes


5. Park & Ride Lots Page 10

1. How to get information and help with park and ride lots


6. Taxi Services Page 11

1. How to get information and help with taxis


7. Public Transit Services Page 12
   

H. Paratransit Page 25

9. Children’s Transportation Page 25
   
10. Guaranteed Ride Home Program Page 26
11. Bicycles Page 28

Section II – Transportation Outside Santa Clara County Page 31

A. Quick Reference Guide to transportation in nearby counties

JobAccess Guaranteed Ride Home Application Page 38

This table lists contact information for transportation resources described in greater detail in this guide.

A variety of resources in Santa Clara County can provide assistance with driving directions and maps.

Driver’s licenses are required for every person operating a motor vehicle. In Santa Clara County, obtain driver’s licenses at the department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

All automobiles must be registered with the DMV. Go to or phone the DMV. Under California law, all automobiles must be covered by both liability and motorist insurance. For quotes from a variety of insurers, go to the insweb.com

The DMV also has helpful information on all facets of buying a car.

Need help buying a used car? Get extensive information from the California Dept. of Consumer Affairs on how to effectively purchase a used car. Information is available on the Web and in booklet form.

How to get help with automobile transportation:

RIDES for Bay Area Commuters, at their web page (www.rides.org), offers an interactive mileage calculator. You can plug in the distance to your job, training or educational site, your day care center, etc., and it will calculate the cost of the commute for you. This would allow you to compare commute options between different locations or consider using other types of commute options, such as bus or light rail.

Ways to Work-Family Loan Program

If you are currently working and/or going to school full-time and need reliable transportation, Santa Clara County’s Ways to Work-Family Loan Program may be able to help! This program is designed to provide you with a loan to buy a car (up to $3,000), that will help you achieve your self-sufficiency goals for you and your family. This money is to be used to buy a used car not as a down payment for a new car.

If you answer yes to the following questions you may be on your way to increasing your self-sufficiency in a program created just for you.

1. Have you maintained your current job for past three-(3) months?
2. Are you a custodial parent of a child under the age of (17) seventeen?
3. Are you currently in good status-not being sanctioned by CalWORKs?
4. Will you agree to attend a two-(2) hour budget workshop?
5. Will you agree to re-pay the money loaned for the car purchase?

For more information:

Call: Rose Colbert or Nancy Smith at 1-408-288-6200

Or Drop by:

The Adult and Child Guidance Center at

380 North First Street

San Jose, CA 95112

Emergency roadside service is optional. The Yellow Pages in your local phone book will list a number of Emergency Roadside service providers and local numbers you can call. There are fees associated with purchasing this type of service. You should consider checking with your current auto insurance provider about such coverage.

Please see section G. of this guide to review the eligibility requirements for the JobAccess Guaranteed Ride Home Program (GRHP). For eligible participants enrolled in the GRHP, unexpected problems with their cars means that they can get an urgent ride at no cost to or from work, employment-related activities, including stops at day-cares or schools to drop or pick-up dependents.

RIDES for Bay Area Commuters, Inc., provides free assistance to commuters who would like to carpool by matching them with others who live and work near them. RIDES’ commuter database contains the names of thousands of people who live or work in Santa Clara County and currently attempting to join or form a carpool or vanpool. Go to www.rides.org

Vanpooling is normally an option for longer commutes. Most Santa Clara vanpools come into the county from the Santa Cruz area, the San Joaquin Valley, San Francisco, the East Bay, and other distant points. However, there are currently nine medium-distance vanpools that have an origin and a destination of Santa Clara County, primarily from the southern section of the county to work sites in Mountain View, Sunnyvale and Santa Clara. RIDES is currently studying options for new and innovative vanpool strategies, some of which may be appropriate for welfare-to-work vanpooling. Commuters can call RIDES toll-free from anywhere in Santa Clara County at 1-800-755-POOL.

Free carpool and vanpool assistance: RIDES for Bay Area Commuters, Inc., provides free assistance to commuters who would like to carpool by matching them with others who live and work near them. Carpooling works best for shorter commutes, while vanpooling works best for longer commutes. At any given time, over a thousand Santa Clara County residents who are looking for carpool partners are listed in RIDES’ database. In addition, there are numerous vanpools from Santa Clara County to worksites in San Mateo, Alameda, San Francisco, and other counties.

RIDES will send commuters "Matchlists" that confidentially list names, phone numbers and home/work neighborhoods for potential carpool and vanpool partners. (The individual gets a list and then phones possible partners to join a carpool or vanpool.) RIDES also provides information on how carpools work, how vanpools work, costs, how to get started, and other tips.

A number of major employers in Santa Clara County operate their own in-house transportation centers to help their employees plan trips to work, join carpools and vanpools, buy transit tickets, etc. Check with the employer to see if this service is offered.

RIDES and the Multi-City TSM Agency operate a vanpool program called SMARTPool that serves commuters traveling 30 to 60 miles round-trip. SMARTPool passengers pay a fixed fare between $60 and $65 per month to ride in one of the fleet’s compressed natural gas vans. There is only one (1) SMARTPool in Santa Clara County at this time. It is listed below with home and work locations as well as arrival and departure times from work.

For the full listing of SMARTPool vans up the peninsula, please see Section II of this guide under resources outside of Santa Clara County.

4. HOV Lanes (Carpool/Express Bus Lanes)

Many commuters find that high-occupancy vehicle (HOV), or diamond lanes can save a significant amount of travel time to and from work. A vehicle must have two or more occupants to use the HOV lane, which is available both northbound and southbound from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

5. Park & Ride Lots
   

Park & Ride lots make carpooling and vanpooling easier by providing free, convenient pick-up and drop-off areas near major traffic corridors. Many lots belong to supermarkets, churches, community clubs and other organizations, and some belong to Caltrans.

How to get carpooling/vanpooling help:

5. Taxi Service

Santa Clara County has several taxi companies, serving all parts of the county. The VTA’s guaranteed ride home program uses taxi service to provide emergency rides home to ECO PASS users.

How to get help:

The following is a list of many of the Taxi Cab Companies in Santa Clara County:

Rates: Taxi rates vary in different cities, based upon what meter rate is set by the local ordinances. For example, the meter rates under the City of San Jose Ordinance are $2.00 flag drop (when they arrive to pick you up), and $2.00 per mile. In addition, the meter continues to run at the rate of $ 20.00 per hour when the cab is at stop and/or when the speed drops below a certain lever. In addition, the ordinance allows for additional charges for long distance trips etc. There is no additional charge for additional passengers on the same trip, and tipping is not required. You might want to call in advance to see what the meter rates are in your area and to determine an estimated cost based on distance.

There are many public transit options in Santa Clara County. You may travel by bus, light rail, train, or shuttles, or any combination of these modes to go to and from work.

The chart below can help you select the best type of bus or light rail service for your travel needs.

VTA Customer Service is available to answer questions about routes, schedules, fares, accessible services, ride sharing or regional transit. You can also request that a VTA map or schedules for bus or light rail be mailed to you. Call of one of the numbers listed below during business hours: Monday through Friday – 5:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Saturday, Sunday & Holidays – 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

VTA’s automated phone system provides schedule information in English, Spanish and Vietnamese 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you speak a language other than English, Spanish and Vietnamese, call during the hours listed above – VTA has translators standing by.

Telephone Information…………………………..(408) 321-2300

650 and South Santa Clara County Toll Areas…(800) 894-9908

Hearing Impaired TDD..………………………….(408) 321-2330

TravInfo (Regional Transportation Information 817-1717

TDD……………………………………………. 817-1718

Web Site……………………………………….…..www.vta.org

For passes, tickets, trip planning, maps, Regional Transit Connection Discount Cards, brochures and general information, visit our Downtown Customer Service Center or our VTA River Oaks Administrative office.

Downtown San Jose

2 North First St. (corner of First and Santa Clara Streets)

San Jose

Hours: Monday through Friday – 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Saturday – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sunday – closed

3331 North First Street (at River Oaks)

Building B, Lobby

San Jose

Hours: Monday through Friday – 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday – closed

1. Bus Service in Santa Clara County
The Valley Transportation Authority or VTA provides regular bus service on 65 routes. This extensive network of bus routes offers a wide choice of convenient stops. There is flexibility to get on and off at frequent intervals and there is a wide choice of neighborhood bus stops. Hours of operation vary, with service starting between 5:30 and 8:00 a.m. and operating until anywhere from 5:30 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. Lines with greater ridership or where ridership extends into the evening have greater operating hours.

VTA provides bus service with limited stops offered on 6 routes, to speed commutes.

• Route 300, from east San Jose to Stanford University;
• Route 304 and 304A, from South San Jose to the Mountain View Caltrain Station;
• Route 321, from Eastridge to Lockheed/Moffett Park;
• Route 328, from Almaden Expressway & Camden to Lockheed Martin/Moffett Park and
• Route 330, from Almaden Expressway & Camden to North San Jose.

Express Service is offered on 12 routes, with a 13^th route offered between Fremont BART and Great America from March through October. Most express routes operate during commute hours with the exception of Route 180, which travels between the Fremont BART station and the San Jose Diridon Station in downtown San Jose. Express routes provide service to a number of large employer sites, such as Lockheed, IBM, NASA Moffett Field and Intel, and the VTA is currently revamping their express bus system to provide even greater access to large employers.

2. Light Rail Service in Santa Clara County

The Valley Transportation Authority operates 28.6 miles of light rail service from the Santa Teresa station in the Almaden area of south San Jose to Great America in Santa Clara, and the Tasman West station in Mountain View.

Seven days a week, 24 hours a day

Every 10 minutes on weekdays

Every 15 minutes on Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays

Every 30 minutes during evening hours

The light rail system serves downtown San Jose, the civic center, the convention center and major, South San Jose residential areas, employers along North 1^st Street, the Santa Clara Convention Center, and business and residences from San Jose to Mountain View. The light rail stations are served by VTA buses and shuttles. Free, public shuttles link the light rail service to major employment centers and their neighboring businesses, and includes such specific sites as IBM, Hewlett Packard, Raytheon, GTE, Cisco Systems, Tandem, Silicon Graphics, Sun Microsystems and Intel.

4. Subsidy/Transit Ticket Programs

One way employers are encouraging employees to ride public transit is to make it more convenient and cost-effective. There are currently three programs available in Santa Clara County to help employers.

ECO PASS is a way for employers to sponsor employees’ use of VTA transit services. The ECO PASS is an annual pass that is good on all VTA buses and light rail trains; riders simply flash them as they board a transit vehicle. Employers can purchase the passes from VTA at a discount and provide them to employees as a valuable employee benefit and as a significant incentive to ride public transit. The following employers are participating in ECO PASS as of August 1999:

An added benefit of ECO PASS is a guaranteed ride home program for participants. If a participating employee or family member becomes ill, or they have to work unscheduled overtime, that employee can get a voucher for a free taxi ride home.

Commuter Check is the commuter’s tax break!

Commuter Check is a program that allows employers to offer their employees a financial benefit for using commute alternative. Commuter Check can be used to purchase Bay Area transit passes, or pay for fares on registered vanpools/buspools.

Commuter Check are either purchased by the employer, or purchased by the employee with a pre-tax salary deduction. They can also be purchased with a combination of both funds.

Over 1500 Bay Area employers participate in Commuter Check. Commuter Check is just one way employers can implement the new "Commuter Choice" program.

Whether employers or employees pay for the vouchers, the Commuter Check program can benefit everyone:

Sponsoring Agencies: Commuter Check in the Bay Area is sponsored by Metropolitan Transportation Commission and supported by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.

Participating Agencies: AC Transit, Alameda/Oakland Ferry Service, Altamont Commuter Express, BART, Benicia Transit, Caltrain, CityLink, Capital Express (Amtrak), County Connection, Fairfield/Suisun Transit, Golden Gate Transit and Ferry, LAVTA, Monterey-Salinas Transit, SamTrans, San Francisco Muni, Santa Cruz MTD, Santa Rosa Transit, SMART, Sonoma County Transit, Tri Delta Transit, Union City Transit, Vallejo Transit and Ferry, VTA, WestCAT and participating vanpools.

Available Denominations: $20, $30, $35, and $45

For further details call Commuter Check at 1-201-833-9700.

The VTA also has a program for employers who want to sell transit tickets to employees on-site.

The Regional Transit Connection (RTC) Discount Card Program provides people with qualifying disabilities and senior citizens (65 years or older) to fare discounts on fixed-route transit throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Call VTA Customer Service for more information, and to request a brochure and application for the RTC Discount Card.

Caltrain operates commuter rail service between San Francisco and Santa Clara County seven days a week. Hours of operations are weekdays from 4:30 a.m. to 1:30 a.m., Saturdays from 6:30 a.m. to 1:30 a.m., and Sundays from 7:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., with greatest frequency during commute hours. Fares vary based on distance traveled. Within Santa Clara County, there are 17 Caltrain stations:

• Bicycles:
  
  Up to 24 bicycles are allowed on Caltrain with some limitations. Please see page 33 for information on taking bicycles on transit.
  
• Children:
  
  One child four years old or younger may ride free when accompanied by a fare-paying adult. Passengers 11 years old and younger who are accompanied by a fare-paying adult may ride for approximately half the adult fare of a one-way ticket.

• Wheelchair Accessibility:

• Disabled/Senior Discounts:
  
  Disabled passengers and patrons aged 65 or older who present a Regional Transit Connection Discount Card, Medicare Card or Department of Motor Vehicle Disabled Placard Identification Card may ride for a discounted fare. An attendant accompanying a disabled patron also is eligible for this discount when indicated on the RTC Discount Card. Conductor may ask to see a valid ID to verify age or disability.
  
  
• Parking:
  
  All-day parking is available at most Caltrain stations (see table above) for $1. Higher rates are charged at the San Jose Diridon station during San Jose Arena events. Stations from Tamien to Gilroy offer free parking. Monthly Parking permits may be purchased for $10 when buying Monthly Tickets and Discount Monthly tickets. Only one parking permit may be purchased when buying two 10-ride tickets. Day parkers must buy a $1 parking ticket from small red vending machines, which take quarters only. The day or monthly parking permits must be visible on the vehicle dashboard or front window. The Atherton station parking is controlled by the city, and is for residents only.

How to get help with Caltrain:

A variety of shuttles connect Caltrain and light rail stations to employer sites throughout Santa Clara County. All shuttles are free and available to any member of the public. Shuttles are funded by a combination of private and public funds, with many receiving grants from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District as well as receiving some funds from nearby employers. Although the employers listed provide financial assistance for the shuttles that serve them, their use is not limited to employees at these worksites.

Arques Area Shuttle: Makes 6 morning and 7 afternoon trips between the Lawrence Caltrain Station and Arques Avenue area office buildings during commute hours.

Baylands Area Shuttle: Makes 5 morning and 5 afternoon trips between the California Avenue Caltrain Station and the Baylands area office buildings during commute hours.

Bowers Area Shuttle: Makes 6 morning and 6 afternoon trips between the Lawrence Caltrain Station and Bowers Road area office buildings during commute hours.

Caribbean Drive Area Shuttle: Makes 4 morning and 5 afternoon trips between the Lawrence Caltrain Station and the Caribbean Drive area office buildings during commute hours.

De Anza Area Shuttle: Makes 4 morning and 3 afternoon trips between the Sunnyvale Caltrain Station and De Anza area office buildings during commute hours.

Deer Creek Area Shuttle: Makes 4 morning and 4 afternoon trips between the California Ave. Caltrain Station and Deer Creek area office buildings during commute hours.

Fresh Air Shuttle: Makes 5 morning and 5 afternoon trips between the Lawrence Caltrain Station and the North Santa Clara area office buildings during commute hours.

Mission College Area Shuttle: Makes 9 morning and 9 afternoon trips between the Lawrence Caltrain Station and Mission area office buildings during commute hours.

Moffett Park Area Shuttle: Makes 3 morning and 4 afternoon trips between the Sunnyvale Caltrain Station and Moffett Park area office buildings during commute hours.

North Bayshore Area Shuttle: Makes 4 morning and 4 afternoon trips between the Mountain View Caltrain Station and North Bayshore area office buildings during commute hours.

Shoreline Area Shuttle: Makes 10 morning and 8 afternoon trips between the Mountain View Caltrain Station and Shoreline area office buildings during commute hours.

Vallco Area Shuttle: Makes 5 morning and 5 afternoon trips between the Lawrence Caltrain Station and Vallco area office buildings during commute hours.

West Tasman Area Shuttle: Makes 6 morning and 5 afternoon trips between the West Tasman area office buildings and the Santa Clara Caltrain Station during commute hours.

Whisman Area Shuttle: Makes 4 morning and 4 afternoon trips between the Mountain View Caltrain Station and Whisman area office buildings during commute hours.

Call VTA Customer Service to request additional information or schedules for these shuttles.

Arena Shuttle: VTA provides free shuttle service from the "Santa Clara" light rail stop and various bus stops downtown San Jose to all San Jose Arena events. The shuttle operates beginning 1½ hours prior to an event and for at least ½ an hour following an event. Service is provided every 15 minutes.

Business Park Shuttle: Provides 10-minute service between the Metro/Airport light rail station and Santa Clara Social Service, the Concourse, Gateway Office Park, and other businesses during morning and afternoon commute periods.

Downtown Shuttle: The VTA’s free downtown shuttle serves the San Jose Diridon Caltrain station, the Downtown Center Plaza, the Children’s Discovery Museum, and the Convention Center and Paseo de San Antonio light rail stations. The shuttle operates weekdays from 6:15 a.m. to 6:55 p.m. Service is provided every 10 minutes.

Great America LRT Shuttle: Provides 15-minute service between the Old Ironsides light rail station and the employee entrance of Great America off of Mission College Blvd, during park hours weekdays and weekends.

Kaiser LRT Shuttle: One van provides service every weekday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. providing a combination of fixed-route and request-response service from the Cottle light rail station to Medical Offices at Beswick Drive, the Santa Teresa Community Hospital and to most locations within the Santa Teresa Community Hospital complex. In addition service is available by request to the Child and Adolescent services on Bernal Road. Service to the VA Outpatient Clinic on Great Oaks Blvd. is provided hourly between 9:15 a.m. and 3:15 p.m., and by request between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. No service of any type is provided on this route from 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. with the exception of the hourly service to the VA Outpatient Clinics.

The service operates along a prescribed route without a fixed schedule. The shuttle will deviate from the prescribed route, upon request, to provide the highest possible level of customer service. The receptionists at all of the locations served by the shuttle are available to assist in requesting shuttle service. Service may also be requested by calling the Kaiser Security Offices at 1-408-972-7105. The shuttle is generally available within 15 minutes. Lift-equipped service is available upon request to persons with disabilities. Due to the limited space available bicycles are not carried on the Kaiser/VA Light Rail Shuttle.

McCarthy LRT Shuttle: Makes 7 morning and 8 afternoon trips between the Component light rail station and McCarthy Road in Milpitas.

Old Ironsides #1 Shuttle: Provides 10-minute service north of the Old Ironsides light rail station to Santa Clara business and industrial areas during morning and afternoon commute periods.

Old Ironsides #2 Shuttle: Makes 9 morning and 10 afternoon trips south of the Old Ironsides light rail station to Santa Clara business and industrial parks.

River Oaks LRT Shuttle: Makes 7 morning and 7 afternoon trips between the River Oaks light rail station and various employment and housing facilities along River Oaks, Plumeria and Village Center Drive.

Santa Teresa/IBM LRT Shuttle: Mini-buses and vans operate every weekday from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., providing a combination of fixed-route and request-response service from the Santa Teresa light rail and Blossom Hill Caltrain stations to IBM facilities. The request-response portion of the service provides transportation from the two stations to the IBM facilities on San Ignacio Road and all points within the Main IBM Facility.

VTA’s Route 10 provides service between the Metro/Airport LRT Station and Santa Clara Caltrain.

Following is a list of carriers that provide transportation to San Jose International Airport from the west and south bay areas (S=scheduled, U=unscheduled service):

Some major employers and multi-tenant buildings in Santa Clara County operate their own in-house transportation centers to help their employees plan trips to work, get rides on shuttles, join carpools and vanpools, buy transit tickets, etc. Check with the employer or building manager to see if this service is offered.

1. Paratransit

Supplemental transit service is available to certain individuals who cannot ride regular fixed-route transit. Called paratransit, this service is provided in Santa Clara County by three organizations:

VTA contracts with OUTREACH to provide transportation to individuals who fall under the eligibility requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). There are no restrictions on the types of trips that are eligible. Participants must make reservations in advance for the basic service. Service is available seven days a week from 5:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. Reservations must be made between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. seven days a week. Fare is $2.50 one-way, and participants should have pre-paid accounts. Accounts may be opened with any amount. Disabled employees who work for employers who participate in the ECO Pass Program do not pay a fare to ride paratransit.

OUTREACH also offers additional services at slightly higher rates. "Will call" rides, pre-scheduled day but without a fixed time, are provided for $4.40. Same-day service (rides requested on the day of service) are provided for $12.00.

San Andreas Regional Center, serving the developmentally disabled, provides transportation to agency members, program participants and others who have demonstrated an inability to use other services. Eligible trips include those for educational and training programs. Service is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and there is no charge. Reservations must be made in advance.

Catholic Charities Independent Aging Program provides limited transportation for medical, shopping and social purposes to individuals 60 and over. Service is available Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Reservations must be made in advance.

2. Children’s Transportation

There are several companies which transport children for a fee:

• Kids Kab, in Cupertino (1-408-342-0100)
• Peninsula Daycare Transportation (1-408-446-0366)
• Taxi for Tots & Teens, based in Santa Clara (1-408-988-8880)

1. Guaranteed Ride Home Program (GRHP)

The JobAccess/Guaranteed Ride Home Program or GRHP is a new service jointly offered by VTA, the County of Santa Clara Department of Social Services, and OUTREACH, a nonprofit agency providing transportation services. Funding for this project is from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the County of Santa Clara. The GRHP is designed to provide one option to CalWORKs participants facing transportation barriers. The GRHP is a demonstration project, and enrollment is limited.

1. The GRHP will provide same-day transportation for eligible Santa Clara County CalWORKs participants enrolled in the program. The GRHP is limited to those situations when prior notice of more than 12 hours is not possible for alternative transportation.
   

1. Non-scheduled overtime requests from employers;
2. Car breakdowns;
3. When the participant or participant’s dependents become ill and must leave work; a household emergency;
4. If the participant is using a car pool arrangement, and the car pool is unexpectedly not available on a particular day;
5. When the change in schedule prohibits taking the bus or light rail because it is no longer available.
   

1. Transportation will be provided to and from the workplace to home, including multiple destination stops at child care location, pre-schools and primary school sites and other locations where dependents may be, as needed.
   

1. While this program is primarily a Ride Home Program-from the workplace or employment-related activity to home, rides from the home to the workplace or employment-related activity in similarly emergency or unpredictable situations may also be provided for the eligible participant enrolled in the program.
2. OUTREACH will also transport the rider and dependent, when ill, to their health care provider. No life threatening transportation will be provided. In such cases, 911 should be called.
   

1. This transportation support service, facilitating job and job-readiness retention, will be provided to each eligible participant for a six-month period.
   
2. Each participant will be entitled to a total of 48 free guaranteed rides home over six months.
   
3. This service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days per year.
   
4. The eligible CalWORKS participant for this program is the:

individual entering employment and/or engaged in related job readiness activities, with priority given to a single head of household with custodial responsibility for one or more young children (infant-toddler aged, pre-school, or primary school aged up to 13 years), or other dependent adult unable to care for themselves (e.g., if participant is primary care-giver in the home of a dependent adult who is unable to care for themselves due to disability or illness, etc.)


5. The Santa Clara County Social Services Agency (SSA) determines the eligibility of the participant for this ride program, and refers participants to Outreach & Escort, Inc. (OUTREACH), who will enroll eligible participants, and process ride requests.

How to schedule a Ride

• Your ID number (given to you with your ID card when you enroll).
• The time of pickup.
• The exact name and address (including suite number if known) of the pick-up and drop off location.
• Riders must inform the dispatcher if they are planning to take a dependent (s) with them. For infants and toddlers, you may provide a car safety-seat if desired.
• Riders should provide any other pertinent information to the scheduler. To provide a more efficient service, clients should inform the dispatcher of the telephone number of the location that they are to be picked up or dropped off.

• OUTREACH will inform the rider if the pick-up/drop off location is within the OUTREACH service area. The rider will be informed of transfer locations (BART, Cal Train, etc.) if the location is not within the service area.
• To Schedule Rides, the Rider calls 1-800-400-3440
• OUTREACH schedulers/dispatchers currently speak English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, French, and Russian.

If your vehicle does not arrive in a reasonable time, please call the 800 number (1-800-400-3440) to check with dispatch about its arrival.

Lost Items

Call OUTREACH (1-800-400-3440) if you notice immediately after your ride that something is missing; otherwise, call Customer Services at 1-408-436-2865 for lost items after the day of service.

OUTREACH would like to know about any staff associated with the JobAccess program that has been particularly helpful, or has gone out of their way to assist you. Please call Customer Services, (408) 436-2865, if you encounter a helpful individual.

OUTREACH knows that not all rides may be to your satisfaction. We welcome your feedback so we can better meet your needs. All complaints are confidential and you will receive a prompt response. Complaints must be filed with OUTREACH Customer Services at 1-408-436-2865. Please do not file with the Van or Taxi Company directly.

You may file a complaint by telephone or in writing (letters/fax). Filing a complaint immediately after the incident will help OUTREACH in the resolution of the complaint. When you file a complaint OUTREACH will need:

• Your ID number.
• The date and time of your ride.
• An exact description of the incident.
• The address of your pick-up/destination.

If you have any questions or need additional assistance, please call OUTREACH Customer Services (408) 436-2865.

1. Bicycles

Santa Clara County is a very bicycle-friendly environment, with several extensive bicycle-lane networks in the cities of Santa Clara, Cupertino, Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, and Los Altos Hills.

Caltrain: Each train can accommodate a maximum of 24 bicycles. Bicycles must be stowed in the designated bicycle storage space in the northern-most car, noted by a yellow decal on the outside. Bicyclists must be age 16 or older. Collapsible bicycles must be fully enclosed in a cover while boarding, exiting and being stored in the train. These bikes enclosed in a cover are not subject to the 24-bike limit. Bicycle riding on the station platforms and ramps is not allowed.

VTA Buses: Bicycles are allowed on all district buses, passenger loads permitting. All SCVTA buses are now equipped with bike racks. For information call 1-408-321-2300.

VTA Light Rail: Six bikes per light rail car are permitted at all times. (Each train usually has two cars.) For a map and more information, call 1-408-321-2300.

Caltrain: There are lockers at many Caltrain stations. Caltrain owns over 700 lockers at 20 stations between the San Francisco and Tamien stations. At busier stations, there can be a waiting list of up to a year. Lockers rent for $30 for six months (with a $25 key deposit). There is a $10 service fee for rentals for less than six months. For more information regarding parking and locker availability, call 1-650-508-6350. For stations south of Tamien, the phone number is 1-408-321-7520.

VTA: The VTA also owns bicycle lockers along the Caltrain route, at Park & Ride lots, and at light rail stations. Lockers cost $4 per month, with billings every three months. There is a $25 key deposit. Please call 1-408-321-7520 for more information.

Employer Sites: Some major employers also provide bike parking or lockers, as well as shower facilities for bicyclists.

The VTA has produced a comprehensive ‘Santa Clara Valley Bikeways Map," which includes bicycle safety tips and local contact information, and a "Bike & Ride" brochure with information on taking bikes on board transit vehicles. These are available by calling 1-408-321-2300. In addition, bicycle maps are available for the following cities:

The Bike Buddy program is a service offered by RIDES for Bay Area Commuters, Inc. The Bike Buddy program matches experienced cyclists with new cyclists to help them learn how to commute by bicycle.

Experienced cyclists will share their knowledge about bicycle commuting and provide the new cyclist with advice about routes to use, how to ride safely in traffic, bike gear needed for commuting, how to lock and/or secure bike parking, and how to pump a tire and perform light bike repairs. RIDES on Bikes recruits experienced cyclists through local bike clubs, advocacy groups, employers and by contacting Bike-to-Work Day participants. Experienced cyclists may work with the new cyclists via telephone or meet with them in person. Experienced cyclists are encouraged to actually ride with the new cyclist to work once or twice, if their schedule and commute permits.

Matching of cyclists will be based on geographic proximity and matches will be made for new bicycle commuters who desire assistance from experienced cyclists and for experienced or new cyclists who seek regular riding partners.

In addition, RIDES on Bikes maintains an up-to-date bicycle resource guide containing information on local bicycle clubs, advocacy groups, retail shops, events, and maps. The information in this database is available to anyone who seeks bicycle-related resources in their community.

All of RIDES’ bicycle services are free to commuters.

How to get to jobs outside San Clara County – San Francisco

San Mateo, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Santa Cruz, Sonoma and

Solano Counties.

SamTrans service is designed to meet the needs of Peninsula travelers with hundreds of daily trips along the Bayshore corridor between Palo Alto and downtown San Francisco. Additional San Francisco service is provide along El Camino Real and Mission Street in the north county. Hundreds of other daily trips serve San Francisco International Airport, Daly City BART, Hayward and 20 cities throughout San Mateo County.

Transfers:

A SamTrans monthly pass with Mini sticker allows unlimited rides on Muni in the month indicated. A Muni Fast Pass or transfer is accepted as a local fare credit onto Route 24B only at bus stops in San Francisco. SamTrans does not accept SF Muni Fast Passes on other SamTrans routes.

SamTrans offers a joint pass with both BART and Muni. The passes may be purchased at most San Francisco and Daly City pass vendors, as well as the Fairmont Mail Center in Pacifica.

Bicycles:

All SamTrans buses are equipped with bike racks on the front, which hold a maximum of two bikes. In addition, up to two bikes are allowed inside the bus, depending on passenger loads.

Accessibility:

Seniors 65 and over qualify for discounted fares. Disabled persons must hold a Regional Transit Connection Discount Card to qualify.

How to get help with SamTrans:

The San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni) has a fleet of about 1,000 vehicles. The fleet consists of subway-surface light-rail vehicles (called Metro streetcars), electric trolley buses, diesel buses, the world-famous cable cars and historic streetcars.

There are 7 light-rail lines:

• F Market Historic Streetcar service
• J Church
• N Judah
• L Taraval
• K Ingleside and M Ocean View
• M Motor Coach Service from Balboa Park to St. Francis Circle (during track rerailing)

There are three cable car lines:

• Powell-Hyde Cable Car
• Powell-Mason Cable Car
• California Street Cable Car

There are 59 bus routes, with some routes offering limited or express service during designated times.

• Muni Passes and Fares:

Fares may be paid in cash, or travelers may purchase monthly fast passes or weekly passes; single- or multi-day Passports, which give unlimited ridership on the day(s) for which they are issued; or tokens. The tokens have no time expiration, and you can get a free transfer with them (cable cars accept one token plus $1, with no transfer issued). Monthly passes are good on buses, streetcars and cable cars for one calendar month, with a 3-day grace period into the next month (e.g, the June pass is good from June 1 through July 3). Weekly passes are good Monday-Sunday.

• Transfer:

If you travel on BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) and then plan to take Muni, get a discounted transfer which will give you a round trip on Muni for the price of a one-way trip. Before you exit the BART paid area, go to the white Muni transfer machine near the add-fare machines. Put in four quarters to get a two-part ticket: one part will allow a ride on Muni away from BART within one hour. Keep the other portion for your trip back to BART (you have 72 hours to use the return portion).

If you use BART and Muni regularly, you can purchase BART Plus ticket. This ticket allows the rider to purchase a ticket with a set amount of BART fare that can also be used as a flash pass for unlimited rides on Muni buses and streetcars during a designated 15-day period, from the first of the month to the 15^th, and from the 16^th through the end of the month. BART Plus can be purchased only at stations.

• Senior/Disability Discounts:

Muni participates in the Regional Transit Discount Card Program, which provides discounts for seniors (65 years of age and over) and persons with a transit disability. Please see the paratransit section.

How to get help with Muni:

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) provides rail service in Contra Costa, Alameda, San Francisco and San Mateo counties. Santa Clara County residents can access the nearest BART Station at:

• The Union City Station
• The Fremont Station
• The Colma Station

BART service is available on weekdays from about 4 a.m. to approximately midnight. Before traveling in the early morning or late night, check BART schedules for the times of the first and last trains at each station. On Saturday, service is available from approximately 6 a.m. to midnight. On Sunday, service is available from approximately 8 a.m. to midnight. Again, check BART schedules before traveling in the early morning or late night.

On weekdays, BART trains run every 5 to 15 minutes during morning and afternoon commute periods, every 15 minutes during the midday and every 20 minutes in the evening. On weekends, trains run every 20 minutes all day.

How to get help with BART:

How to get help with shuttles:

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