Overview

VTA's Next Network project is a redesign of the transit network and is one component of the Transit Ridership Improvement Program. The Transit Ridership Improvement Program is an agency-wide effort to make public transit faster, more frequent and more useful for Santa Clara County travelers. The Next Network project concerns VTA's transit operations and seeks to:

1. Better connect VTA transit with the Milpitas and Berryessa BART stations

2. Increase overall system ridership

3. Improve VTA's farebox recovery rate

Changes to the transit network as part of Next Network implementation will go into effect with the next two-year transit service plan in late 2017.

Transit Choices Report and Network Concepts

In 2016, VTA hired Jarrett Walker and Associates, an international transit network design firm, to assess VTA's current service. That assessment, titled the Transit Choices Report, identified options for VTA's strategy for increasing ridership, improving the farebox recovery rate, making our service more useful to riders and lowering barriers to using transit.

The report also addressed the purpose of public transit--whether it is to maximize ridership or maximize access to transit service. Jarrett Walker and Associates worked with VTA to develop three network design concepts that show how the network could be designed depending on how VTA balances the ridership and coverage goals. VTA evaluated how best to balance those competing goals which will be reflected in the design of VTA's next transit network.

Beginning in May 2016, VTA sought community input on the three network design concepts as well as transit network design priorities. We analyzed community input in the fall of Fall 2016 and developed a draft network design that was released in January 2017 for public review.  

During a six-week public comment period, VTA held nine public meetings, five webinars and made public presentations to over 50 community based organizations and government agencies. Approximately 2,000 comments were also gathered by e-mail, social media and phone calls.
 
Using this input, a final plan will be developed and presented to VTA’s Board of Directors in May 2017. The changes are scheduled to take place when the two Santa Clara County BART stations open in late 2017. 

Webinars:

 South County Focus
Watch the webinar.
Origination date: January 17, 2017

South San Jose Focus
Watch the webinar.
Origination date: January 24, 2017

Sunnyvale and the West Valley Focus
Watch the webinar.​
Origination date: ​January 26, 2017

Palo Alto Focus
Watch the webinar.​
Origination date: ​February 7, 2017

Milpitas Focus
Watch the webinar.
Origination date: February 15, 2017