Watch CBS News

South Bay VTA Counting On Amenities To Lure More Riders

SAN JOSE (KCBS) - Can amenities like Wi-Fi and weekend express service lure South Bay commuters onto the shrinking number of trains and buses serving Santa Clara County?

Express trains on the Valley Transportation Authority light rail system will soon be equipped for wireless Internet access, part of what some see as general manager Michael Burns' quixotic goal of nearly doubling ridership by 2019.

"We hope to attract more riders to the system," Burns said, adding riders can expect to see more Wi-Fi if it is at all popular.

KCBS' Matt Bigler Reports:

Caltrain has offered Wi-Fi for several years. The agency hopes to make up for an almost certain fare increase of 25 cents per zone and the elimination of four weekday trains by running baby bullet trains on the weekend.

"Baby bullet is Caltrain-speak for express," said spokeswoman Christine Dunn.

The Caltrain board was scheduled to take up the fare increase and service changes at its Thursday meeting.

(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.