will kwik trip go public

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Kwik trip continues to grow by leaps and bounds. a look at that growth by the numbers.

The Kwik Trip juggernaut continues to roll.

In the past four years, the La Crosse-based company has added more than 150 locations to its network of convenience stores, while diving full-on into new product lines like the ready-to-eat meals it rolled out in 2020.

Behind that public-facing growth, there's a vast, often unnoticed operation that churns out bakery, salads, meals and more, and delivers it daily to the company's 800-plus locations.

This week, Kwik Trip announced a $151 million expansion of its La Crosse food production, distribution and office operations that will position the company for further growth while creating up to 500 new jobs.

Here's a by the numbers look at Kwik Trip and its growth:

866 locations and counting

The first Kwik Trip opened in La Crosse in 1971, and it took 15 years for the company to reach 100 locations.

Growth accelerated from there, as the company opened 500 stores over the next 20 years, and more than 300 since 2016.

Recent growth has included both newly built locations and the acquisition of 168 existing stores, including 34 PDQ stores in Wisconsin and 36 Stop-N-Go locations in Wisconsin and Illinois.

The company's most recent addition, a location in Sturgeon Bay , opened Dec. 14.

Kwik Trip's 506 Wisconsin convenience stores make up the majority of its locations, but it also has grown in other states. It operates another 360 Kwik Trip and Kwik Star stores in Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, and South Dakota.

Workforce is 38,600 - tripled in five years

Kwik Trip employs 38,600 people between its stores, its corporate headquarters and its food production and distribution operations.

Much of that workforce is in Wisconsin, where the company has 12,442 full-time employees, according to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. That's nearly triple the 3,432 full-time workers it employed just five years ago.

More than 13,000 people work at Kwik Trip's Wisconsin locations part time.

More: Why are Kwik Trip employees passionate about the company? Here are four good reasons.

24,000 Glazers an hour

According to its website, Kwik Trip's La Crosse bakerycan make 400 Glazer donuts a minute, or 24,000 an hour.

That added up to 45 million of the company's signature donuts in 2022, and millions more of other baked goods such as cookies, muffins and sandwich buns, all of which are shipped to the stores daily. The company also has its own dairy operation and a commissary operation that makes Kwik Trip's pizzas, ready to eat meals, salads and more.

In all, Kwik Trip says about 80% of the products it sells are prepared at its La Crosse production plants. That vertical integration - food production, transportation and retail sales - has been a key to the company's growth.

The $151 million expansion will add to that operation and also include development of a new office building in Onalaska.

Kwik Rewards keeps more than 1 million people coming back

Kwik Trip launched Kwik Rewards, its customer loyalty program, in 2018. The program allows regular customers to earn discounts on food and gas and to receive coupons and special offers that are exclusive to Kwik Rewards.

More than 1 million people signed up in that first year. Today, nearly 4 million people are enrolled in the rewards program.

The company said it serves 11.5 million customers a week.

More: This Kwik Trip super fan made it her 2021 goal to visit Wisconsin's 457 Kwik Trips. She did it.

$41 million in state tax credits help fuel Kwik Trip growth

The company's expansion of its food products and distribution operations in La Crosse has been assisted by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., through its Enterprise Zone Tax Credit program .

At the outset, the company was awarded up to $21 million in tax credits that were tied to the company's plan to invest $309 million in the La Crosse campus and create 300 new jobs. An additional $5 million was awarded when the project had exceeded that goal and created more than 500 jobs. In all, the expansion has led to the creation of 1,793 full-time jobs, according to WEDC.

An additional $15 million was approved by WEDC earlier this month with the expectation that the $151 million expansion will create an additional 500 full-time jobs over the next decade.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: The numbers behind Kwik Trip's growth in Wisconsin and beyond

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HIGH FIVE: 5 Things Kwik Trip Can Put in a Bag Instead of Milk

After more than 40 years, the bagged milk is no more, but we’ve got other bagged ideas.

McKenna Scherer | April 18, 2024

Kwik Trip, the Midwest’s beloved convenience store and gas station, recently announced it is discontinuing its bagged milk after more than four decades of selling it due to a decline in sales compared to its milk in jugs. The change will be implemented by May. Luckily, we just came up five more items Kwik Trip can sell in bags.

1. BAG OF FRIED CHICKEN

Kwik Trip’s latest campaign promoting its fried chicken contains some … choice slang. It was described as having “serious rizz” in promotional signage, while other phrases include “Our chicken just hits different” and “Chicken that slaps,” among others. Take that however you want, but at this point, just put it in a gallon-sized bag at a good price and I’ll buy it, OK?

2. BAG OF SLUSHY

Listen, I could get a Mega Buddy-sized Slushy, but sometimes it just isn’t big enough. Put it in a huge, slappable bag, give me an appropriately-sized straw, and I’ll be on my way.

3. BAG OF CHERRY DUNKERS

Kwik Trip’s donuts – specifically, the Dunkers – are a welcome surprise in our office’s break room, typically brought in by some kind-souled coworker who knew we all needed the sugary boost. But seriously, a six-pack? Who does that help? Put 50 Cherry Dunkers (my personal favorite, and I’ll stand on that hill) in a bag, now.

4. BAG OF KARUBA

Obviously, to go along with my 50 Cherry Dunkers in a bag, I will require a gallon-sized bag of iced Karuba to-go. The specialty iced drink machines are cute and fun, but the cups are certainly not fun-sized. An insulated bag fit to carry my gallon of iced Karuba coffee will be fun-sized and functional, probably.

5. BAG OF GAS

Whatever, you knew this was coming. Is that safe? No. Is that practical? Not really. But is it convenient? If the bag has handles, then maybe. But since Kwik Trip is a gas station, I’m putting it on this list. Bag of Gas. Go.

Humming along since 2002, Volume One is a magazine, an event & video production company, & a retail store based in Eau Claire, WI.

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Kwik Trip Announces It Will Acquire Stop-N-Go Convenience Stores

Purchase Comes As Company Eyes Expansion Across Midwest

La Crosse-based Kwik Trip announced Wednesday it will acquire Stop-N-Go, a Madison-based convenience store operator.

John McHugh, director of public relations at Kwik Trip, said the purchase is part of the company’s five-year plan to expand across the Midwest.

“We think northern Illinois certainly represents some options for us. At some point in time, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan certainly could be some options,” McHugh said. “So yeah, we’re looking at a much larger growth strategy adding close to 50 new stores a year for the next many years.”

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Currently, Kwik Trip owns and operates more than 700 locations in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa. Stop-N-Go has 36 locations across southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Kwik Trip’s purchase of the chain would mark the company’s first entrance into Illinois.

McHugh did not rule out layoffs for Stop-N-Go employees as part of the transition, but noting the challenges of finding qualified workers, he said it was Kwik Trip’s “hope that as many of the Stop-N-Go employees as possible will keep with us.”

Like Kwik Trip, Stop-N-Go is a family-owned business. The company was founded in 1963 by Duane and Olympia Bowman.

“When selecting the right buyer, it was important for us that the Stop-N-Go brand be continued,” Andrew Bowman, owner and CEO of Stop-N-Go said in a statement. “All of us at Stop-N-Go have a great deal of pride and sense of accomplishment because our efforts built a brand worthy of continuing under the new ownership of Kwik Trip.”

Kwik Trip expects many of the stores to operate under the Stop-N-Go brand, but a number of the larger stores will be remodeled and rebranded as Kwik Trip stores.

Hart Posen, a professor who specializes in retail strategy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Business, said Kwik Trip’s expansion in the Midwest can be attributed in part to its unique model. The company owns many parts of its own supply chain , like dairy facilities and bakeries. Posen said while this model has been part of the chain’s success, it also means that when the company expands, it’s likely to happen locally.

“So if Kwik Trip wants to grow, it really can’t decide ‘We’re going to grow dramatic(ally), we’re going to grow in the Southwest of the U.S.’ because it’s far too far from its production of bakery goods and other things that are so critical to its business,” Posen explained.

Kwik Trip also acquired 34 PDQ Food Store locations, a convenience store chain based in Middelton, in 2017. The deal with Stop-N-Go is slated to be finalized in early December 2020.

Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2024, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.

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After a 2-week outage, Kwik Trip's rewards program is back up and running

A company-wide system outage that affected Kwik Trip's rewards program and some of the company's other systems has finally been resolved after about two weeks.

Kwik Trip announced Monday that its Kwik Rewards program has been restored and is fully functional. Members can now access rewards in-store and can view and manage their rewards account through the Kwik Rewards mobile app and website.

In a statement to rewards members, the La Crosse-based gas station and convenience store chain said, "We understand over the last two weeks you may not have been able to redeem or accumulate rewards , and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and frustration this may have caused. We are committed to making this right with you."

Kwik Trip informed members that any rewards cards swiped during the outage have received the correct credits for those purchases made during the outage. Members should see and be able to use those rewards in their account beginning Monday, Oct. 23. This applies to fuel discounts, Packers Points and all other rewards.

The expiration dates for fuel discounts and coupons that were originally supposed to expire during the outage have been extended at least through the end of October.

Kwik Trip also announced it would compensate members for the outage in a few additional ways.

Through Nov. 5, members will be receiving double visits for every purchase in-store or at the pump. Visit earning is limited to one visit, plus one bonus visit, every 30 minutes.

Additionally, Kwik Trip will be awarding all members bonus visits based on their average weekly visits prior to the outage to account for instances during the outage where members may not have been able to swipe their Kwik Rewards card or their card was not accepted.

"These visits will be applied to your account within 24 hours along with additional bonus visits as a thank you for your patience. Once applied to your account, you will receive a push message and email notification if you opt in for these communications. If you are not opted in, you can verify the bonus points through your visit balance in the app or at  KwikRewards.com ," the company said in its statement.

More: Cybersecurity incident caused outage to some Kwik Trip systems

What caused the Kwik Trip Rewards outage?

Current findings indicate the company experienced a "cybersecurity incident that caused disruption to systems located on the company’s internal network on Monday, October 9, 2023," Kwik Trip said on its website . The incident was detected within hours and mitigation efforts began immediately with the assistance of external cybersecurity experts.

There is "no indication" that customers' payment card information was involved, the company said.

In addition to the rewards program, other systems that were impacted by the incident were ones related to La Crosse productions facilities and communication systems within the company, the statement said. As of Thursday, Oct. 19, most internal systems were functioning.

The "cybersecurity incident" related to the outage is currently under forensic investigation. The investigation is in its early stages and is expected to "take time to complete."

For more information, Kwik Trip has a detailed FAQ about the outage on its website .

Journal Sentinel reporter Hannah Kirby contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Kwik Trip rewards program working again after cyberattack

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Self-checkout stations are coming to Kwik Trips across Wisconsin

T he popular Wisconsin convenience store and gas station chain Kwik Trip has devised a way to make customers' shopping trips even quicker in its newest stores: self-checkout stations.

All new Kwik Trip locations, including those completed in about the last six months or after, have been or will be equipped with two self-checkout stations, said Kwik Trip public relations specialist Ben Leibl. These include 25-30 stores currently under construction that should be complete by the end of 2024.

"The reason we're doing this is just for the convenience factor," Leibl said. "We're not replacing anyone's jobs. We're still hiring the same amount of coworkers for our newer stores."

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Right now, Kwik Trip is only putting self-checkout stations into its new stores. They will not be installed at existing stores.

"We understand that our guests want to be in and out of our stores as quickly as possible; not everyone wants human interaction. ...," Leibl continued. "If there's a longer line, people have the option to go to the self-checkout, complete their transaction and get on with their day."

Leibl said no significant issues with the new self-checkout systems have been reported to Kwik Trip. New stores throughout Wisconsin and Minnesota are already using the new systems, he said, including a store in Belgium, Wisc. , about 45 minutes from Milwaukee.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Self-checkout stations are coming to Kwik Trips across Wisconsin

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Advertisement, convenience stores weather covid-19: kwik trip's foodservice director provides perspective.

Convenience stores, particularly those with a strong food focus, faced many of the same challenges as restaurants when on-premises foodservice shut down to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Self-service options, such as coffee and roller grill items, were halted, and larger chains had to manage through varying local rules.

“There was a lot of confusion with store managers in the beginning in terms of the regulations,” notes Jeff Lenard, VP, strategic industry initiatives at NACS , a Virginia-based association for convenience and fuel retailers.

C-stores did have the advantage of already being well positioned for takeout — while some c-stores do have dine-in seating options, the large majority serve to-go customers only. That’s the case for La Crosse, Wis.-based Kwik Trip, which has a food-focused model built into the chain , along with a commissary that supports the chains’ 600 stores.

“Since we produce our own milk, breads, sandwiches and pizza, we were never out of stock,” says Paul Servais, retail foodservice director for Kwik Trip . “We deliver to our stores seven days a week; every day every store gets a delivery. We were in a great position to help our communities. We have had very good sales. Our footprint, how we designed our stores, what we sell, it’s right-on for the pandemic. For a while, we could not process enough milk.”

As of mid-July, all Kwik Trip stores were back to pre-COVID-19 setups — stores in Madison, Wis., were among the last to come back fully online due to local restrictions in that county. Fully back to normal meant reinstituting self-serve options, which includes dispensed beverages, bakery cases, roller grill offerings and condiment bars. During the heightened restriction period the chain had to shut down those self-serve options. “We closed the bakery cases, shut down the roller grills and soup kettles and stopped sampling,” Servais confirms.

Kwik Trip has updated normal operating procedures around food sanitation to include wiping down foodservice-related equipment more frequently and replacing items, like tongs, more often. “Every 30 minutes,” Servais says, instead of the pre-pandemic four-hour rotation store recommendation.

“We have always had a robust food safety program since 2002 when we really got into food,” Servais says. “When COVID-19 came, it wasn’t that we had to change philosophy for cleaning, but that we had to tell the public about it — have transparency about all of it.”

The emphasis on cleanliness carries through to the c-store industry overall. One notable change among some larger c-store operators, Lenard notes, is a change in operating hours from 24/7 to 23/7, leaving a full hour to shut down and clean the store. “That might be the new norm — 23/7,” he says. “ Cleanliness ranks as a top reason that consumers say they have a favorite c-store or gas station. Food safety means something broader than just related to the preparation of the food. It includes everything being clean.”

Consumer Shifts and the C-Store Model

Kwik Trip has seen a consumer shift in its busy periods, with its traditional morning business to later in the day. “Morning business — breakfast and coffee — have been huge forever. All of a sudden those breakfast customers are not going to offices,” Servais says. “We are seeing a rebound of breakfast now. Lunch has started picking back up and evening.”

One of the biggest challenges at the moment, Servais notes, is the day to day inconsistency of business.

Reopening of restaurants may have an adverse impact on c-stores, according to NACS/PDI data , slowing down c-stores’ off-premises consumption of alcohol. Early on in the pandemic, Lenard notes c-stores where seeing more bulk purchase sales of alcohol. “Floor displays — generally set up as warm displays/inventory— were moving as consumers looked to maximize purchases,” he says. Other category sales were offset by the lack of options in another area, for example packaged beverage sales increased (non-alcoholic) during the period self-serve dispensed units were shutdown. “Official data has a bit of a lag time, but the most notable thing is that change in purchasing routine, moving from single-serve, immediate consumption to take-home.”

From a larger perspective, that buying shift, Lenard believes, could further blur the channel segmentation. “We’ve talked about channel blurring for years,” he says. “Now, consumers may just say ‘I’m going out for pizza’ and leave it at that.” He adds that the current retail foodservice climate may also open up new opportunities for any retailer to work with someone they have never worked with before. “One c-store retailer was working with a restaurant that was closed in a supply partnership approach; another option might be a restaurant working within a c-store for a grab-and-go offer; there’s also the possibility of a community element with partnering for food banks [c-stores traditionally are deemed too small of a pickup for a food bank on their own]. These are terrible times, but there are also some innovative ideas emerging.”

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Expert fears private Kwik Trip customer data at risk due to disruptions

MEQUON, Wis. — A power outage caused Kwik Trip app users to be unable to use their app.

According to Kwik Trip's X account , app users are still experiencing issues. Guests who have the Kwik Trip card cannot make purchases at the moment. Kwik Trip said several areas are impacted. The Mequon Kwik Trip had several paper signs taped to doors alerting customers of the issue.

"We have been working diligently to restore our systems as quickly and safely as possible," Kwik Trip Public Relations Specialist Amy DuPont said. "We have made significant progress over the past few days and anticipate that services will be incrementally restored over the coming days. We will let you know of any further developments and appreciate your patience."

Patience is something Niki Schultz is willing to afford a place that's earned her respect.

"Kwik Trip is my go-to, for sure," Schultz said. "But unfortunately, if nothing is done about this, I will probably go elsewhere."

Earlier this week, Schultz, who lives in Waterloo, was at a Kwik Trip in Oconomowoc. She had forgotten her purse but had her Kwik Trip credit card with her.

"I swiped my rewards plus credit card and it said invalid card," Schultz recalled. "I tried three times swiping my card and it kept saying invalid."

She had to drive back to Waterloo and then back to Oconomowoc, over an hour round trip. It was already an inconvenience, but now she's nervous about how this could impact her finances. She tried to pay off a balance on her Kwik Trip card, but because of the outage she's unable to do so. If she's penalized for not making an on-time payment, it could spell disaster for her family.

"Being a single mom of two boys and currently not working, it would be a big impact," Schultz said.

But this could be just the beginning of trouble for her and customers across the state. One expert believes this could be the signs of a cyberattack that could impact both Kwik Trip and its customers.

"It sounds like a cyberattack and quite serious at that," Alex Holden, Chief Information Security Officer at Hold Security said. "The gas stations are still functional which is a good thing. But some of the infrastructure most likely within Kwik Trips have been disabled for five days now. That's a very long time. Usually companies on day two or day three give us some kind of status."

Holden says this situation has all of the earmarks of a cyberattack.

"This seems to be a situation with ransomware where the bad guys get into the systems of the company, encrypt it, lock away their data and most likely stole some data as well," Holden said.

These types of attacks are becoming more prevalent. According to the FBI , internet crimes were responsible for $6.9 billion dollars in losses in 2021. That number jumped to $10.2 billion last year.

The FBI data also shows in Wisconsin, there were $15,000 in losses due to ransomware in 2021. Last year, that jumped to $286,200.

Just last month, Johnson Controls was struck by a ransomware attack, where hackers demanded $51 million . According to an SEC filing on Sept. 27 , Johnson Controls said it "has experienced disruptions in portions of its internal information technology infrastructure and applications resulting from a cybersecurity incident."

In August, Caesars Entertainment, a Las Vegas casino, faced a cyberattack where they paid a $15 million ransom. But it didn't stop there.

Thursday, Caesars told its customers at least 41,397 people had their data stolen in the grift, according to The Register.

Holden says, even though Kwik Trip and Caesars are on different levels, the cyber swindle remains the same and people in Wisconsin should be concerned.

"They should be taking this more seriously because at the end of the day, it's likely a cyberattack," Holden said. "Their information can be endangered if they trusted anything to Kwik Trip."

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She's from Green Bay. He's from the United Kingdom. On their wedding day, they went head over heels at Kwik Trip.

GREEN BAY - When James McKenzie-Brown came to Wisconsin from the United Kingdom, he didn’t just fall head over heels for Pati Holschbach.

He fell in love with  Kwik Trip , too.

It was Holschbach first, mind you, and the popular Wisconsin-based convenience store chain second. That’s important to note in a love story that spans 3,903 miles, two and half years and countless Big Buddy fountain drinks.

When it came to their wedding day on March 29, it just seemed right that it was all three of them — a nurse from Green Bay, an armed police officer from London and Kwik Trip store No. 827 on Lombardi Avenue — together in their photos.

Love, Wisconsin style.

To appreciate the sweetness of the photo shoot, at a gas station on the happiest day of their lives, you have to first get to know the couple.

“To tell people our story of how we began, if anybody else would tell me this story, it would sound kind of, I would say, crazy,” Holschbach said.

The two met on Tinder. She was living in Milwaukee at the time and had the distance for potential matches on the dating app set to within 80 miles. He was in Twickenham, just outside London, and had his set to 10 miles. There were 3,903 miles and a whole big pond between them. Their profiles should never have crossed paths but somehow they did.

Love works in mysterious ways.

Within 24 hours, they were talking. Eighteen days later, on Dec. 8, 2021, he flew to Wisconsin to see her. From the moment they said hello to one another, it felt different.

“We both just knew,” Holschbach said.

They felt incredibly comfortable around each other and discovered they had similar senses of humor. They had both chosen the careers they did, because they wanted to help people. They both enjoyed going to estate sales and looking for antiques.

“But one of the things that really attracted me to him and him to me was we both absolutely love animals, like we’re obsessed with dogs and cats,” she said. “We’re the kind of people where anytime we see a dog, we have to point it out, like it’s our first time seeing a dog.”

It was Holschbach’s elderly 15-year-old rescue pitbull, Minnie, who sealed the deal. An excellent judge of character but leery of men due to her past, the first thing she did when McKenzie-Brown came to visit was climb right into his lap and snuggle in.

“She wouldn’t even climb in my lap and I was her mom,” Holschbach said. “Then I just instantly knew. ‘Yep, this is the one.’”

They were engaged on April 13, 2022 — four months and five days after they met.

Big Buddy drinks are their go-to, but you can't beat the fried chicken

Before they could marry, they had to secure a K-1 visa , which allows a U.S. citizen to bring a fiancé or fiancée to the country for the purpose of marriage and becoming a lawful permanent resident. It was a process that stretched across nearly two years and required many back-and-forth trips.

That’s where Kwik Trip enters the story.

McKenzie-Brown found himself “enthralled with all that is Midwest culture” whenever he came to visit. Potluck staples — can’t-miss fare like walking tacos, scotcheroos, Snickers salad and especially beer dip — fascinated him. Being from the U.K., where people love nothing more than to talk about the weather, he also appreciated Wisconsin’s four seasons, sometimes all in the same week, as a goldmine of conversation.

More local flavor YouTuber Nick Johnson spent 3 days in Green Bay, discovered a 'uniquely American' city, super nice people, lots cheese

Holschbach grew up in Green Bay and graduated from Green Bay East High School in 1996. She was well acquainted with the joys of Kwik Trip and its status as a Wisconsin institution. She knew her future husband had to experience it for himself.

“He was like, ‘You want to take me to a gas station?’” she said. “I’m like, ‘Yes! But you just wait, you just wait.’”

He was immediately smitten. He loved it all, from the feeling that he had just walked into a little city all onto itself to the signature “see ya next time” from the clerk on his way out the door.

During the couple’s many trips back and forth to the airport or on the drive up to Green Bay to see Holschbach’s parents, Kwik Trips became a part of their lives. Their go-to is the Big Buddy fountain soda, but the Glazers doughnuts, Cinnabon cinnamon roll-flavored cappuccinos and the cheesy chicken casserole are also among their favorites.

“And you can’t beat their fried chicken,” Holschbach said. “Their fried chicken is really good.”

After the ceremony at the Brown County Courthouse, it was off to Kwik Trip on Lombardi Avenue

One of the conditions of being issued a K-1 visa is that once the fiancé comes to the United States, the couple has just 90 days to get married. That makes planning a large, elaborate wedding nearly impossible, so Holschbach and McKenzie-Brown opted for a small, intimate ceremony with family and a few friends.

There were two things they knew they wanted to be part of the day.

One was a hand-tied bridal bouquet of five dozen white carnations from Petal Pusher Floral Boutique in the Broadway District. Holschbach had worked for owner Nichole Campbell years ago and adored that same bouquet Petal Pusher had created for a wedding expo. She never forgot it.

The other was to have photos taken at Kwik Trip by Erika Krause Photography . Holschbach has known her for 14 years, ever since she was the labor and delivery nurse assigned to the birth of her second child at Aurora BayCare and then again for her third child. Krause was excited to do her first bride-and-groom-at-Kwik Trip photo session.

More: 'See ya next time': How a neighborhood grocery store grew into today's Kwik Trip phenomenon

After the couple exchanged vows in a civil ceremony at the Brown County Courthouse, they headed to a Kwik Trip, where the employee in charge told them not only was it OK to shoot photos inside the store but that it happens all the time.

“They were just the nicest bunch of people,” Holschbach said.

They even gave them a complimentary doughnut as a prop. There are shots of the happy couple with intertwined arms with Big Buddy cups, sharing a smooch in one of the aisles and standing by a cooler door that reads “Cold Beer Enter Here.”

Two of their favorites portraits were taken outside, with Holschbach’s bouquet and McKenzie-Brown’s mini Union Jack flag outshone only by the smiles on their faces.

You might be wondering if there was a Kwik Trip-themed wedding dinner with fancy three-tiered plates of Glazers, platters of fried chicken and barbecue pork rib sandwiches and baskets of reasonably priced bananas. There was not. They did their dining at Italian restaurant Angelina in downtown Green Bay.

Years from now, when they look back at the photographs taken at store No. 827, what might they think?

“I’m sure we’ll probably say, ‘Oh my God, we really had our pictures taken at a gas station.' But that’s just part of our personality,” Holschbach said. “We’ll just more so, I think, remember it for how much fun it was and just how happy everyone was and how supportive they were. It was a great day. It was a very joyous day ... and that’s conveyed in the pictures.”

The couple, who just moved to Kimberly, already know how they’ll celebrate their anniversary each year: a fountain drink at Kwik Trip and dinner at Angelina.

Kendra Meinert is an entertainment and feature writer at the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Contact her at 920-431-8347 or k [email protected] . Follow her on X @KendraMeinert . 

VTA First-Time Transit Rider Guide

Table of Contents

Mobile phone apps, after vta customer service closes, in person (downtown san jose), how to read a bus schedule, at the bus stop…, how to board a vta bus, boarding a vta bus with your bicycle, how to pay your vta bus fare, basic rules for riding (boarding) any vta bus, how to get off (alighting) from a vta bus, transferring to another bus line, transferring to vta light rail, transferring to commuter or intercity bus or rail services, know before you board, reading the vta light rail schedule, paying vta light rail fare, at the vta light rail station, boarding vta light rail, making room for other people aboard vta light rail, exiting (alighting) vta light rail, transferring to another vta light rail train, commuter rail and intercity rail, commuter bus, inter-county bus, and intercity bus, community buses, connection timing rules between vta and these buses.

Are you visiting, recently moved to or started working in Silicon Valley?  New to taking public transportation in the Valley?  Taking a Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority ( VTA ) bus or light rail train can be intimidating for someone riding public transit for the very first time.

This guide will detail the steps you need to make your first trip riding a VTA bus or light rail train as pleasant as possible.  It will also detail how to make future trips equally as rewarding and pleasant for yourself – and fellow passengers.

A special “Thank You” must go to San Jose State University’s Transportation Solutions Department for providing all of the basic tips found in this guide.

Note that this guide written independent of VTA. VTA gave us no help whatsoever in the creation of this guide. Please do not contact VTA about particulars in this guide.

Back to Top

Know Before You Go

Not sure which VTA bus or light rail train to take?  Not sure when VTA buses or light rail are running and how often?  Not sure about how much VTA bus and light rail fares cost? There are several ways you can contact VTA to obtain this information.

By Computer (Online)

VTA has a web site. www.vta.org , available 24 hours/day where you can access public transit information for Santa Clara County.

Also, use VTA’s Online Trip Planner to help plan your bus or light rail trip online. It’s quick and easy. If possible, use the save function or print out the information for your trip reference.

For the entire San Francisco Bay Area, a web site maintained by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission ( MTC) has regional public transit and traffic information. That site, www.511.org , is available 24 hours/day. When visiting the site, click the “Transit” button to obtain public transit information.

Have a smart phone or tablet?  Download and install the Transit “app” before you go.  The “app” will help you plan your trip, inform you of departure times, and remind you which stop to get off on your bus trip.  After downloading the “app” on your smart phone, follow its instructions for its use for the VTA in Santa Clara County.

As of February 2023, VTA has upgraded Transit app users to the Transit Royale platform. Here’s more information from VTA on what Transit Royale does for its users.

Also, you are strongly encouraged to use the Clipper Card app to help pay your bus and/or light rail fare. It will help ease paying transit fares, and speed your trip.

Both the “Transit” app and Clipper Card app are available at the Apple Store or Google Play . Download them and install them on your smart phone (or tablet) today, to help you ride and pay fare on VTA.

By Telephone

Don’t have access to a computer or smartphone? Another way to contact VTA for information is by telephone at (408)321-2300.  As of October 2018, VTA’s Customer Service call center hours are

• Monday-Friday from 6am-7pm
• Saturdays from 7:30am-4pm
• Closed Sundays and major holidays 

Information is available in English, Spanish, and several other languages.  When calling, listen to the voice prompt and dial the number for which language you want the information in.

Have a pencil (or pen) and paper ready to write down the information for your trip. Make sure to note as much information as you can, to make your bus trip easier.

When calling, tell the Customer Service operator:

• Where you are coming from (your exact address, landmark, shopping mall, school, etc.) to start your trip
• Where you are going (exact address, major intersection, landmark, shopping mall, school, etc.)
• What time and date you want to go (be as exact as possible)

The VTA Customer Service operator will tell you:

• the closest bus or light rail stop (typically near the corner of an intersection, or a transit center)
• bus and/or light rail route(s) and destination(s)
• where to get off the bus or light rail train
• How much the transit ride will cost, one-way and round trip.

If the operator does not provide this information for you up front, ask for this information during the call.

Need public transit information when VTA Customer Service is closed for the day? Below are two ways to obtain transit information.

Got a computer or smart phone? Visit VTA’s web site for public transit information. Alternately, use VTA’s online trip planner to help you plan your trip.

Can’t access a computer or smart phone? From any telephone in the San Francisco Bay Area, dial 511 – the San Francisco Bay Area’s public transit and traffic information number. When prompted, say “Departure Times” then follow the voice prompts afterward to obtain the public transit information you need.

VTA has a Customer Service Center at 55-A West Santa Clara Street (east of North 1st Street) in downtown San Jose.  They are open from 9am-6pm on weekdays only.  The In-Person Center is closed on weekends and major holidays.

How To Ride VTA Buses

VTA operates several types of bus services throughout Santa Clara County. Unless otherwise noted, standard fare for non-Express VTA bus lines applies.

Newer VTA buses and the Winchester (Campbell), Alum Rock (East San Jose), and Ohlone-Chynoweth (South San Jose) transit centers have wireless internet access available. Here’s how to use VTA’s public Wi-Fi network, where available . (Information is as of November 2021)

“Local” VTA bus service ( bus route numbers 1-99 )

• has bus stops closely spaced together
• typically serve a small area, connecting transit centers and rail stations to the surrounding community, a downtown area, or major destinations
• use 35-foot or 40-foot (standard) size buses depending on time of day and ridership patterns.
• historically high-ridership bus lines like the 22 along El Camino Real use 60-foot “articulated” buses.

“Frequent” VTA bus service ( bus route numbers 1-99; also applies to “Rapid” buses )

• share many of the same attributes as “Local” bus service
• run every 15 minutes or sooner on Mondays-Fridays from 6:30am-6:30pm
• run every 15-30 minutes on Saturdays, Sundays, and major holidays+

“Rapid” VTA bus service ( bus route numbers 500-599 – often formerly known as “Limited Stop” bus service )

• has the same frequency as “frequent” VTA bus lines
• can leave bus stops up to 5 minutes earlier than scheduled time, as traffic allows
• make only a fraction of bus stops than local bus lines they run alongside (Example: 68 between SJ-Gilroy makes 95 stops, while the 568 Rapid bus between the same cities makes only 19 stops.)
• provide more timed & extensive connections at transit centers

“Express” VTA bus service (bus route numbers 100-199)

• adult fares are double that of standard VTA fares; Youth and Senior/Disabled passengers pay their standard fares
• run only on weekday peak periods. They do not run on weekends nor holidays.
• stop only at transit centers, industrial parks, park-and-ride lots, and major intersections
• operate to industrial parks in the morning only
• operate from industrial parks in the evening only
• operate mainly on freeways (state, Interstate, and U.S.) within Santa Clara County
• typically use “ suburban style ” buses that also have individual reading lights and Wi-Fi capability on-board

On school days, VTA “ school trippers ” are special services that typically operate to and from public elementary or high schools throughout Santa Clara County. Route numbers for school trippers are in the 200-299 range. School tripper service operates:

• to school in the morning
• from school in the afternoon after school dismisses for the day
• same service philosophy as “Local” bus service

Here is a list of all current VTA bus and light rail lines, and their operating schedules .

All bus schedules are read from left to right.  Most routes go in two directions (north/south or east/west). The origin and the destination are indicated in the timetables.  Not all bus stops are listed on the schedule. The bus stops listed are called timepoints . The timepoints are also identified in the route maps.

A photo showing an example bus schedule is below.

• Find the time point (column) for your starting point or closest to and before your starting point. For instance, you live one block from Main and Hale, so you would use the Main and Hale time point.
• Go down the column underneath the time point to find the time closest to when you want to catch the bus.  Using the example bus schedule, you want to leave Main and Hale by bus at 2pm.  However, the next bus is schedule to leave at 2:08pm.
• If you need to be somewhere by a certain time, find the time point closest to where you are going and what time the bus will arrive there. Work your way back to where you will begin your trip to find out what time you will need to get on the bus. For instance, you want to be at Burnett Avenue by 8:30am for an appointment.  The closest time for bus arrival at Burnett Avenue is 7:53am.  If you are taking the bus from Main and Hale, you would need to catch the bus due to depart Main and Hale at 7:28am.

We recommend arriving at a bus stop at least five minutes before the time shown on the timetable.  This allows time to gather the exact fare or transit pass you will need to pay to board the bus.

VTA bus stops are marked by a blue sign on top of a metal pole. The blue sign will have the bus route number(s), operating frequency, and destination(s) posted on them. They also have VTA’s Customer Service telephone number for any questions you have on this or any other VTA bus or light rail service you wish to use.

Other public transit information, such as arrival times and service updates, is also available by dialing “511” from your mobile telephone. Dial in the five-digit ID number on the bus stop sign for information on arrival times and any delays for the bus you wish to take.

Some VTA bus stops have benches to sit on while you wait. Some VTA bus stops even have shelters to protect you from the elements while you wait.

Some examples of VTA bus stop signs are below.

In other words…

• White text on a BLUE background – stop for a “local” bus line
• White text on a RED background – stop for a “frequent” or “rapid” bus line
• White text on a GREEN background – stop for an “express” bus line

Note that a VTA bus stop may serve more than one bus line. Also note: some VTA bus lines do not stop at all bus stops. It is important that you wait at the correct stop for the correct bus and direction you want to ride. See the above section explaining VTA bus service types , as of November 2021.

Major VTA bus stops and transit centers have electronic real-time boards showing the bus line and estimated time of the next arriving bus. A photo showing what one of these real-time bus arrival displays looks like is below.

The real-time bus arrival signs first show the current time and date. Then, it will scroll to show the bus line, final destination, and estimated time of arrival at the stop, up to one (1) hour later.

Every VTA bus has its line number and final destination displayed above the windshield, next to the front door, and on the driver’s side of the bus. The bus line number is always displayed at the right rear side of all buses.

Sometimes, VTA uses buses branded for certain bus routes or services on other routes, due to equipment availability. Make sure to check the front destination sign above the windshield for the correct bus and route. If you are still in doubt, ask the bus driver.

When you see an approaching bus with the correct route and destination, signal the driver by standing near the curb and pointing to the street with either your left arm or right arm. Wait until the bus comes to a complete stop before boarding through the front door.

Riding your bicycle and want to take a VTA bus to where you need to be? This video from VTA’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee from 2009 shows you how to load your bicycle on to the bike rack of any VTA bus.

As a courtesy, allow the elderly, the disabled, or pregnant women to depart the bus from the front door first.  If there are any elderly, disabled, or pregnant women boarding the bus afterward, let these people board first.

VTA 60-foot articulated buses have a second location to store your bicycle – at the back exit of the bus. To board such a bus, let the bus driver know you are boarding your bicycle at the rear of the bus. If you have cash or a paper pass, make sure to pay your fare at the farebox in front of the driver first. Otherwise, board with your bicycle at the back exit of the bus, tag your Clipper Card at the card reader on the right after you enter, and mount your bicycle on one of the two racks to the right as you enter the bus.

If you have a bicycle on the racks at the front of your VTA bus, let the driver know you have a bicycle in front of the bus, before you exit. This way, the bus driver can safely stop and allow you to remove your bicycle from the rack on the front of the bus.

This chart details VTA bus fares by bus type, and age range.  Pay your cash fare inside the fare box at the front of the bus. The photo below shows what a fare box aboard all VTA buses resembles.

VTA has a video detailing how to pay cash fare for the fare boxes aboard its buses.

Got a Clipper Card? “Tag” your Clipper Card in the blue area on the white Clipper Card reader aboard any VTA bus. On 35-ft. and 40-ft. buses, the Clipper Card reader is to the right of the fare box. On 60-ft. articulated buses, the Clipper Card reader is to your left, after you enter the bus’s front doors. A Clipper Card reader resembles the photo below.

After tagging your card, ensure the Clipper Card reader credits your fare before boarding the bus. This helps speed your bus trip and the trips of those aboard.

Note that there are no more paper day passes available thru the fare boxes as of January 1, 2016. You will need to use your Clipper Card for these passes.

You can acquire a Clipper Card in any of the following ways:

• Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs) at any VTA light rail station
• select Walgreens stores in Santa Clara County
• other retailers in the San Francisco Bay Area
• For your Apple or Android smart phone or tablet, at the Apple Store or Google Play, respectively.

This video from VTA below explains how to purchase a Clipper Card from a VTA light rail ticket vending machine.

After boarding the bus, move to the back of the bus and sit down in any available seat. If required to stand, please remain behind the yellow safety line and hold on to the hand rails provided, above the seats. Try to avoid crowding the front of the bus, especially when standing.  This makes it difficult for those sitting to get off the bus at their stops, helping to slow things down.

The front of every VTA bus, behind the driver, has seats facing the aisle.  As a courtesy, let seniors, the disabled, and pregnant women sit on those seats.  As another courtesy, on crowded buses, offer your seat to a woman (especially a pregnant woman) or a senior.  This makes their bus ride – and yours – more pleasant.

Here are additional rules of etiquette when riding any VTA bus for you to read and learn from. These rules of etiquette, when followed, allow a pleasant transit ride for you and others.  Remember: you are riding on PUBLIC transportation.

• VTA buses announce all upcoming bus stops on routes. Make sure to pay attention and listen for the bus stop you want to get off at.
• If you have the Transit “app” on your smart phone, make sure to pay attention to when your bus stop is coming up.  Otherwise, If you have no idea on how your destination stop looks like, tell the bus driver where you want to get off.
• Immediately after your bus stop is announced, pull the bell cord or touch the yellow strip on the wall to alert the driver that you’d like to get off at the next bus stop. This will ring a signal chime and light a sign saying “Stop Requested” at the front of the bus.  (A smaller “Stop Requested” light will also appear on the bus driver’s dashboard.)
• If able-bodied, leave the bus thru the rear doors.  This helps shorten the time the bus is at a stop, ensuring the bus stays on time for other riders.  Step as far away from the rear doors, taking all your belongings with you. Never step to the side of a bus’s rear doors – you could slip and fall under the wheels.

VTA Bus Transfers

Some of your trips may require you to take more than one bus line to reach your destination.  Sometimes, you may need to transfer on to a light rail or commuter rail system to reach your destination.

If you already have a Clipper Card, here’s how VTA fare is charged between buses or light rail:

Yes. Once you tag on, you'll have 2 hours of free transfers on VTA bus/light rail. If you tag on more than 2 hours later, your Clipper Card will be charged for an additional one-way fare. Multiple one-way fares charged in a single day will cap out at $7.50 (price of a day pass). — VTA (@VTA) December 2, 2021

When planning your trip , give yourself at least five (5) minutes’ lead time, between the time you arrive at the VTA bus connection’s stop, and the time your VTA connecting bus leaves that stop.  This will give you time to reach the VTA connecting bus stop(s). Double that time if you are a senior, disabled, or carrying a lot of bags with you.

If you are taking a regional bus service like the Highway 17 Express Bus service , allow at least ten (10) minutes’ lead time to get to its bus stops either in downtown San Jose, or at San Jose Diridon Station .

Plan on riding an intercity service like Greyhound or Megabus ? Allow at least 30 minutes’ lead time between the arriving VTA bus and scheduled departure for your intercity bus.  This allows time for you to check yourself and any luggage you carry on to the bus.  Help speed your intercity trip by buying your intercity bus ticket in advance.

Make sure to check the bus schedule(s) during your trip planning to allow for the best, fastest travel time between bus lines you will need.

Many VTA bus lines connect with the light rail system throughout Santa Clara County.  As with connecting with VTA buses, plan your trip ahead of time, giving yourself at least five (5) minutes between when your bus arrives at the light rail station, and when the light rail train you want departs.  Double that time if you are a senior, disabled, or carrying a lot of bags with you.

VTA buses and light rail serve Caltrain stations at Mountain View, San Jose Diridon, and Tamien light rail stations.  VTA buses also stop at many stations along the Caltrain corridor in Santa Clara County, from Palo Alto to San Jose to Gilroy.

VTA buses and light rail also serve Capitol Corridor and Altamont Commuter Express stops in Santa Clara and San Jose Diridon.  Riding Amtrak anywhere in the United States? VTA buses and light rail serve Amtrak’s only stop in Santa Clara County, at San Jose Diridon Station.

For all rail services except Amtrak, allow at least ten (10) minutes’ lead time between the time your bus arrives, and the time your connecting train departs the station.  This will give you time to get to the station platform and buy your train ticket(s) if needed.

When taking Amtrak, allow at least one (1) hour between the time your bus arrives at San Jose Diridon Station, and your Amtrak train’s departure time. This gives you time to check in any baggage you have aboard the train, and to properly “check in” for the departing train as needed.

If you don’t know where your bus is going, ask the bus driver first before boarding. This way, you don’t end up on the wrong bus and stranded.

When riding the bus, if possible, avoid unnecessary conversations with the bus driver. While basic information is to be expected of the bus driver, that bus driver has two primary jobs: keeping the bus and its passengers safe and running the bus on time. In some cases, the bus driver may not be familiar with the area the bus is running through. It’s best to get the information you need for your trip before you depart. Read the previous section above for how to get this information .

How To Ride VTA Light Rail

Below is a map of the VTA Light Rail System, courtesy of VTA.

Light Rail stations have level platforms, signs, and shelters. Some stations have a center platform located between the two tracks, side platforms with two tracks in between, or a single platform with only one track. In downtown San Jose, northbound Light Rail trains run on 1st Street while southbound Light Rail trains run on 2nd Street.

FREE wireless internet (“Wi-Fi”) is available on all VTA light rail cars, and at the Winchester, Alum Rock, and Ohlone-Chynoweth light rail stations. Here’s how to use VTA’s public Wi-Fi network .

• Light rail schedules are read from left to right.
• Light rail routes go in two directions (north/south). The origin and the destination are indicated in the timetables.
• Not all stations are listed on the schedule. The stations listed are called timepoints.
• Find the timepoint (column) for your starting point or closest to and before your starting point.
• Go down the column underneath the timepoint to find the time closest to when you want to board the Light Rail.
• If you need to be somewhere by a certain time, find the timepoint closest to where you are going and what time the Light Rail will arrive there. Work your way back to where you will begin your trip to find out what time you will need to get on the Light Rail.
• We recommend arriving at a Light Rail station about five (5) minutes before the time shown on the timetable.  If you are a senior or disabled plan on arriving at least ten (10) minutes before the time shown on the timetable.

If you don’t have a valid pass, make sure to purchase your ticket or pass before boarding. Ticket vending machines are available at all stations.

If you have a Clipper Card , make sure to “tag on” with your card at any of the black Clipper Card readers before boarding a VTA light rail train.  The below photos show what a Clipper Card fare reader at a VTA light rail station looks like.

Failure to provide proof of payment to the fare inspector could result in a citation and fine of up to $276 or more.  

The video from a light rail rider group below, shows you how to buy an 8-hour excursion pass (good for a round trip ticket) on VTA light rail.

A Clipper Card , when loaded with proper fare, simplifies transfers between light rail, VTA buses, other Bay Area transit agencies, and vice versa. This video from VTA below explains how to purchase a Clipper Card from a VTA light rail ticket vending machine.

Many VTA light rail stations have shelters and benches to protect you from the elements. While waiting for your light rail train, stay behind the yellow line and away from the tracks.

Like any other type of train, light rail trains can run on any track, at any speed, at any time. Light rail trains do not stop instantly; they often require long distances to fully stop.

Here are safety and security tips to help keep you safe at any VTA light rail station.

Every VTA light rail station has a television monitor indicating what line, destination, and when the next train will arrive.

The monitors at each light rail station display the current date and time. They display what lines stop at each station and their estimated arrival time, up to one hour after the current displayed time. Where needed, the monitors also display system status and information on transit alternatives due to maintenance on the system, etc.

As a light rail train approaches the station, make sure to look for the electronic destination signs. The signs and audio announcements will indicate the train’s final destination.

Read the signs on the platforms and by the tracks to make sure that you are waiting for the correct train.

Wait on the platform behind the yellow tactile warning band until the light rail car has come to a complete stop.

The light rail train operator will open doors automatically.  Stand clear of the opening doors . After allowing those wishing to leave the train to do so, carefully enter the train.  Take a seat or hold the handrails while the train is in motion.

When the four-tone sound plays, it means the doors are closing, and light rail is about to leave.  Stand clear of closing VTA light rail doors .  Do not block the closing doors of any VTA light rail train – otherwise, you will cause the train and others to be late.

Here are some basic tips on how to make room for other people aboard VTA light rail.

Are you taking a bicycle with you aboard VTA light rail? Make sure to use the vertical bike racks at the center (bending portion) of any VTA light rail car.  The photo below shows how to store your bicycle aboard any VTA light rail car.

No room on the bicycle rack(s) for your bicycle? Place your bicycle underneath your seat.  Do not place your bicycle (or anything else) in the aisle where it will block other passengers.

Occasionally, a VTA uniformed fare inspector may board the train and ask for a proof-of-payment. When asked, present your pass or ticket to the inspector.

To further help you safely board your bicycle aboard a VTA light rail car, we filmed our own video that shows you how. View that video below.

• Listen to the automated announcement for the name of the next station. If you are about to get off at the next station, press the gray strip (located by the windows) before the train arrives at the station.
• If you have the Transit app on your smart phone, make sure you programmed the phone to tell you where your final destination is, and follow its instructions.  Listen to the Transit app for when you need to get off light rail.
• Use caution when exiting Light Rail vehicles. The doors will stay open only a few seconds. As a courtesy, allow seniors, the disabled, or pregnant women to exit light rail first.
• Before exiting light rail, make sure to take any and all of your belongings with you.

VTA Light Rail Transfers

Often, you will need to transfer to a bus or even another type of train to reach your final destination.  Below are some tips on how to simply light rail connections to buses and other trains.

As a reminder, here’s how VTA transfers between light rail lines and buses work, particularly if you have a Clipper Card:

When planning your trip , give yourself at least five (5) minutes’ lead time, between the time VTA light rail arrives at your stop, and the time your VTA connecting bus leaves that stop.  This will give you time to reach the VTA connecting bus stop. Double that time if you are a senior, disabled, or carrying a lot of bags with you.

Are you taking a regional bus service like the Highway 17 Express Bus service at San Jose Diridon Station? Allow at least ten (10) minutes’ lead time to get to the Highway 17 Express bus stop on the other side of San Jose Diridon Station .

Plan on riding an intercity service like Greyhound or Megabus ? Allow at least 30 minutes’ lead time between the arriving VTA light rail train and scheduled departure for your intercity bus.  This allows time for you to check yourself and any luggage you carry on to the bus.  Help speed your intercity trip by buying your intercity bus ticket(s) in advance.

Make sure to check the VTA light rail schedule during your trip planning to allow for the best, fastest travel time necessary.

You can connect to another VTA light rail train line at two (2) stations in San Jose:

• Convention Center

Check the VTA Light Rail schedule and allow at least ten (10) minutes for the connecting train.  Listen on board the VTA light rail train for stop announcements, to help get you to your final destination.

Transferring to Other Transit Services

Sometimes, your journey may involve taking a local or regional (intercity) bus or train run by another company or agency.  This portion of the guide will give you tips on how to handle such a transfer.

VTA buses and light rail serve Caltrain stations in Mountain View, San Jose, Tamien, Morgan Hill, San Martin, and Gilroy.

VTA buses and light rail also serve Capitol Corridor and Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) commuter trains in Santa Clara , and at San Jose Diridon Station .

Riding Amtrak intercity rail anywhere in the United States? VTA light rail serves Amtrak’s only stop in Santa Clara County, at San Jose Diridon Station.

For all rail services except Amtrak, allow at least 15 minutes’ lead time between the time your bus arrives, and the time your connecting train departs the station.  This will give you time to get to the station platform and buy your train ticket(s) if needed.

When taking Amtrak, allow at least one (1) hour between the time your VTA bus or light rail arrives at San Jose Diridon Station, and your Amtrak train’s departure time. This gives you time to check in any baggage you have aboard the train, and to properly “check in” for the departing train as needed.

As of July 2019, VTA buses and light rail also connect with following commuter bus and intercity bus services, at San Jose Diridon Station:

• Amtrak Thruway
• Monterey-Salinas Transit ( 55 and 86 bus lines to Monterey, King City, and Paso Robles)
• Santa Cruz Metro ( Highway 17 Express , in cooperation with VTA and Amtrak California)

At the Palo Alto Transit Center , VTA buses also connect with bus services like

• SamTrans (San Mateo County Transit)
• Marguerite shuttle buses to/from Stanford University
• Dumbarton Express bus services to/from the East Bay

At the Gilroy Transit Center, VTA buses connect with bus services like

• International Bus Lines (service throughout California, Tijuana, and Mexicali)
• San Benito County Express (Hollister and San Juan Batista)

In northern Santa Clara County, cities like Palo Alto and Mountain View have their own community shuttles.  To supplement corporate employee shuttle buses in that city, Mountain View has an additional shuttle bus service .  For those attending or working at Stanford University and related facilities, Marguerite Shuttle buses serves those areas.  They typically connect with VTA and Caltrain at the transit centers in Palo Alto and Mountain View, respectively.

Timing rules of thumb to follow when connecting between these services and VTA:

For community bus lines and other bus lines serving local areas: allow at least 10 minutes lead time between arriving and departing connections.

For inter-county bus lines like Santa Cruz Metro, Dumbarton Express, and San Benito County Express: allow at least 15 minutes’ lead time between arriving and departing connections.

For intercity bus lines like Greyhound or Megabus: allow at least 30 minutes’ lead time between arriving and departing connections.  This allows allows you time to check your bags in for departure, as needed.

We hope that this guide will give you some basics on how to ride and pay for your VTA bus or light rail trip.  This should be especially useful if you are visiting Silicon Valley, or if you have just moved into Silicon Valley from elsewhere.

Please contact us for any questions or corrections to this guide.  Your information will help others use public transit in Silicon Valley.

Eugene Bradley Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users

Michael, Marcia Cohen-Zakai, Monica Mallon, Thomas Mayer, and Judy Purrington contributed to this guide.

  3 comments for “ VTA First-Time Transit Rider Guide ”

Super helpful article. Thank you

When going to a SJ Sharks game with a ticket, is it free to ride on light rail ??

DJ: Currently, you still need proper, valid fare to ride light rail – even with a Sharks game ticket. -Eugene

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23 Best & Fun Things to Do in Santa Clara (CA)

In search of the best and fun things to do in Santa Clara, CA?

Santa Clara is a city in Santa Clara County, California, with a population of nearly one hundred and twenty-five according to the last census.

For over two hundred years, the city has existed as a Spanish Mission. Santa Clara is famous for its flourishing tech industry, known as Silicon Valley worldwide.

There is a touch of everything here for a fun vacation, these cuts across places to visit, events, fun adventures, and more.

Planning an exploration of Santa Clara? Here are the top things to do in Santa Clara, CA.

Things to Do in Santa Clara, CA

1. mission santa clara.

Mission Santa Clara is currently located on the campus of Santa Clara University, it was founded by Franciscans in the 1770s.

Fire, earthquakes, and floods eradicated the original building, so the location was changed, and a new one was established in 1822.

Mission Santa Clara was built to convert the Ohlone people, and the Franciscans were doing just fine until measles and smallpox attacked Ohlone.

The mission is one of the historic sites in the city, and it was gifted to the Jesuits in 1857, who built California’s first institute of higher education, Santa Clara University.

Mission Santa Clara is open seven days a week. Although it is no longer carrying out the function it was built for, it now serves as a museum and Chapel.

It is open to everyone, and visitors can take self-guided tours with the help of brochures found close to the entrance.

Address: 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, California 95053, United States.

2. The Central Park Library

The Central Park Library is one of the three libraries in Santa Clara under the Santa Clara City Library. The other two include the Northside Branch Library and the Mission Branch Library.

This library is the largest library facility in Santa Clara, with more than 80, 000 Square feet of floor space packed with a massive library collection.

The Central Park Library consists of large community rooms, group study rooms, public art, and many more.

The library has more than one hundred public computers, a computer training facility with a high-speed internet connection for personal laptops.

Central Park Library features a children’s garden, fireplaces, and a large collection of educational and innovative programs materials.

There is a fully packed bookstore with a contemporary collection of books, a nice cafe, and lovely park views.

Address: 2635 Homestead Rd, Santa Clara, CA 95051, United States

3. California’s Great America

For an exceptional outdoor experience in Santa Clara, spend a day at California’s Great America with your friends and family.

California’s Great America is a massive and exhilarating fun park with many eye-catching attractions and activities.

The park features various kinds of roller coasters, including a twenty-story drop tower and the Xtreme Skyflyer that serves as hang gliding and skydiving found high above the park.

California’s Great America features rides for the family, such as a carousel, bumper cars, a flume ride, and more.

There is an amazing playground with lots of play equipment for the little ones to explore and have a great time.

California’s Great America features numerous water slides, cabana rentals, a wave pool, and a lazy river where visitors can relax and cool off.

Address: 4710 Great America Parkway, Santa Clara, California 95054, United States

4. Beat The Lock Escape Rooms

Beat The Lock Escape Rooms will be one of the highlights of your visit to Santa Clara with your friends and family.

Don’t forget to add a visit to Beat The Lock Escape Rooms to your checklist of things to do in Santa Clara.

Beat The Lock Escape Rooms offer visitors a unique sixty minutes of wonderful experience with their loved ones.

Each escape room requires a group of at least two to fourteen people who would be locked up in a themed room and made to find ideas, clues, crack codes, and solve puzzles to help them escape before the time elapses.

Beat The Lock Escape Rooms is an excellent place for nice team-building events by law enforcement, churches, companies, youth groups, sports teams, military, and others.

It is open for different special events and offers catering services for engagements parties, bachelor/bachelorette parties, birthday parties, reunions, anniversaries, and more.

Address: 1171 Homestead Rd University Plaza, Suite 280, Santa Clara, CA 95050-5478 United States

5. 49ers Museum

 The 49ers Museum is a favorite location for football fans, especially 49ers fans, and it is open every day of the week throughout the year.

The museum is located in Levi’s Stadium, which is the home of the San Francisco 49ers consisting of a whopping eleven fantastic galleries and spaces for exhibitions.

The 49ers Museum is exciting and interactive; it features an education center that uses football as a case study to enlighten about math & art, technology, engineering, field trips, and science.

You will find a twenty-minute introductory movie close to the museum’s entrance with a vast exhibit of 49ers memorabilia such as helmets, Jerseys, super bowl rings, balls, and cleats.

There is an interactive area where visitors could try on helmets and Jerseys, learn 49ers cheers and throw a football.

49ers Museum features lifelike statues of players, including past and present, with a site of the 49er’s history.

Address: Levi’s Stadium, 4900 Marie P. DeBartolo Way, Santa Clara, California 95054, United States

6. The South Bay Historical Railroad Society

The volunteers who operate this museum staff the Edward Peterman Museum of Railroad History, buildings, and the society’s library.

The South Bay Historical Railroad Society displays a wide collection of historical artifacts such as a velocipede, locomotive headlights, signals, and more.

The Museum contains two nice operational model train tracks, one in N gauge and the other in OH, including maintaining a business class car from the Oregon-Washington Railroad exemplifying the different periods in railway history.

The South Bay Historical Railroad Society comprises a library filled with railroad-related books and materials.

Address: 1005 Railroad Avenue, Santa Clara, California 95050, United States

7. Anderson Lake County Park

Visiting Anderson Lake County Park is one of the best things to do in Santa Clara for a spectacular experience.

Anderson Lake County Park stretches to a landscape of four thousand, two hundred and seventy-five acres.

The park is home to the Coyote Creek parkway with numerous trails, the Burnett Park area, the Jackson Ranch historic park site, and the Moses L. Rosendin Park.

Anderson Lake County Park is a fantastic location for picnickers, powerboat enthusiasts, equestrians, nature lovers, and bicyclists.

It is a great spot for fishing, jet skis, and swimming; the park is filled with beautiful wildflowers, cottonwood trees, sycamore, and more.

Anderson Lake County Park is a must-visit if you truly want to explore the outdoor pursuits offering exciting recreational activities.

Address: 19245 Malaguerra Ave, Morgan Hill, CA 95037, United States

8. Harris-Lass House Museum

The museum was built in a symmetrical Italianate style in 1865, and it was expanded and renovated in the 1890s.

The Harris-Lass House Museum is the last farm property in Santa Clara, consisting of a nice farmhouse.

The Museum contains a summer kitchen, a classic California barn, a Heritage Orchard, a tank house, and a landscaped garden.

Harris-Lass House Museum is remarkably furnished with Lass Family belongings, and it is open for occasional docent-led tours and school and group tours.

A ddress: 1889 Market Street, Santa Clara, California 95050, United States

Also, check out our guide on things to do in San Juan Capistrano , things to do in Indio and fun things to do in Visalia for a memorable vacation

9. K1 Speed Santa Clara

K1 Speed Santa Clara is an exciting destination for families, friends, and co-workers to experience incredibly fun.

This family-friendly fun center features fast indoor electric go-karts, state-of-the-art safety barriers, and a professionally-designed track.

K1 Speed Santa Clara consists of many meeting rooms and an arcade room that features different varieties of games.

There is a snack bar that offers delicious meals and chilled drinks for reasonable costs; this is the best place for motorsports lovers.

K1 Speed Santa Clara is a wonderful venue for corporate events, social outings, fun date night ideas, company parties, bachelor or bachelorette parties, birthday parties, and much more.

 The fun offered here will give you a feel of adrenaline rush, K1 Speed Santa Clara guarantees you a fun experience, and it is open for all skill levels.

Address: 2925 Mead Ave, Santa Clara, CA 95051, United States

10. Headen-Inman House

Headen-Inman House was originally built in 1913, but the recent building was in 1985, and its location was changed.

The beautiful bungalow was established in Arts and crafts style; it was transformed into a lovely museum containing several items.

Headen-Inman House features a collection of furniture owned by the Inam family, as well as dining room furniture, an old pump organ, and a bedroom suite.

There is a reserved room specifically for photographs and artifacts that demonstrates the history of Santa Clara.

The Santa Clara founders and pioneers room consists of credible information about the early settlers in the region.

Address: 1509 Warburton Avenue, Santa Clara, California 95050, United States .

11. The de Saisset Museum

The de Saisset Museum was established in 1955, and it is located adjacent to Mission Santa Clara at the Santa Clara University.

The museum started as an art gallery showcasing more than one hundred works made by the Painter Ernest de Saisset.

It combines both art and history with diverse and easily accessible exhibits, with great emphasis on art from the San Francisco Bay Area and the Santa Clara Valley.

The de Saisset Museum also houses European and American artworks from the Renaissance. In addition, the museum has an impressive collection of Mission-era Liturgical vestments and an exhibit on California history.

Address: 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, California 95053, United States

12. Henry Schmidt Park

Henry Schmidt Park should certainly be on your list of things to do in Santa Clara, CA. It is home to the “Henry Schmidt Park Walls of Fame.”

This eight-acre park showcases sports memories of Henry Schmidt, a forty years old who dedicated himself to training athletes.

Henry Schmit coached Santa Clara University Bronco athletic teams and the San Francisco 49ers; the sports display is in the large neighborhood building.

Henry Schmidt Park features basketball courts, four tennis courts, the Tom Barrett softball field, a large play area, and an exercise course.

Picnic facilities are available in the picnic area with bbq grills and restrooms, including a playground.

Address: 555 Los Padres Blvd, Santa Clara, CA 95050, United States

13. Santa Clara Art & Wine Festival

Santa Clara Art & Wine Festival is one event you shouldn’t miss in Santa Clara.

The Festival is open to both tourists and residents alike for free, and it is an extremely exciting family event in Santa Clara.

Santa Clara Art & Wine Festival is held in the city’s central park and usually features numerous talented local and regional artists.

The festival features about two hundred vendors selling different merchandise like a wide variety of California’s best wines, fine arts & crafts, and gourmet food.

Santa Clara Art & Wine Festival features twenty-five community groups serving International foods, micro-brewed beer, and fine wines, with live entertainment on three stages.

The festival also features the ever-popular kids’ kingdom and a new shaded Craft Beer Garden.

Address: Location is Central Park, 969 Kiely Blvd, Santa Clara, California United States

14. Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar

If you haven’t visited Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, you’re missing out; add dining at this lovely restaurant to your list of things to do in Santa Clara, CA.

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar offers the best sevice when serving amazing prime steak, handcrafted cocktails, and wines.

This restaurant offers an extensive food menu which includes French onion soup, Miso Glazed Chilean Sea Bass, fleming’s salad, sweet chilli calamari, lobster bisque, Crème Brûlée, key lime pie, caesar salad, Filet Mignon Sandwiches, and more.

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar comprises a full-service bar that offers wines like loosen bros, maso canali, Kim Crawford, duck horn, Francis coppola, goldeneye, and more.

If you’re planning a special occasion, hosting a business date, or you just want to enjoy a delicious meal with great services, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar is the best option.

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar also offers online delivery if you can’t come yourself or simply want to enjoy the meal in the comfort of your home or wherever you are.

Address: 2762 Augustine Dr Suite 110, Santa Clara, CA 95050, United States

15. Santa Clara Farmers’ Market

If you’re searching for a place to shop, add shopping at Santa Clara Farmers’ Market to your list of things to do in Santa Clara, CA.

Santa Clara Farmers’ Market offers a wide variety of commodities, starting from seasonal produce & freshly baked goods, prepared food items to health & body products.

The market is open all year-round on Saturdays only from 9am-1pm, offering goods for affordable prices you can’t get elsewhere.

Santa Clara Farmers’ Market offers fresh and healthy produce to encourage the public to always choose the best products.

The market offers you an opportunity to meet and interact with locals and ask them questions about the town.

Address: 950 Jackson St, Santa Clara, CA 95050, United States

Are you planning an exploration of California and wondering what to do? here is a guide on things to do in Chula Vista ,  things to do in San Marcos , and  fun things to do in Redlands for a memorable time.

16. Levi’s Stadium

 A day at Levi’s Stadium is one of the top things to do in Santa Clara, CA. It has a sixty-eight thousand seating capacity.

Levi’s Stadium is home to the National Football League’s San Francisco 49ers, and it is one of the country’s premier professional football stadiums.

The stadium is the venue for the 49ers season; the pre-season begins from August to its final season-ending in early January.

Levi’s Stadium is a host of world-class entertainment and concerts that are always held daily.

The stadium is available for public tours, which may be booked through Ticketmaster; the public tour includes a 90-minute tour of the stadium and admission to the 49ers Museum.

A group of more than twenty people can organize a private tour, and the stadium features a restaurant, Bourbon Steak, that offers delicious American fares.

Address: 4900 Marie P. DeBartolo Way, Santa Clara, California 95054, United States

17. Voyager Coffee

The best way to start your day is by drinking a flavorful cup of coffee, and Voyager Coffee serves the most delightful coffee in Santa Clara.

Voyager Coffee was founded in 2016 and has continually served the public with world-class coffee they can’t get anywhere else.

The owners and staff ensure the customers are happy by providing a comfortable environment to feel free and interact with other guests and form new friendships.

They offer fresh and delicious pastry and baked foods, tea, coffee, and other non-coffee drinks, served however you want it.

Voyager Coffee offers drinks like Chai latte, drip coffee, Americana, mocha, cold brew, drinking chocolate, London fog, cappuccino, macchiato, and more.

Aside from drinks, they also offer meals like Avocado toast, almond butter toast, nut & honey, cinnamon rolls, Chocolate Almond Croissant, Pesto Ricotta Toast, chocolate cake, and so on.

Many of their coffees sport internationally influenced flavors, and they’re often infused with things like orange essence and cherry blossom water.

Address: 3985 Stevens Creek Blvd, Santa Clara, CA 95051, United States

18. Triton Museum of Art

 Whether you’re an art lover or not, add a visit to the Triton Museum of Art to your list of fun things to do in Santa Clara, CA.

Triton Museum of Art’s primary mission is to promote local, regional, and national art by showcasing the various artworks.

The Museum collects and displays historical and contemporary California artworks with a duty to motivate cultural and gender inclusiveness.

Triton Museum of Art enlightens the public on art and the creative process; the building itself is a piece of art with a curved glass wall.

The Museum is home to the historic 1866 Jamison-Brown house and a seven-acre sculpture garden.

Address: 1505 Warburton Avenue, Santa Clara, California 95050, United States

19. Central Park

Are you ready for a terrific fun moment with your dear friends and family? Then, visiting Central Park should be on your Santa Clara to-do list.

Central Park is a center for recreational activities, and it houses the George F. Haines International Swim Center and a 30, 000 square foot Community Recreation Center.

The park consists of two softball fields, two lighted tennis courts, basketball courts, a green bowling lawn, an exercise course, and more.

Central Park also consists of a fantastic amphitheater and a beautiful children’s playground with lots of fun equipment.

This park is a perfect venue for group and family picnics at designated areas with barbecue pits and public restrooms.

Address: 969 Kiely Blvd., Santa Clara, California 95051, United States.

20. Montague Park

Montague Park is a wonderful 5.5-acre park with several facilities suitable for both adults and children.

The park is home to a neighborhood recreation facility that features two tennis courts, a large multi-purpose room, and restrooms.

Montague Park features a children’s play area with several play apparatus for them to explore and have a memorable experience.

There is a picnic area with picnic tables and bbq grills perfect for a small family outing or friends gathering to grab a meal together.

Montague Park is adjacent to the Montague Swim Center, which offers recreational swim and swimming lessons during the summer months.

Address: 3595 MacGregor Ln, Santa Clara, CA 95054, United States

21. Santa Clara Fire Museum

The Santa Clara Fire Museum is housed in an old training center behind the Santa Clara Fire House in Santa Clara.

 The museum contains numerous memorabilia from 1855 when the Santa Clara Fire Department was established.

The Santa Clara Fire Museum showcases photographs, documents, and fire equipment like fire extinguishers, nozzles, and hoses.

The museum features an excellently refurbished Model T Ford truck purchased by the Santa Clara Fire Department. It was used as a she truck from 1921-1945, and it has been well refurbished by volunteers.

The Santa Clara Fire Museum is open to everyone as well as school groups with educational programs relating to fire safety.

Address: 1900 Walsh Avenue, Santa Clara, California 95050, United States

22. Ulistac Natural Area

Ulistac Natural Area is a forty-one acre open space that brings you close and helps you communicate with nature.

The area is committed to preserving the native Californian vegetation and wildlife with a variety of natural habitats.

Ulistac Natural Area consists of riparian woodland, grassland, savannah, wetlands, coastal scrub, and other natural habitats.

This nature preserve features a bird and butterfly garden with nectar plants, including monkeyflower and fuchsia, that attract hummingbirds and a wide range of butterflies.

Ulistac Natural Area consists of natural trails featuring interpretative signs, and it was once a seasonal camp for the Ohlone Indians.

This preserve was used as a golf course in the mid-20th century, as grazing land for sheep and cattle during the Spanish and Mexican conquest era, and as agricultural land for 19th-century Chinese settlers.

Address: 4910 Lick Mill Road, Santa Clara, California 95054, United States

23. War Memorial Playground

 For your next family outing, add a visit to War Memorial Playground to your list of fun things to do in Santa Clara.

War Memorial Playground is a one-acre park perfect for families with children who want to share an intimate moment.

The playground is small but unique, with large sculpted ants and an anthill for climbing. They were designed and made by Francine Agapoff, California artists.

War Memorial Playground is ideal for preschoolers and toddlers with their guidance; for their utmost safety, dogs are prohibited from the park.

There are sandboxes for kids to play in and a flagpole with memorial plaques underneath it to commemorate those that died during the war.

War Memorial Playground provides benches for the adults to sit on while the little ones play around with picnic areas.

Address: 295 Monroe Street, Santa Clara, California 95050, United States

Check out more cities in California, here is  a guide on things to do in San Pedro ,  things to do in Merced , and  fun things to do Sonora  in for a fun time

Plan your trip to Santa Clara

Santa Clara offers something for everyone, making this city an exciting place to visit for the entire family.

Santa Clara should be your next vacation destination as there are several fun options to pick from. Whether you’re in the mood to go out and have great fun or simply want to relax, enjoy a delicious meal, read a novel, or discover new things.

Start planning a trip to Santa Clara, CA.