List of VTA bus routes

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority

Company type	Public transit agency
Industry	Public transportation
Headquarters	Santa Clara County , United States
Area served	Santa Clara County, California
Products	Bus services, Rapid bus services, Express bus routes, School bus routes, Commuter rail shuttles

The list below outlines the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority bus routes, categorized by route numbers as follows:

• Routes 1-99 represent typical local bus lines featuring numerous stops closely spaced, connecting smaller regions such as transit centers to adjacent neighborhoods or Downtown San Jose.
• Routes 100-199 consist of express buses primarily running during peak hours on freeways, stopping less frequently at train stations and major transfer hubs within Santa Clara County; these routes require higher fares.
• Routes 200-299 offer limited school transportation services to local high schools.
• Routes 500-599 are designated limited-stop "Rapid" routes.
• Routes 800-899 function as commuter rail shuttles mainly during peak times around Great America ACE/Amtrak Station, serving nearby technology firms and industrial zones.
• Routes 900-999 operate as intercity lines in partnership with other transit providers.

On December 28, 2019, VTA launched a significant overhaul of its network, discontinuing the DASH shuttle, Almaden Light Rail shuttle, limited-branded bus services, community bus lines, and numerous express routes. This restructuring introduced a core frequent service network and enhanced the frequency on many local routes.

As of , VTA's bus system achieved a total ridership of , with an average weekday usage of approximately .

Regular bus service

Santa Clara VTA manages a variety of bus routes traversing major corridors throughout Santa Clara County. Multiple routes intersect at crucial transfer locations such as Downtown San Jose, Caltrain stations from Palo Alto to Gilroy, Milpitas and Berryessa BART stations, along with most light rail stops. Certain routes also provide connections to other transit agencies including AC Transit, Dumbarton Express, Monterey-Salinas Transit, and SamTrans.

This compilation includes VTA's limited-stop Rapid lines, which maintain the same fare structure as standard buses.

Route Number	Direction	Endpoints		Operating Days	Timetable Link	Key Destinations	Remarks
20	East-West	Milpitas Milpitas station	Sunnyvale Sunnyvale station	Weekdays	Line 20	Downtown Sunnyvale, North Santa Clara, Mission College
21	East-West	Palo Alto Stanford Shopping Center	Santa Clara Santa Clara Transit Center	Daily	Line 21	Palo Alto Transit Center, San Antonio station, San Antonio Center, Downtown Mountain View, Downtown Sunnyvale, Santa Clara University
22	East-West	Palo Alto Palo Alto station	San Jose Eastridge Transit Center	Daily	Line 22	Stanford University, San Antonio Center, Santa Clara Transit Center, Santa Clara University, SAP Center, Downtown San Jose, San Jose State University, Eastridge Mall	Included in the Frequent Network Refer also to limited-stop Rapid 522.
23	East-West	Cupertino De Anza College	San Jose Alum Rock Transit Center	Daily	Line 23	Westfield Valley Fair, Santana Row, Downtown San Jose, San Jose State University	Part of the Frequent Network See also limited-stop Rapid 523.
25	East-West	San Jose Valley Medical Center (short turn)	San Jose Alum Rock Transit Center	Daily	Line 25	San Jose City College, Fruitdale station, Tamien station	Part of the Frequent Network Westbound service from Valley Medical Center runs at half frequency
		Cupertino De Anza College
26	East-West	San Jose Westgate Center (Weekday short turn & all weekend/holiday trips)	San Jose Eastridge Transit Center	Daily	Line 26	Downtown Campbell, Pruneyard Shopping Center, Curtner station	Included in the Frequent Network Weekday trips between Westgate and West Valley College operate at half frequency
		Saratoga West Valley College (Selected weekday trips)

Rapid bus service

VTA manages a single arterial rapid transit route, known as the Rapid 522, which serves as an early form of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). This line travels along El Camino Real from Palo Alto to East San Jose, making stops at 30 principal intersections and transit hubs, fewer than those served by line 22 on the same corridor.

Starting January 6, 2014, VTA extended the operating hours of Rapid 522 on weekdays and Saturdays until approximately 10:30 pm and introduced Sunday service running from 9 am to 6 pm. Outside these times, line 22 provides coverage along this corridor.

The Rapid 522 line features queue-jump lanes, traffic signal priority systems, and upgraded bus stops designed to accelerate transit through Palo Alto, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, and San Jose.

In March 2014, VTA initiated improvements on the Santa Clara-Alum Rock portion of Rapid 522 to transform it into full BRT service. Enhancements include hybrid buses equipped with Wi-Fi, upgraded stations, dedicated lanes along Alum Rock Boulevard, transit signal priority measures, real-time information displays, off-board fare payment options, all-door boarding capabilities, and a peak frequency of every 10 minutes.

Plans for the future involve expanding BRT enhancements along the entire Rapid 522 corridor through the El Camino Real Bus Rapid Transit Project.

In October 2021, Express line 168 was replaced by line 568 due to rider concerns over lengthy travel times between Gilroy and San Jose. Line 568 provides faster weekday service with fewer stops via Monterey Road instead of freeway routes.

Line Number	Direction	Terminals		Days of Operation	Schedule Information	Major Destinations	Notes
Rapid 500	North-South	San Jose Berryessa/North San José station	San Jose Diridon station	Daily	Line 500	Downtown San Jose, San Jose State University	Included in the Frequent Network. Took over services from DASH downtown shuttle and Express 181.
Rapid 522	East-West	Palo Alto Palo Alto station	San Jose Eastridge Transit Center	Daily	Line 522	Stanford University, San Antonio Center, Santa Clara Transit Center, Santa Clara University, SAP Center, Downtown San Jose, San Jose State University, Alum Rock station, Eastridge Mall	Part of the Frequent Network. For stops along King Rd, Tully Rd, and Capitol Expwy not served by this route see lines 22 and 23.
Rapid 523	East-West	Sunnyvale Lockheed Martin Transit Center	San Jose San Jose State University	Daily	Line 523	Lockheed Martin, Downtown Sunnyvale, De Anza College, Westfield Valley Fair, Santana Row, Downtown San Jose, San Jose State University	For local service on San Carlos St and Stevens Creek Blvd refer to line 23. For local coverage along Sunnyvale-Saratoga Rd see line 55.
Rapid 568	North-South	San Jose Diridon station	Gilroy Gilroy station	Weekdays	Line 568	San Jose State University, Downtown San Jose, Downtown Morgan Hill, San Martin, Downtown Gilroy	Covers all Caltrain stations between Gilroy and San Jose Diridon except Morgan Hill and Tamien; primarily follows Monterey Rd/S First St. For local stops on Main Av, Hale Av/Santa Teresa Bl, Cottle Rd and nearby light rail stations see line 68.

Express routes

VTA's Express Bus services run along major highways within Santa Clara County, covering corridors such as Highway 85, Highway 237, Interstate 280, and U.S. Route 101. These peak-hour weekday routes utilize suburban-style Gillig low-floor buses distinguished by distinctive color schemes and equipped with onboard Wi-Fi, mainly catering to daily commuters.

Most express lines were discontinued during the December 2019 system overhaul due to substantial subsidies per passenger, with the exception of those serving Stanford Research Park, which financially supports their operation. Fares for express routes are set above regular bus fare levels.

Line Number	Direction	Terminals		Days of Operation	Schedule Information	Roads Used	Additional destinations
Express 101	North-South	San Jose Camden Avenue & SR 85 Park and Ride	Palo Alto Stanford Research Park (Page Mill Road & Hansen Way)	Weekdays	Line 101	Camden Avenue, Winchester Boulevard, Hamilton Avenue, Lawrence Expressway, Stevens Creek Boulevard, Vallco Parkway, I-280	Winchester Transit Center, Westgate Center
Express 102	North-South	San Jose Santa Teresa station	Palo Alto Stanford Research Park (Page Mill Road & Hansen Way)	Weekdays	Line 102	Santa Teresa Boulevard, Snell Avenue, SR-85, I-280	Snell station, Ohlone/Chynoweth station
Express 103	East-West	San Jose Eastridge Transit Center	Palo Alto Stanford Research Park (Page Mill Road & Hansen Way)	Weekdays	Line 103	Capitol Expressway, I-680, Southwest Expressway, Fruitdale Avenue, Meridian Avenue, I-280	Capitol Expressway & Story Road, Fruitdale station
Express 104	East-West	Milpitas Milpitas station	Palo Alto Stanford Research Park (Deer Creek Road at VMware)	Weekdays	Line 104	Great Mall Parkway, Main Street, Calaveras Boulevard, SR-237, US-101, Charleston Road, Alma Street, Page Mill Road	Downtown Milpitas, south Palo Alto, Palo Alto V.A. Hospital
Express 121	North-South	Gilroy Gilroy station	Sunnyvale Lockheed Martin Transit Center	Weekdays	Line 121	Monterey Road, Butterfield Boulevard, Cochrane Road, US-101, Great America Parkway, Tasman Drive, Lawrence Expressway	San Martin station, Morgan Hill station, Old Ironsides station

VTA provides routes specifically scheduled to accommodate students attending nearby high schools, operating exclusively around school start and dismissal times during the academic year.

Route Number	Service Hours	School Location	Additional Destinations	Timetable Details	Remarks
School 246	Morning & Afternoon	Milpitas Milpitas High School	Central Milpitas Area	School Trippers
School 247	Morning & Afternoon		Central Milpitas Area
School 255	Morning & Afternoon	Sunnyvale Fremont High School	Northern Sunnyvale		Travels along Fair Oaks Avenue, avoiding Downtown Sunnyvale
School 256	Morning & Afternoon	San Jose Willow Glen High School	Central San Jose, Tamien Station vicinity
School 287	Afternoon only	Morgan Hill Live Oak High School	Morgan Hill and San Martin areas
School 288	Morning & Afternoon	Palo Alto Gunn High School	Central Palo Alto zone		Afternoon runs commence at Palo Alto V.A. Hospital Route 288 follows Charleston Rd, Middlefield Rd, Loma Verde Ave Route 288L travels via Meadow Dr and Louis Rd
School 288L	Morning & Afternoon		Central Palo Alto zone

ACE (Altamont Corridor Express) Shuttle Services

In collaboration with private firms and technology companies, VTA operates complimentary shuttle services linking light rail stations and the Great America Station to workplaces in Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Milpitas, Santa Clara, and San Jose. These shuttles, funded through grants from tech corporations, business groups, and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, run exclusively on weekdays and synchronize with ACE train arrival and departure times.

All shuttle routes commence at Great America Station and are timed to coincide with ACE morning arrivals as well as afternoon departures.

Shuttle Line Color	Route Direction	Start/End Points	Served Companies	Schedule Details	Additional Notes
ACE Gray South Sunnyvale	North-South	Sunnyvale Kifer Rd & Uranium Dr intersection	Nortel Brocade Yahoo! EMC Applied Materials Fujitsu AMD Trimble Maxim Integrated Texas Instruments Qualcomm	Gray Line	Internal designation Line 822; first afternoon peak trip skips Evelyn & Wolfe stops
ACE Green North Santa Clara	East-West corridor	Santa Clara America Center Drive area	America Center Oracle Marvell Technology Abbott Laboratories FileMaker Coherent	Green Line	Internal designation Line 823
ACE Orange Mountain View/Palo Alto	East-West corridor	Palo Alto E Meadow Dr & Meadow Cir vicinity	Microsoft Google Intuit Space Systems/Loral	Orange Line	Internal designation Line 824; route includes SR 237, US 101, Shoreline Blvd, Charleston Rd
ACE Purple West Milpitas	East-West corridor	Milpitas McCarthy Ranch area	Cisco Avaya	Purple Line	Internal designation Line 825; travels via Tasman Dr, Alder Dr, McCarthy Blvd, Ranch Dr
ACE Red North Sunnyvale	East-West corridor	Sunnyvale Lockheed Martin Transit Center	Harmonic Aruba Networks NetApp Juniper Networks Yahoo! Lockheed Martin	Red Line	Internal designation Line 826; includes restricted zones at Moffett Federal Airfield requiring Lockheed Martin credentials
ACE Yellow South Santa Clara	North-South corridor	Santa Clara Scott Blvd near Intel	Nortel Brocade AMD Yahoo! Data Domain Intel General Dynamics AIS Synaptics NEC Nvidia	Yellow Line	Internal designation Line 827; operates a one-way loop via Walsh Ave, Kifer Rd, Great America Pkwy
ACE Brown North San Jose/Light Rail	North-South corridor	San Jose N First St & Montague Expressway	Cisco KLA Tencor Altera Cadence Design Systems VTA Headquarters	Brown Line	Internal designation Line 828; serves light rail stations along Tasman Dr and N First St in a one-way loop
ACE Violet West Milpitas	North-South corridor	San Jose Lundy Ave & Commerce Dr area	Cisco KLA Tencor Sandisk Avaya Optoma LSI Linear Tech Propel Software Abbott Olympus Oncore Manufacturing DeVry University	Violet Line	Internal designation Line 831

Light Rail Night Service Replacement

VTA provides late-night bus routes that correspond with the final light rail departures, stopping at or near every light rail station. Passengers holding valid light rail tickets or passes may use these bus services without additional fare.

Route Number	Direction	Endpoints		Timetable Reference	Additional Details
200	Westbound	San Jose Baypointe station	Mountain View Mountain View Transit Center	Line 200	Provides late-night replacement for the final three westbound Orange Line runs Operates nonstop between Fair Oaks and Mountain View
201	Southbound	San Jose Santa Clara light rail station	San Jose Santa Teresa station	Line 201	Serves as late-night substitute for the last southbound Blue Line trip
202	Southbound	San Jose Santa Clara light rail station	Campbell Winchester Transit Center	Line 202	Replaces the last southbound Green Line service during late hours
203	Northbound	San Jose Civic Center station	San Jose Alum Rock Transit Center	Line 203	Covers the final two northbound Blue Line trips at night Additionally serves Orange Line stops between Baypointe and Alum Rock

Interregional Transit Services

VTA collaborates with various regional transit agencies serving Santa Clara County, enabling seamless transfers and commuter programs. These routes are operated by a coalition of transit providers rather than VTA vehicles, with fares determined by the consortium.

Service Name	Direction	Terminals		Operating Days	Areas Covered	Timetable Link	Remarks
		Santa Clara County Endpoint	Regional Endpoint
Highway 17 Express	North-South	San Jose San Jose State University (select weekday trips)	Santa Cruz River Front Transit Center	Daily	San Jose, Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz	Highway 17 Express	Internally designated as Line 970 Operated by Santa Cruz Metro Funding shared by VTA, Caltrans, Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority, and Santa Cruz Metro Certain trips stop at Cavallaro Transit Center in Scotts Valley Selected runs connect with Amtrak services at Diridon station Weekday service to San Jose State University starts and ends at San Fernando & 7th St
		San Jose Diridon station
Dumbarton Express Line DB	East-West	Palo Alto Stanford University	Union City Union City station	Weekdays	Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Redwood City, Newark, Union City	Line DB	Known as Line 971 internally Funded jointly by VTA, AC Transit, BART, SamTrans, and Union City Transit; administered by AC Transit and operated by MV Transportation Serves Palo Alto station, Menlo Park Veterans Hospital, and Ardenwood Park-and-Ride in Newark via Dumbarton Bridge route
Dumbarton Express Line DB1	East-West	Palo Alto Stanford Research Park (Deer Creek Rd)	Union City Union City station	Weekdays	Palo Alto, Newark, Union City	Line DB1	Internally referred to as Line 974 Jointly funded by VTA, AC Transit, BART, SamTrans, and Union City Transit; administered by AC Transit and operated by MV Transportation Provides service to Palo Alto Veterans Hospital and Ardenwood Park-and-Ride in Newark via Oregon Expressway and Deer Creek Road
Monterey-Salinas Transit Line 59	North-South	Gilroy Gilroy station	Salinas Salinas Intermodal Transportation Center	Weekdays	Salinas, Monterey, Prunedale, Gilroy	MST Line 59	Operated by Monterey-Salinas Transit with joint funding from VTA and MST Accepts through-tickets connecting to Amtrak services in San Jose Stops at Prunedale Park-and-Ride via US-101 corridor