Posted: Mon Jan 08, 2007 5:00 am Post subject: GETTING THERE/AROUND IN SAN JOSE / SAN JOSE TRANSPORTATION
GETTING THERE/AROUND IN SAN JOSE
GETTING THERE
By Air
Mineta San Jose International Airport ( SJC ) ( +1 408 501 7600/ http://www.sjc.org ) loiters only three miles north of downtown San Jose. Its two terminals accommodate over 11 million passengers a year. The following major airlines touchdown and take-off from its runways:
The VTA Airport Flyer ( +1 800 894 9908/ http://www.vta.org ) ushers passengers to the Santa Clara CalTrain Station ( +1 800 660 4287/ http://www.caltrain.com ), which provides train service to San Francisco, as well as to the Metro Light Rail Station, which services San Jose. The Flyer exits the airport every 10 minutes on weekdays and every 15 minutes on weekends. It operates 5:30AM-midnight daily. Rides are free.
Yellow Cab ( +1 408 293 1234 ) operates out of Terminal A and United Cab ( +1 408 971 1111 ) out of Terminal C. Rides to downtown average USD13 while rides to San Francisco approximately cost USD100.
Yellowcab ( +1 408-245-5222/ http://yellowcabca.tripod.com/index.html )
Amtrak ( +1 800 872 7245/ http://www.amtrak.com ) chugs into San Jose's train station at 65 Cahill Street on a daily basis. The Capitol Corridor Line makes 22 daily runs between San Jose and Sacramento, California's state capital. And the impossibly scenic Coast Starlight Line hums into San Jose daily while making runs between Seattle and Los Angeles. CalTrain ( +1 800 660 4287/ http://www.caltrain.com ) is a local train line that connects San Jose with San Francisco. Rides last 90 minutes and cost USD5.25.
By Bus
Greyhound ( +1 800 231 2222/ http://www.greyhound.com ) operates out of San Jose's bus station at 70 South Almaden Avenue. Buses continually arrive from all points of the compass.
By Car
San Jose's crisscrossing network of Interstate highways makes it extremely car accessible. Interstate 880 ( Nimitz Freeway ) streams into San Jose from Oakland to the north and turns into Route 17 as it continues south into Santa Cruz along the coast. Highway 101 ( Bayshore Freeway ) enters from San Francisco in a southeast direction before persisting south to Los Angeles. And Interstate 280 ( Junipero Serra Freeway ) also wanders down from San Francisco, bending along San Jose's southern edge before connecting with Interstate 680 ( Sinclair Freeway ) which drifts in from Concord and Walnut Creek from the northeast.
GETTING AROUND SAN JOSE
When you have a transportation query, you can pick up a phone and dial 511. Whether you're driving, taking public transportation, or looking into carpool options, 511 has all the information you need. It’s available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Note: 511 is a Bay Area Transportation Hotline which creates custom itineraries for public transportation in the Bay Area ( dial 511 in the Bay Area; +1 510 817 1717; http://www.511.org )
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, or locally known as VTA ( +1 800 894 9908/ http://www.vta.org ), stands as San Jose's main source for public transit. Its fleet of 520 buses services all of downtown and the surrounding area with connections to other bus lines that link with Santa Cruz and San Francisco. One-way fares start at USD1.50.
The Metro Light Rail System ( +1 408 321 2300 ) features almost 29 miles of track with 33 stops. Trains attend each station every 10 minutes on weekdays, every 15 minutes on weekends, and every 30 minutes during evenings. Tickets cost USD1.25 and are good for two hours.
DASH ( Downtown Area Shuttle ) is a free service that wanders through downtown M-F 6:15a-7p. Stops include the San Jose Convention Center, San Jose State University, and the Children's Discovery Museum.
San Jose's historic trolley car service operates from early April through early October. It features nine popular downtown stops such as the Civic Center, the San Jose Convention Center, and Japantown.
Taxi's are readily available and can be easily found at most major hotels. A small list of cab companies include:
Driving in San Jose can be a tedious process if unfamiliar with its mesh of one-way streets. Parking and then using the Downtown Area Shuttle to maneuver through San Jose is strongly recommended. The Interstates, especially the Bayshore Freeway, would frighten most NASCAR drivers during morning and afternoon rush hours. When not gummed with traffic most cars zoom along at terrific speeds and harbour no patience for out-of-town drivers cautiously seeking their mapped out exit.
San Jose's downtown is refreshingly compact making it extremely conducive for walking. San Pedro Square, the Center for Performing Arts, the San Jose Museum of Art, the convention centre and many other prime attractions are all within several blocks of each other.
Plenty of bike routes and bike trails make San Jose extremely bike happy.
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