VTA will bus fans to 49ers’ preseason opener with light rail shut down

Fans heading to the 49ers’ preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs will take buses to Levi’s Stadium rather than Valley Transportation Authority light rail, which is still offline following a May mass shooting at the agency’s rail yard.

For the 5:30 p.m. game, the VTA, starting at 2 p.m., will provide direct bus service every 10 minutes from the Milpitas Transit Center to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. The VTA will also have direct — but less frequent — bus service to the stadium for fans arriving via rail at Caltrain’s Mountain View station.

Buses will also depart the stadium for about an hour after the game ends.

The VTA also runs a bus bridge once an hour from El Paseo de San Antonio in downtown San Jose to the Milpitas station. However, return service to San Jose ends at 7 p.m., well before the expected end of the game.

A one-way fare from Mountain View, Milpitas, and San Jose is $2.50. The VTA recommends purchasing round-trip fares on Clipper or having exact cash. VTA Excursion passes are not available for Saturday’s game.

Riders are encouraged to visit the Levi’s Stadium section on the VTA’S website for more information. Fans can also call the VTA at 408-321-2300.

The VTA estimates about 2,000 fans will use the bus service Saturday. Prior to the pandemic, between 7,000 and 8,000 people would take light rail to 49ers games, according to a VTA spokesperson.

An announced crowd of 19,021 attended the 49ers' open practice at

Levi's Stadium on Saturday and although the VTA did not run any special service for the event, no major problems were reported.

Busing people to and from the stadium for 49ers games might be a practice the VTA will need to continue after Saturday as no date has been set for the restoration of light rail service.

Light rail trains were taken offline after the

May 26 mass shooting at the VTA'S maintenance and dispatch facilities in San Jose. Nine VTA employees died in the shooting, not including the gunman, who killed himself at the scene.

“VTA is working diligently and compassionately to ensure employees impacted by the tragic events of May 26 feel safe and confident to return to their normal duties,” the VTA said in a statement last month.

Saturday marks the first time fans will be able to attend a game at Levi's Stadium since Jan. 19, 2020, when the 49ers beat the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game.

Actual attendance for Saturday's game is expected to be below the stadium's 68,500-seat capacity, but more fans are expected to be at the 49ers' second home preseason game with the Las Vegas Raiders on Aug. 29 at 1 p.m.

The stadium should be at or near capacity on Sept. 26 when the 49ers host the Packers in a nationally televised primetime game.

Caltrain users can also transfer to bus line 55 `Great America' at the Sunnyvale station, and to bus line 59 `Great America' at the Santa Clara station.