VTA finally offers riders a free 2-hour transfer
The VTA rolled out some changes at the start of the year, and it’s the usual mixed bag. Some routes have better frequency, regular fares went up 25 cents but youth fares dropped to $1. But there’s one change that stands out among the rest for me, and that’s the long-awaited introduction of a free transfer for bus riders.
This improvement — a feature in many bigcity transit systems — is overdue for VTA, which sprawls across so many communities that many trips require more than one bus. Now, riders who pay their fare with a Clipper card or the VTA’s new EZfare app get a two-hour window to board another regular VTA bus or lightrail train (express service does cost more).
It’ll be interesting to see how the change works in the long run, as one of the barriers to making it happen was the extra revenue produced by the transfers. But it has the potential to boost ridership since shorter trips that would have required two fares will, in essence, be halfprice. And if you’re weighing the cost and hassle of parking in some areas, that could make a big difference.
Is it enough to get more people out of their cars and riding VTA? I don’t know, but it’s a good start.
WE’VE GOT YOUR BACH >> Chamber Music Silicon Valley is attempting a rare feat on Saturday at the Triton Museum in Santa Clara: a performance of the complete set of J.S. Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos, presented by 19 musicians from around the world. The six 18thcentury pieces are considered some of the best compositions of the Baroque era.
Ray Furuta, Chamber Music Silicon Valley’s artistic director, said he expects the performance — pairing dynamic music with the rich visual environment of the Triton — to be one for the books.
“The fact we’re performing works that are known to be the most dynamic of their time is no mistake,” Furuta said. “In many ways we strive to be the most dynamic performers and purveyors of classical music of our current time, so the Brandenburgs are a perfect reflection of our cause.”
The concert starts at 7:30 p.m., but musicologist Kai Christiansen will lead a discussion of the pieces during a complimentary reception that begins at 7 p.m. General admission tickets are $35, and students can attend for $10. Get more information at cmsv.org.
MAKING MUSIC >> The San Jose Museum of Art has teamed up with SJMade for “Third Thursday: Soundscaping SJMA,” an evening of live music throughout the downtown museum tonight.
The lineup of performers includes Quynh-Mai Nguyen and Alice Chen, a folk and R&B music duo known as Q&A; the Cypher Dance Company featuring Karina Cervantes; soul musician DionLovelle; San Jose Nuevo Flamenco with Bianca Rodriguez and Gopal Slavonic; and San Jose poet and mixed media artist Lorenz Dumuk.
The event runs from 6 to 9 p.m., and admission is $5 and free to museum members. Get more information at www.sjmusart.org. NO REST FOR THE GENEROUS >> Family Giving Tree co-founder Jennifer Cullenbine reports that the Bay Area nonprofit hit its goal in 2017 of delivering 80,000 holiday gifts — including more than 5,000 specified for North Bay residents who were victims of the Wine Country fires. She’s giving all the credit to the many donors and more than 7,000 volunteers who served in Family Giving Tree’s Sunnyvale warehouse.
By the way, that was a gift in itself, as an anonymous donor provided the use of the more than 100,000 square feet of warehouse space where Family Giving Tree sorted and wrapped all those donations.
Cullenbine is already on the lookout for warehouse space for the group’s summer Back-to-School drive, so email info@familygivingtree.org if you’ve got a lead.