VTA lightrail only met bart earlier this year, and VTA lightrail existing probably kept bart out of the valley for decades because hey, we already had trains right? Only bart goes fast and goes to real places and doesn't kill pedestrians all the time (bart cops do ofc), whereas occasionally when riding lightrail elderly people using walkers leave you in their dust. At least its free though eh

Last year in flu season VTA had an ad campaign, for some health insurance product. Bright yellow, covering the whole train, a slogan something like "don't catch anything else when you catch the train" but with some reference to tech startup culture, I think using the term incubator? An ad for people commuting to tech jobs in their cars. The image? Massive pictures of 'diverse' ad models coughing and sneezing into their hands, with larger-than-life visible spittle eminating. Essentially one in every three trains was a gigantic billboard saying 'WARNING: SICK BROWN PEOPLE IF YOU RIDE THE TRAIN! DO NOT RIDE TRAIN!'

Historically low ridership, most expensive lightrail per ride for the local transit authority lmao