(Reprint of Ken Yeager’s Comments) Reprint of Santa Clara County Supervisor Ken Yeager’s Comments: Last month, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) launched free WiFi service for all of its Light Rail riders. As Vice Chair of the VTA Board of Directors, I am proud that we have become the first transit agency in the world to offer customers an all 4G wireless network. The high capacity 4G network on board each of VTA’s 100 light rail vehicles gives passengers the ability to download information at lightning speeds.

There are over 10 million trips taken on VTA light rail each year. We are committed to enhancing the travel experience for our loyal-customer base, while also trying to attract new riders to the system. With the increase of WiFi-enabled portable devices, free onboard WiFi is rapidly becoming an expectation of passengers. It has been a highly requested amenity locally.

All VTA light rail vehicles are now equipped with a mobile router delivering wireless Internet connectivity, supporting significantly higher speeds and lower latency, which is important as demand increases for content-rich, real-time data. It should make public transit a more appealing option to non-riders here in Silicon Valley who could use their commute to get work done.

For a customized trip plan, contact VTA Customer Service at (408) 321-2300 or www.vta.org.