A Saratoga City Council meeting on Sept. 2 highlighted two distinct community updates: declining participation in a school bus pilot program and shifting plans for a historic local festival.
Traffic commissioner Dory Albert reported that enrollment in the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) bus pilot has fallen from approximately 50 students to just 25. The initiative was designed to help Redwood Middle School students commute via Routes 26 or 51 to the West Valley Depot station. Route 26 departs from East San Jose every 15 minutes, while Route 51 runs hourly from Mountain View.
Albert noted that service reliability has been a primary obstacle. Within the first few weeks, a student on Route 51 arrived late after the bus was delayed, requiring multiple students to obtain tardy slips.
VTA representatives explained that two cancellation errors occurred during this period: one due to staff shortages and another caused by a software glitch in the VTA app that incorrectly flagged a bus as canceled.
When program supporters asked if buses could be scheduled to arrive earlier, VTA officials cited federal regulations prohibiting public transit from providing dedicated school transport. They also noted that travel times fluctuate because buses share roads with general traffic.
However, representatives announced that starting in October, when operators rotate, Route 51 will be designated as a "no cancellation" route and pick-up times may shift by five minutes earlier.