MAP) The Capitol Square
Mall is located at Capitol Ave. and McKee Road in San Jose. Target, Toys 'R Us, Albertson's, and Home Town Buffet are the primary tenants.
| Santa Clara VTA | Riders Union |
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Introduction and
Disclaimer - READ THIS FIRST!
How To Use This Guide - READ THIS SECOND!
The Malls
Capitol Square Mall (North San Jose)
Eastridge (East San Jose)
Great Mall (Milpitas)
Gilroy Outlets (Gilroy)
McCarthy Ranch Shopping
Center (Milpitas)
Pruneyard (Campbell)
San Antonio Shopping Center (Mountain
View)
San Jose (Berryessa) Flea
Market (San Jose)
Stanford
Shopping Center (Palo Alto)
Sunnyvale Town Center (Sunnyvale)
Vallco Fashion Park (Cupertino)
Westfield Shoppingtown Oakridge
Mall (South San Jose)
Westfield Shoppingtown Valley Fair, Winchester
Mystery House, and Santana Row (San Jose)
Westgate Mall, Westgate West, and El Paseo de
Saratoga (San Jose)
Plaza
de San Jose and Grand Century Mall (San Jose)
Many malls and shopping centers in Santa Clara County always encourage you to drive there for shopping. They seldom encourage you to use buses or light rail to get there - making those who bother using mass transit as an alternative to traffic gridlock feel unwelcome as a customer. Especially during uring the Christmas holiday season, the huge parking lots surrounding these shopping centers fill to capacity, leaving drivers scrambling for a parking space - sometimes for hours.
The Santa Clara VTA Riders Union (SCVTARU) says there is a better way. Our credo is that mass transit is for everyone - not just those who cannot drive an automobile for whatever reason. Specifically, VTA buses and light rail, when utilized, serve as the perfect alternative to jammed highways to and from the malls, and jammed parking lots. Use of mass transit can help relieve you from stress, high insurance and maintenance costs associated with an automobile, and gives its users an escape from traffic gridlock and "road rage."
Hence, the creation of this guide for using mass transit to every major mall in Santa Clara County. It gives the user a chance eave the driving to someone else, so the only thing the user needs to worry about is the latest sale going on. This guide was inspired by another online guide, How to Thrive on Public Transportation In and Around Santa Clara County by Antony Nispel. After reading this guide, you will find that there is "always a parking spot" when you take transit to any of these great malls.
For your convenience, we have provided links to the websites of each shopping center or mall. We strongly encourage you to talk to mall management and get them to advertise all public transit options available to each mall.
All known local, limited stop, and express bus and light rail lines are listed..
Be advised that this guide is not officially endorsed by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) in any way whatsoever. SCVTARU is publishing this guide only as a public service.
2003 SCVTARU (http://www.vtaridersunion.org/)
revision 2
- November 25, 2005
The Malls
Capitol Square Mall
( MAP) The Capitol Square
Mall is located at Capitol Ave. and McKee Road in San Jose. Target, Toys 'R Us, Albertson's, and Home Town Buffet are the primary tenants.
Stop 1 (McKee Road, next to Albertson's)
81 Vallco Fashion
Park (westbound)
Stop 2 (across from Stop 1)
81 East San
Jose (eastbound)
Stops 3 (northbound Capitol Ave. and McKee Road)
VTA Light Rail -
Alum Rock to Santa Teresa
31 Evergreen
College/The Villages (southbound)
Eastridge Mall
(
MAP) Eastridge Mall is
located at the southwest corner of Capitol Expressway and Tully Road in East San
Jose. Reid-Hillview Airport and Raging Waters are within a short walking distance from the
mall and Transit Center.
Sears, J. C. Penney, and Macy's are the primary tenants. Recently completed renovations to the mall added a 15-screen multiplex theater operated by AMC Theaters.
Stop 1 (Eastridge Transit Center - near J. C. Penney)
12 San Jose
Civic Center (via Beryessa Flea Market) (westbound - Saturdays,
Sundays and Holidays only)
22 Palo Alto/Menlo
Park (westbound)
26 Fair Oaks Light Rail Station/Lockheed (westbound)
31 McKee Light Rail
Station (northbound)
31 Evergreen College/The Villages (southbound)
39 Eastridge
(loop via Quimby)
70 Capitol LRT Station (southbound)
70 Milpitas - Great
Mall (northbound - via Jackons, Flickinger, and Hostetter)
71 Milpitas - Great
Mall (northbound - via White and Piedmont)
77 Silver Creek
& Capitol (southbound)
77 Milpitas - Great
Malls (northbound via King Rd. and Lundy)
522 Rapid (northbound to Palo
Alto via El Camino Real - does not run on Sundays)
Great Mall
(
MAP) The Great Mall Of the Bay
Area in Milpitas is the San Francisco Bay Area's largest outlet-based mall.
Many discount outlet chains have shops here, including Burlington Coat
Factory, Old Navy, Sportmart, and Marshall's. The
Mall also features Outback
Steakhouse, Dave
& Buster's, and a Century Theaters 21-screen movie multiplex. Heald College has a campus
nearby, at the northeast corner of Capitol Ave. and Montague Expressway.
A Transit Center and Park & Ride lot is available near entrances 2 and 3 on the southern side of the Great Mall. The transit center also features a light rail station that is above street level; thus requiring stairs or an elevator to access it. The Alum Rock - Santa Teresa light rail line serves the Great Mall.
In addition, the Great Mall is planned to be a destination on the proposed BART extension to San Jose and Santa Clara.
Buses serving the Great Mall Transit Center (marked "TC" on the
map)
33 First & Tasman (westbound - via McCarthy Ranch Shopping
Center)
46 Washington & Escuela via Yellowstone (eastbound)
47 Washington &
Escuela via Park Victoria (eastbound)
59 Great
America (westbound)
66 Santa Teresa Light Rail Station via downtown San Jose
(southbound)
70 Capitol Light Rail Station (southbound)
71 Eastridge
(southbound via White and Piedmont)
77 Silver Creek
& Capitol (southbound via Eastridge)
180
Express - Fremont BART (northbound via
I-680)
180 Express - San Jose Diridon Station (southbound - via
I-880)
AC
Transit's 217 Fremont BART (northbound)
Gilroy Outlets
(
MAP) The Gilroy Outlets are located at Leavesley Road off U.S. Highway
101 in Gilroy. Amongst the many outlet stores here are Brooks Brothers, Coach, and Tommy Hilfiger.
Stop 1 (Arroyo Circle, south of Leavesley Road - near
Applebee's)
17 St. Louise Hospital - Gilroy Transit Center (connection to
Line 68
northbound to Santa Teresa Light Rail Station, downtown San Jose, and the San
Jose Diridon Station for Amtrak and Caltrain). This bus now serves the new
Super Wal-Mart nearby.
McCarthy Ranch Shopping Center
(
MAP) McCarthy Ranch
Shopping Center is located near the State Highway 237 Interchange and
Interstate 880 in Milpitas. The "big box" retail chain stores include Best Buy, Office Max, and Wal-Mart.
Stop 1 (McCarthy Ranch Drive (next to Taco Bell)
33 First &
Tasman or Great Mall Transit Center (connection for buses like the
Line 180 Express Bus to downtown San Jose or Fremont BART station, or VTA Light
Rail to Alum Rock or Santa Teresa)
The Pruneyard
(
MAP) The Pruneyard shopping center
is located on Campbell Ave. and Bascom Ave. in Campbell. It features many shops
and restaurants including an Outback Steakhouse, Marshall's, and a Camera Cinemas "arthouse" multiplex theater.
Stop 1 (SW corner of Campbell Ave. and S. Bascom Ave., in front of gas
station)
26 Eastridge (eastbound)
Stop 2 (east side of S. Bascom Ave. north of Campbell Ave., in front of
restaurant)
62 Penitentia Creek Transit Center (northbound)
Stop 3 (west side of S. Bascom Ave. north of Campbell Ave., near Pruneyard
sign)
62 Good Samaritan Hospital (southbound - via Union or Bascom)
Stop 4 (Campbell Ave. in front of Pruneyard - near Outback Steakhouse
restaurant)
26 Fair Oaks Light Rail station/Lockheed (westbound)
San Antonio Shopping Center
(
MAP) San Antonio Shopping
Center in Mountain View is an outdoor shopping center that is bordered
by El Camino Real, Showers Drive, San Antonio Road, and California Street
in Mountain View. Major retail stores include Wal-Mart, Trader Joe's, Mervyn's, and Sears. It is also a major terminal and transfer point for
several VTA bus lines via the San Antonio Transit Center - only 50 feet from the
Wal-Mart entrance on Showers Drive and near El Camino Real.
Target is a short walk east on Showers Drive across the street from the San Antonio Transit Center. A Tower Records store is on the Northeast corner of El Camino Real and Showers Drive.
Stop 1 (San Antonio Transit Center - 50 feet from Wal-Mart)
23 Downtown San
Jose (eastbound via Stevens Creek Blvd.)
32 Santa Clara
Caltrain Station (eastbound via Middlefield Rd. and Sunnyvale Caltrain
station)
34
El Camino Hospital (eastbound)
35 Stanford
University (westbound)
35 Downtown Mountain View Transit Center (eastbound)
40 L'Avendia &
Macon (northbound) (location of VTA's North bus garage)
Stop 2 (NE corner of El Camino and Showers)
22 Palo Alto/Menlo
Park (westbound)
522 Rapid - Palo Alto (westbound - makes limited stops - does not run on Sundays)
Stop 3 (Across street from Stop 2)
22 Eastridge
(eastbound)
522 Rapid - Eastridge (eastbound - makes limited stops - does not run on Sundays)
Stop 4 (NE corner of El Camino and San Antonio Rd.)
22 Palo Alto/Menlo
Park (westbound)
Stop 5 (SW corner of El Camino and San Antonio Rd.)
22 Eastridge
(eastbound)
Stop 6 (San Antonio Rd - near Sears) (used mainly for dropping off
passengers only)
23 San Antonio Shopping Center (westbound via Stevens Creek
Blvd.)
32 San
Antonio Shopping Center (eastbound)
34 San Antonio
Shopping Center (eastbound)
35 Stanford
University - Downtown Mountain View Transit Center (and Caltrain station)
40 San
Antonio Shopping Center (southbound)
San Jose (Berryessa) Flea Market
(
MAP) The San Jose Flea
Market is amongst the most well-known and largest in the United States. You
can buy just about anything here. The Flea Market is at 1590 Berryessa Road
(west of King Rd.) in San Jose.
Note that the Flea Market area is a stop on the proposed BART extension into Silicon Valley.
Stop 1 (King Road, south of Berryessa - in front of apartments)
12
Eastridge (eastbound - Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays only)
36
East San Jose (eastbound)
62 Penitentia Creek
LRT Station (eastbound via Union or Bascom)
77 Silver Creek
& Capitol (southbound)
Stop 2 (across King Road from Stop 1)
12 San
Jose/County Civic Center (westbound - Saturdays, Sundays, and
Holidays only)
36 Valley Fair/Vallco
Park (westbound)
62 Penitentia Creek LRT Station - Good Sam.
Hospital (northbound)
77 Great Mall
(northbound)
Stop 3 (in front of Flea Market Entrance)
12
Eastridge (eastbound - Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays only)
36
East San Jose (eastbound)
Stanford Shopping Center
(
MAP) Stanford Shopping Center
is located on El Camino Real between Quarry Rd. and Sand Hill Road in Palo Alto.
It is one (1) block north of Stanford University Hospital, and two blocks from
the Stanford University campus. .
Two (2) blocks north lies the Palo Alto Caltrain Station and transit center. The Palo Alto Transit Center was reconstructed in the summer of 2005. There you can transfer to Caltrain to San Francisco or San Jose, or connect to the Dumbarton Express bus (which runs on weekdays only) over the Dumbarton Bridge to Union City. You can also connect with the Palo Alto Crosstown Shuttle for destinations within Palo Alto or to the free Marguerite Shuttle to sites throughout the Stanford University campus.
Retail stores available at Stanford Shopping Center include Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's, and Macy's.
Stop 1 (northbound El Camino Real and Quarry Road, in front of the
softball diamond)
22 Menlo Park (westbound)
Samtrans KX San
Francisco Express and RX San Francisco
Express (northbound via U.S. 101 and San Francisco Int'l
Airport)
Samtrans 390 Daly City BART (northbound via El
Camino Real)
Stop 2 (southbound El Camino Real and Quarry Road - across from
softball diamond)
22 Eastridge (eastbound)
Samtrans KX
Express and RX
Express (from San Francisco) - drop-off only
Samtrans 280 Bay
& University (northbound)
Samtrans 281 Onetta
Harris Community Ctr. (northbound)
Samtrans 297 (from Redwood City) and Samtrans 397 (from San Francisco) -
drop-off only
Stop 3 (Quarry Road)
End of line for 35 Stanford Shopping Center
Stop 4 (Palo Alto Transit Center)
22 Menlo
Park (westbound), End of Line for 22 buses marked "Palo Alto",
and 22
Eastridge (eastbound)
35 Mountain
View Caltrain Station (southbound)
35 Stanford
Shopping Center (northbound)
End of Line for VTA line
88 (Palo Alto Transit Center)
522 Rapid - Eastridge (eastbound - makes limited stops - does not run on Sundays)
Samtrans
280 Bay & University (northbound)
Samtrans 281 Onetta
Harris Community Ctr. (northbound)
Samtrans 297 (to Redwood City) and Samtrans
397 (to San Francisco) and Samtrans 390 (to Daly
City BART)
Samtrans KX Express to and from San Francisco
Dumbarton
Express (DB) Union City BART (weekdays only)
Caltrain - San Francisco to
San Jose (with select trips to Gilroy on weekday peak periods only)
Marguerite Shuttle - Stanford University Campus Buildings
and Parking Lots
Sunnyvale Town Center
(
MAP) The Sunnyvale Town
Center is bordered by Washington Ave, Iowa Ave, Mathilda Ave., and Sunnyvale
Avenues in Sunnyvale. It is two blocks from the Sunnyvale Caltrain station on
Mathilda Avenue.
The center was recently converted to an open-air mall. Major tenants are Target and Macy's.
Stop 1 (East side of Murphy Ave., at parking lot)
26 Eastridge -
Fair Oaks Light Rail station/Lockheed (weekends and holidays only)
32 Santa Clara
Caltrain Station (eastbound via Middlefield Rd. and Sunnyvale Caltrain
station)
53
Westgate Mall (southbound - weekdays only)
54 West Valley
College - Fair Oaks Light Rail station (northbound - via Lockheed during
peak hours)
55 Great America Theme Park (northbound)
Stop 2 (West side of Murphy Ave., in front of Town &
Country)
32 San Antonio Shopping Center (westbound via Middlefield Rd.
and Sunnyvale Caltrain station)
55 Fremont H.S./De
Anza College (southbound)
Stop 3 (Sunnyvale Caltrain Station)
54 West Valley
College (southbound) - Fair Oaks Light Rail station (northbound)
Caltrain - San Francisco - San Jose/Tamien/Gilroy
Stop 4 (Sunnyvale Ave. and McKinley - near former J.C. Penney
entrance)
54 West Valley College (southbound)
Stop 5 (SE corner of Mathilda Ave. and Iowa Ave.)
54 Fair Oaks Light
Rail station (northbound - via Lockheed during peak hours)
Stop 6 (SW corner of Mathilda Ave. and W. McKinley Ave.)
54 West Valley
College (southbound)
Stop 7 (underpass of Mathilda Ave over Caltrain tracks)
54 West Valley
College (southbound)
Vallco Fashion Park
(
MAP) Vallco Fashion Park
is located on Wolfe Road between Interstate 280 and Stevens Creek Blvd. in
Cupertino. The Ice Center at Cupertino is on the eastern side of the
mall, above the Benihana
Japanese restaurant and near J.C. Penney.
Vallco is currently undergoing renovation and will also have a mixed-used development nearby.
Stop 1 (S. Wolfe Rd. at the underpass - Sears side of mall)
26 Eastridge
(eastbound)
36 East San Jose - Vallco Park (passenger dropoff)
51 Moffett/Ames -
Vallco Park (passenger dropoff)
Stop 2 (N. Wolfe Rd. at the underpass - J.C. Penney side of
mall)
26 Fair Oaks Light Rail station/Lockheed (westbound)
36 East San
Jose (eastbound - Penitentia Creek & Gridley via Naglee and Taylor -
selected trips only)
51 Moffet/Ames (northbound)
81 East San Jose
(eastbound - via downtown San Jose)
Stop 3 (N. Wolfe Road, near Stevens Creek Blvd.)
26 Sunnyvale - Fair
Oaks Light Rail station/Lockheed (westbound)
Stop 4 (SE corner of Miller and Stevens Creek - next to Jiffy
Lube)
23 Downtown San Jose (eastbound - via Stevens Creek and Valley
Fair)
Stop 5 (NW corner of Wolfe and El Camino Real)
23 De Anza
College/San Antonio Shopping Center (westbound)
Westfield Shoppingtown Oakridge Mall and Almaden Plaza
(
MAP) Located
at 925 Blossom Hill Road off Highway 85 in South San Jose, Oakridge
Mall has undergone a $133 million expansion that added 70 new stores and a
20-screen Century
multiplex theater. The mall originally opened in 1973. Sears and Macy's are the main tenants here.
Half a mile west of the mall lies Almaden Plaza. Located at 5353 Almaden Expressway between Highway 85 and Blossom Hill Road in San Jose, this outdoor-based mall features many shops. Chief tenants are Circuit City and Levitz Furniture. A Costco is nearby.
Stop 1 (NW corner of Blossom Hill Road - front entrance of mall near valet
parking area)
Stop 9 (NW corner of Blossom Hill Road and Winfield
Blvd.)
27 West Vallley College (westbound - with bus connections to
Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, and Alviso)
67 Ohlone-Chynoweth
Light Rail Station (westbound - with light rail connections to downtown San
Jose, Mountain View, and Milpitas)
Stop 2 (across Blossom Hill Rd. from Stop 1)
Stop 10 (across Blossom
Hill Rd. from Stop 2)
27 Santa Teresa
Light Rail Station (eastbound)
67 Santa Teresa
Light Rail Station (eastbound)
Stop 3 (Blossom Hill Way and Winfield Boulevard - behind
Sears)
Almaden Light Rail - to Almaden station (westbound) or
Ohlone-Chynoweth station (eastbound for light rail connections to downtown San
Jose, South San Jose, Mountain View, and Milpitas)
13 New Almaden
(southbound)
Stop 4 (NE corner of Almaden Expwy. and Blossom Hill Road)
64 Alum Rock &
White/Alum Rock & Miguleto (northbound)
Stop 5 (NW corner of Almaden Expwy. and Blossom Hill Rd.)
27 West Valley
College (westbound)
Stop 6 (SW corner of Almaden Expwy. and Blossom Hill Rd.)
27 Santa Teresa
Light Rail Station (eastbound)
Stop 7 (Almaden Expwy., in front of T.J. Maxx)
64 Almaden light
rail station (southbound)
Stop 8 (across from Stop 3)
13 New Almaden
(northbound)
Westfield Shoppingtown Valley Fair, Winchester Mystery House, and Santana Row
(
MAP) Amongst the
first shopping centers
in Santa Clara Valley, Valley Fair recently underwent its own major
renovation in 2002. It now features a Century multiplex theater as well as additional shops. Located
on Stevens Creek Boulevard between Winchester Boulevard and Interstate 880, Macy's and Sears are the main retailers at
this shopping center. Its outdoor transit center on the northwest end of the
mall at Forest Ave. off Winchester Boulevard (near Sears) and is amongst the
first transit centers constructed by the Santa Clara County Transportation
District (SCCTD) in the 1970's.
Across Stevens Creek Boulevard lies what the San Jose Mercury News calls "the place to be" - Santana Row. Designed in the style of a European village, Santana Row features high-end retail stores, a Best Buy (at the southeast corner of Stevens Creek and Winchester), some housing, and even a hotel. It opened in November 2002 despite a devastating fire that delayed its original opening date.
The Winchester Mystery House is just three blocks south of Stevens Creek and Winchester. This tourist attraction is a 160-room Victorian era mansion filled with oddities.
Stop 1 (Valley Fair Transit Center - Forest Ave., near Sears)
23 Downtown San
Jose (eastbound)
23 De Anza College/San Antonio Shopping Center
(westbound)
36 East San Jose (eastbound - Penitentia Creek via Naglee and
Taylor)
36
Vallco Fashion Park (westbound)
60 Winchester &
Knowles/Los Gatos
60 Great America Theme Park (northbound)
Stop 2 (SW corner of Winchester Blvd. and Olin Ave.)
60 Winchester &
Knowles/Los Gatos (southbound)
Stop 3 (SE corner of Winchester Blvd. and Olsen Dr.)
60 Winchester &
Knowles/Los Gatos (northbound)
Westgate Mall, Westgate West, and El Paseo de Saratoga
(
MAP) On the border of the
cities of San Jose and Saratoga lies Westgate Mall and El Paseo de Saratoga
(Saratoga Plaza). Westgate Mall features Old Navy, Nordstrom Rack, Any Mountain, and Target.
El Paseo de Saratoga (on Hamilton Ave. across from Target) has an AMC 14-screen multiplex theater, Albertson's, and an REI outdoor clothing store.
On nearby Prospect Ave. is another strip mall, Westgate West, that features PW Markets and Trader Joe's.
Stop 1 (Hamilton Ave., east of Saratoga Ave. - in front of
Target)
26 Fair Oaks Light Rail station/Lockheed (westbound)
53 Sunnyvale
Caltrain station (northbound - weekdays only - starting point for this line)
Stop 2 (Saratoga Ave. northbound - mall side of street - off Prospect Ave.
and Hamilton Ave.)
53 Westgate (southbound - typically a dropoff point only -
weekdays only)
57 Great America (northbound)
58 Alviso
(northbound)
Stop 3 (Saratoga Ave. southbound - Westgate West side of street - across
from stop 2)
57 West Valley College (southbound - via Quito and Allendale
Rd.)
58 West
Valley College (southbound - via Saratoga Rd.)
Stop 4 (Prospect Rd. west of Saratoga Ave. - next to Frankie, Johnnie, and
Luigi Too! Italian Restaurant)
26 Fair Oaks Light
Rail station/Lockheed (westbound)
53 Sunnyvale
Caltrain station (northbound - weekdays only)
Stop 5 (Prospect Rd. west of Saratoga Ave. - in front of Jack In the Box)
26
Eastridge (westbound)
53 Sunnyvale
Caltrain station (northbound - weekdays only - starting point for this
line)
Stop 6 (Hamilton Rd. east of Saratoga Rd. - across from Target)
26 Eastridge
(westbound)
Plaza de San Jose and Grand Century Mall
Plaza de San Jose (Marked with a P on the map), a new shopping center located in San Jose’s East Valley neighborhood at Story and King, opened its doors to consumers this fall. The 191,500 square feet project includes major tenants such as: Target, Walgreen's and FAMSA, a home furnishing and appliance store based in Mexico.
A few blocks southwest at 1001 Story Road at McLaughlin is the Grand Century Mall. It features Vietnamese shops and eateries in a mall-style setting.
Plaza de San Jose is accessible on VTA bus lines 12 (Saturdays and Sundays only), 22, 25, and 77. The Grand Century Mall is accessible on VTA bus lines 25 and 72.
If you have information on specific VTA bus stops for Plaza de San Jose and the Grand Century Mall, please inform us at info@vtaridersunion.org.
END OF GUIDE
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