Highway 17 Express
Encyclopedia
The Highway 17 Express is an Amtrak
Thruway Motorcoach route provided by a consortium of entities that provides regional service between San Jose
and Santa Cruz County
in the South Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. The service is so called because it travels on California State Route 17.
, with more limited service beyond Santa Cruz to Soquel
. It passes through the State Route 17 communities of the Santa Cruz Mountains
including Scotts Valley
, Redwood Estates
, Summit
, and Pasatiempo
and is combined with feeder and delivery service for several Amtrak California
lines serving Diridon Station
in San Jose, a regional intermodal hub where passengers may transfer to VTA buses or light rail in addition to ACE
, Capitol Corridor
, Caltrain
, and also many regional Amtrak routes. During the week the service extends beyond Diridon Station with direct service to downtown San Jose; on weekends it terminates at the station.
One-way fare is $5.00, with half-price fare available for seniors and disabled riders. A day pass that is also good for all VTA bus and light rail as well as Santa Cruz Metro buses is available for $10.00. This day pass can be purchased for $4.00 by passengers who show a two-zone Caltrain monthly pass. The VTA EcoPass Express is good for travel on the Highway 17 Express service.
Most buses are equipped with bike racks capable of holding three bicycles. Currently, up to two bicycles are allowed in the handicap area inside the bus if space is available.
, VTA, and Santa Cruz Metro, using buses from the latter two agencies. Santa Cruz Metro operates the service.
When service was consolidated with Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach in 2004, the route was extended to the metro center in downtown Santa Cruz and service expanded to 365 days a year. Caltrans anticipated a ridership of 7,000 riders per month at the end of 2004. In December 2007, free wifi service was added to all Highway 17 Express buses. In March 2008, Santa Cruz Metro reported 24,000 riders.
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
Thruway Motorcoach route provided by a consortium of entities that provides regional service between San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
and Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz County, California
Santa Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, on the California Central Coast. The county forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay. . As of the 2010 U.S. Census, its population was 262,382. The county seat is Santa Cruz...
in the South Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. The service is so called because it travels on California State Route 17.
Service
The bus service is a consolidation of corridor-based commuter service between Santa Cruz and job centers in the Silicon ValleySilicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
, with more limited service beyond Santa Cruz to Soquel
Soquel, California
Soquel is a census-designated place in Santa Cruz County, California, United States. The population was 9,644 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Soquel is located at ....
. It passes through the State Route 17 communities of the Santa Cruz Mountains
Santa Cruz Mountains
The Santa Cruz Mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are a mountain range in central California, United States. They form a ridge along the San Francisco Peninsula, south of San Francisco, separating the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco Bay and the Santa Clara Valley, and continuing south,...
including Scotts Valley
Scotts Valley, California
Scotts Valley is a small city in Santa Cruz County, California, United States, about thirty miles south of downtown San Jose and six miles north of Monterey Bay, in the upland slope of the Santa Cruz Mountains. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 11,580...
, Redwood Estates
Redwood Estates, California
Redwood Estates is a rural community along State Route 17 in the coastal Santa Cruz Mountains of California, USA. The Census Bureau includes it in a census-designated place named Lexington Hills. It lies inside the confines of Santa Clara County...
, Summit
Summit, California
Summit is a small unincorporated community more frequently referred to by locals as the Loma Prieta Community located predominantly in Santa Cruz County, California, in the mountain ranges of the Santa Cruz Mountains. It lies at the summit along Highway 17 from which is gets its name...
, and Pasatiempo
Pasatiempo, California
Pasatiempo is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Santa Cruz County, California, United States, located along State Route 17 between Scotts Valley and Santa Cruz. Bus service is provided by Santa Cruz Metro and the Highway 17 Express. Pasatiempo sits at an elevation of...
and is combined with feeder and delivery service for several Amtrak California
Amtrak California
Amtrak California is a brand name used by the Caltrans Division of Rail for all state-supported Amtrak rail routes within the U.S. State of California...
lines serving Diridon Station
Diridon Station
Diridon Station is the central passenger rail depot for San Jose, California. It also serves as a transit hub for Santa Clara County and the Silicon Valley...
in San Jose, a regional intermodal hub where passengers may transfer to VTA buses or light rail in addition to ACE
Altamont Commuter Express
The Altamont Commuter Express is a regional rail service in California connecting Stockton with San Jose....
, Capitol Corridor
Capitol Corridor
The Capitol Corridor is a 168-mile passenger train route operated by Amtrak in California. Because it is fully supported by the state, the Capitol Corridor operates under Amtrak California. It runs from the San Francisco Bay Area to Sacramento, roughly parallel to Interstate 80...
, Caltrain
Caltrain
Caltrain is a California commuter rail line on the San Francisco Peninsula and in the Santa Clara Valley in the United States. The northern terminus of the rail line is in San Francisco, at 4th and King streets; its southern terminus is in Gilroy...
, and also many regional Amtrak routes. During the week the service extends beyond Diridon Station with direct service to downtown San Jose; on weekends it terminates at the station.
One-way fare is $5.00, with half-price fare available for seniors and disabled riders. A day pass that is also good for all VTA bus and light rail as well as Santa Cruz Metro buses is available for $10.00. This day pass can be purchased for $4.00 by passengers who show a two-zone Caltrain monthly pass. The VTA EcoPass Express is good for travel on the Highway 17 Express service.
Most buses are equipped with bike racks capable of holding three bicycles. Currently, up to two bicycles are allowed in the handicap area inside the bus if space is available.
Consortium
The service is financed and operated by and benefits AmtrakAmtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
, VTA, and Santa Cruz Metro, using buses from the latter two agencies. Santa Cruz Metro operates the service.
History
A temporary commuter express bus service started after landslides from the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake closed Highway 17. At this time the route spanned from Scotts Valley to Santa Clara. In response to the needs of a loyal group of riders, Santa Cruz Metro continued the service after Highway 17 reopened.When service was consolidated with Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach in 2004, the route was extended to the metro center in downtown Santa Cruz and service expanded to 365 days a year. Caltrans anticipated a ridership of 7,000 riders per month at the end of 2004. In December 2007, free wifi service was added to all Highway 17 Express buses. In March 2008, Santa Cruz Metro reported 24,000 riders.
External links
- Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach
- Capitol Corridor
- VTA
- Santa Cruz Metro and Fares
- Trainweb