CalGreen / TransportiCA Say Goodbye to VTA's 181 Express

With Saturday’s long-awaited BART service to Santa Clara County beginning, TransportiCA encourages riders to share their favorite 181 express service stories.

SACRAMENTO, Calif.–With its mission to advance systems thinking and the Triple Bottom Line, the California Green Academy (“CalGreen”) and its transport blog TransportiCA, bid the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority’s (“VTA”) 181 express a fond farewell, as it departs for the last time, tomorrow. On Saturday, BART service commences into Santa Clara County, with the Milpitas and Berryessa stations replacing 181’s ‘northern segment,’ and VTA’s Rapid 500 line replacing its ‘southern segment.’ VTA’s line 181 began service in January 2008, providing weekday commuter express service, every fifteen minutes, between the Civic Center and Fremont BART stations. In 2009, with ridership growing, line 181 began all-day service. The 181 became so popular, in 2010, while services were cut, the 181 expanded, adding weekend service. Recently, in calendar year 2019, the 181 had 500,000+ boardings. “Line 181 has a special place for TransportiCA staff, as it has been a key link between the East Bay and downtown San Jose, particularly San Jose State. Whether attending classes, conferences, or on our way to Santa Cruz, all of us had some interaction with line 181, and we will especially miss staring at single-occupant drivers parked on 880, while we comfortably zoomed passed them to the BART station,” stated Greg Justice, CalGreen’s Chief Sustainability Officer (ED), and a 181 rider, since 2008. With CalGreen’s send off to the line, we ask readers to share their favorite 181 express stories with us, using the hashtag #Goodbye181 (@TransportiCA). To view tomorrow’s BART station ribbon-cutting ceremony online, register here. Please remember, face coverings are required on BART and VTA.

A PDF of this release can be downloaded here.