Valley Transportation Authority service resumed on March 28, after a judge ruled that striking workers return to their jobs. The strike left Santa Clara County without public transit service for 18 days, impacting about 100,000 riders. It’s been nearly two months since service was restored, but the effects are not likely to be forgotten anytime soon.

The strike stranded commuters from the wider Bay Area who rely on VTA to take them that final mile. Brandon Pho, a reporter for the San José Spotlight, wrote about how it affected his commute from San Francisco to San Jose. Would he and the many San Jose State University students stuck at the Berryessa BART station walk several miles to their destinations, or would they pay out of pocket twice a day to use rideshare?

According to a report published by Gridwise, a company which aims to assist gig drivers, the average rideshare price increased to $21.28 throughout 2024. This is much more expensive than a $2.50 bus fare, or a $90 monthly transit pass.

While VTA did offer vouchers to cover part of the cost for rideshare services, this was announced on March 26, the same day as the judge’s ruling which ended the strike.

Not everyone has the money for two Uber trips per day, so some people had to find other ways to travel. Monica Mallon, a transit advocate and columnist, documented her commute between Cambrian Park and Santa Clara on TikTok. In the early days of the strike, she walked up to 11 miles between her home and workplace, though as it wore on, she would take Amtrak to San Jose Diridon Station, walking the final six miles home from there.

At San Jose City College, students also faced difficulties getting where they needed to go. Luis Buen, a 19-year-old computer science student, uses public transit to get home from his classes. He had to ask his parents for rides during the strike.

 “My parents were not too fond about it, because they also are busy,” he said, “But I’d have no way of getting home other than spending $20 on Uber.”

Cheyanne Reilly, a 22-year-old engineering student, had a friend who was affected by the strike.

“She’s doing pretty well now that buses are back up and running,” Reilly said. “She did get an electric scooter to help her get to class, too.”

Other students bit the bullet and paid more for rideshare. Christian Lopez, a 21-year-old mechanical engineering student, used Uber for the first time during the strike.

“I did get here quicker, but I did have to spend about $20 or $30 every time I used it,” he said. “In the long run, that probably would have cost me a lot more, if the strike hadn’t ended yet.”

Lopez said that he had classes more frequently during the fall 2024 semester, and that if the strike had happened then, getting to and from SJCC would have been much more expensive.

“It probably would have cost me almost $200 a week just to get to class and get back home,” he said.

During the strike, he got around the high rideshare demand by scheduling Uber rides a day in advance.

“You had to wait at least a minimum of thirty minutes … I’d schedule one at a certain time, and then it would usually arrive there within five minutes of the scheduled time,” said Lopez.

Whether the impact was to one’s wallet, legs or both, the strike in March gave Santa Clara County a taste of a world without VTA. Though the strike has long since ended, labor negotiations between VTA and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265 are still ongoing, and the people who the union represents are still working without a contract.

Updates on labor negotiations can be found on both VTA’s and ATU Local 265’s websites.