Honestly, bus ridership in WG could be higher — WGx has tried to do its part — so any effort by VTA to inspire increased ridership is probably a good thing.

Unfortunately, the latest VTA promotional campaign is a bit confusing. If you were standing on Lincoln Avenue at Curtner waiting for the #64 Bus, you might be surprised to be waiting 30 minutes, rather than the “Frequent Fifteen” minutes advertised on the billboard you’re staring at.

The fine print is there for you to read, but it might take you longer than 15 minutes to figure it out.
Three bus routes through WG are billed as being among the Frequent Fifteen, but only one bus runs that frequently over the part of its route actually in Willow Glen.

WGx Executive Summary: The schedule has not changed since the “new VTA” arrived in early January.

Although it runs from this corner right through downtown WG, Bus #64 never hits 15-minute frequency through this neighborhood. Those 15-minute intervals actually occur on the fringes of each route. Through WG, VTA #64 runs at 30-minute intervals almost all day long. The 15-minute intervals occur only on the portion of the route north/east of the Diridon Train Station.

The same applies to the Bus #26, also advertised as being among the F-15. Again, the fast schedules only apply to the part of the route that is east of the Curtner Light Rail station. So if you are in a hurry to get to Eastridge, you still have to drive to catch the fast bus.

For the #25 Bus, things are more promising, with 15-minute service intervals between Valley Medical Center and the Alum Rock Transit Center — including its weekday runs through WG and the Tamien Light Rail station. In fact, service on this route is sometimes even more frequent.

Also on the bright side … VTA Light Rail will maintain its quick weekend event schedule for the Fourth of July events, with trains running into downtown every ten minutes at all stations close to WG.

So ride the bus … but plan accordingly.