Contact: Jonah Weinberg, 650.508.6238

Caltrain Entices South Santa Clara out of cars

Residents in the southern part of Santa Clara County received a treat in the mail recently, courtesy of Caltrain and VTA. Nearly 88,000 households received a mailer with a free pass for a week’s worth of rides on Caltrain and VTA.

The free pass went to people living south of the Tamien station, which includes south San Jose and goes all the way down to Gilroy, Hollister and Watsonville. The passes offer residents an opportunity to try out the rail service and see how convenient it is to take the train, rather than burn up expensive gas and fight traffic all the way up Highway 101.

According to the “gas calculator” on Caltrain’s Web site, a typical commuter from Gilroy to Sunnyvale can save $150 each month by taking Caltrain, as compared to driving.

During the first few days of the promotion, Caltrain has already observed a 3 percent increase in ridership from the targeted area, and additional ridership is expected.

Caltrain offers three weekday morning and three weekday afternoon commuter trains between San Jose and Gilroy, and 96 weekday trains between San Jose and San Francisco. Caltrain permits food on board its trains, so passengers can enjoy their morning coffee or snack, as they spend their commute time reading, relaxing or catching up on work. Or, they can even get in a short nap before reaching the office.

For more information about Caltrain service or schedules, call 1.800.660.4287.

5/25/06 - jbw