| Transportation | To | Time | Fare | Runs every |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walk/bike/drive | Pacific Station (Metro Center) | |||
| 920 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz | ||||
| Highway 17 Express | San Jose (Diridon) Station | 1 hour | $4.00 | 1-2 hours |
| VTA 180/181 bus | Fremont BART Station | 1 hour | $3.50 | 15-60 min |
| Mowry Ave & Civic Center Dr, Fremont | ||||
| AC Transit | All points in Fremont | $1.75 |
| Total fare | $7.50 |
|---|---|
| Total travel time | 2 to 2.5 hours |
| Latest departure time | 9 PM |
| Latest return time | 9 PM |
For people who live in Santa Cruz, Fremont is primarily a transfer point. Therefore, the last, local step isn’t covered here.
Please review the Santa Cruz to San Jose page. When you are finished with that page, use your Web browser’s “Back”
command to return here.
You will use the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority Route 180 or 181 bus to get from San Jose to Fremont. Despite the length of the trip, VTA managers — most of whom have never actually ridden a bus in their lives — like to assign the oldest buses to this route. The air conditioning may have stopped working a decade ago, but at least the seats are comfy!
When you get off the Highway 17 Express in San Jose, do not go inside the station building. Walk to the front of the building, turn to your left, cross the transit center roadway, and wait at the first shelter.
Get on the next VTA 180 bus, except on weekdays during commute hours, when you must use the 181 bus instead of the 180. Various buses share this bus stop, so check the destination sign or listen for an announcement before you get on.
Fremont BART Station is the last stop.
All buses at Fremont BART Station use the transit center on the north side of the BART train line. This is the same general area where you got off the bus earlier. VTA 180 and 181 buses to San Jose use the stops closest to the embankment that holds the train line.
San Jose (Diridon) Station is the last stop.
On weekdays, you can also get off a bit earlier, at Santa Clara and 2nd Streets. This is one side of a complex known as Santa Clara Light Rail Station. Cross the track and use the parking lot / walkway to reach the 1st Street side. Cross another track and look up and down the island to find a blue bus stop sign with a red HY17 marker. On weekdays, Highway 17 Express buses stop here before picking up more passengers at San Jose (Diridon) Station and continuing to Santa Cruz.
There’s no need to plan your Fremont trip in advance. The Highway 17 Express bus runs every one to two hours and the VTA 180/181 bus, every 15 minutes to an hour. In case you do have to wait, all points on this itinerary have stations with indoor waiting areas, restrooms, water fountains, telephones, and food vendors. If you need to use the restroom in Fremont, ask the BART agent to let you in to the paid area of the BART Station.
For the Highway 17 Express, dial 1 877 9-RIDE-CC (nationwide, toll-free). Ask for schedules between Santa Cruz and San Jose. For other transportation services, dial 511 (San Francisco Bay Area, toll-free) or 1 408 817-1717.
The information on this Web page might be incomplete, out of date, or incorrect. Also, there is always a risk of delays and missed connections.
© 2001-2008, Paul Marcelin. This Web site is a public service, not affiliated with any transportation provider.