Ah, September. The end of summer and start of fall, leaves changing and cooler weather coming. September is great for so many reasons, one of which being it is a month-long opportunity to celebrate public transit! Whether you already ride a bus, take the train, sail on light rail, or cruise with a vanpool, or if you’re interested in doing so, September is a great month to learn or do more!

The nine-county Bay Area has a total of 27 public transit agencies operating within it, five of which serve San José:

• Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) providing Santa Clara County bus and light rail services.
• Caltrain commuter rail connecting cities from Gilroy to San Francisco with San José.
• Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) connecting San José to the East Bay and San Francisco.
• Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) rail linking San José to Stockton.
• Capitol Corridor rail providing service between San José and Sacramento via Oakland.

With a Clipper Card, you can transfer between these transit services seamlessly. Most other Bay Area transit agencies use Clipper, too. Do note, even though you do not need a Clipper Card for BART (you can now just tap your credit card at the turnstile – how cool is that) all other agencies still need a Clipper Card.

Get your boss to pay for it

Now is a great time to check in with your employer and see what commuter benefits might be available to you. Often these are listed on the human resources (HR) page, common benefits include:

• Using pre-tax dollars to pay for your commute using public transit or vanpools.
• Free or discounted transit passes.
• Programs vary company to company.

Get rewarded for your sustainable commute!

Why not get rewarded for doing something you already do? Use VTA’s “ride toward rewards” platform to start recording your sustainable commutes to win prizes and gift cards! Not only do you win prizes, but you can see how much money you’ve saved commuting the way you do AND how much smog you’ve cut back on. Don’t sweat the ride home.

VTA has San José covered with their Guaranteed Ride Home program! What does this mean? If you are age 18 or older, work or go to college or take adult education classes in Santa Clara County, and commute sustainably, you qualify for the program!

What qualifies as sustainable commute? If you take ANY public transit, use an employer-provided shuttle, carpool, vanpool, bike, scoot, or walk to get to work or classes, you’re in the program. In short, if there is an emergency at home – a burglary, fire, or a loved one with a medical emergency – VTA will get you home at no cost to you. Terms and conditions apply.

Ain’t no party like a Transit Month party!

SF Transit Riders has a ton of fun events listed during transit month. Offerings of events includes our very own Viva CalleSJ on Sunday, September 7, as well as a ride contest where you can win prizes for riding transit! Learn more on their website.