VTA SmartPass

The SmartPass Clipper Card can be used for unlimited rides on regular service for the VTA bus or light rail systems. All eligible County employees are provided with a Clipper Card. For questions or replacement cards, please send an email to [email protected].

You will use the same Clipper card as long as you are part of the program. The County does not receive any information about how you use ​your card. When you retire or leave employment with the County, your card will be deactivated, but you can continue to use the card by loading personal funds to ride public transit. There is no need to return the card to the County.

If you have questions about coordinating your SmartPass Clipper Card with other transit services, you can contact Clipper customer service at [email protected] or 877-878-8883.

Other Helpful Reminders for Riders:

• In 2021, the digital Clipper App was released and allowed users to add their Clipper Card to mobile wallets. DO NOT add a SmartPass Clipper Card into your smartphone’s mobile wallet, a process called virtualization. If a SmartPass Clipper Card is virtualized, the SmartPass will no longer be accessible and a new/replacement card must be requested through your Institution’s SmartPass Coordinator.
• The SmartPass is electronically loaded on a Clipper Card and it does not equal to any cash value.
• SmartPass holders are subject to all VTA fare inspection regulations.
• For use on VTA Bus Service, SmartPass cards must be tagged on the Clipper reader mounted on the bus upon boarding the bus. 
• For use on VTA Light Rail, SmartPass holders are required to tag their SmartPass cards on a Clipper card reader on the status platform before every boarding. 
• The VTA SmartPass is not valid on Highway 17 Express, Dumbarton Express, Caltrain, Monterey-Salinas Transit, Altamont Commuter Express (ACE), AC Transit, BART, Muni or other services not directly operated by VTA.
• If you would like to transfer any funds from an existing Clipper Card on to your organization-issued SmartPass Clipper Card, please contact Clipper Customer Service at 877-878-8883 or [email protected]. 

SmartPass - Emergency Ride Home Program

The County offers a free Emergency Ride Home service for employee commuters who meet certain eligibility and situational criteria outlined below.

An employee:

• Must have taken public transportation (VTA bus or light rail) to work that day.

Situations that qualify include:

• Illness to the Illness to the employee or an immediate family member
• Unscheduled overtime requested by a supervisor or manager
• Other personal emergencies, at the Emergency Ride Home coordinator's discretion

The Emergency Ride Home may not be used for: errands, pre-planned medical appointments, business-related travel, unauthorized overtime or missed or late transit.

When in need of Emergency Ride Home service, the employee should contact the Employee Services Agency (ESA), at (408) 970-2600, during normal business hours (8 AM - 5 PM). For all requests outside of normal business hours, the employee should call the VMC Hospital Supervisor, at (669) 210-9390.

Upon approval, the employee will be provided an Emergency Ride Home voucher. The employee will be required to sign and present this voucher to the taxi cab driver upon arrival at his/her destination.