By Eliza Ridgeway

Students commuting to Foothill College may face trickier transit after this summer. In the wake of a critical audit, the Santa Clara County Valley Transportation Agency has proposed a series of transit changes throughout the region, including elimination of the bus route between Foothill and De Anza community colleges.

The route, Line 23, runs from downtown San Jose, through the colleges, to the transit center at the San Antonio Shopping Center. VTA’s most recent study found that ridership decreased between De Anza College and Los Altos/Mountain View, and proposed eliminating the last leg of that route. Displaced riders could take the Line 52 bus into Mountain View, then transfer to another bus, Caltrain or light rail.

Foothill College spokesman Kurt Hueg said the college is in the process of evaluating the route removal’s impact on student commutes.

“Three to 4 percent of students take classes at both Foothill and De Anza,” he said. “San Jose is our No. 1 city (for student attendance).”

VTA is expected to finalize its route changes in August, and is in the process of presenting its reorganization proposals to local governments to solicit feedback. The route changes are part of a larger, year-long process for VTA, which intends to increase service along heavily traveled routes while phasing out buses with low ridership.

“It means serving more people, and doing it in a more efficient fashion,” said Los Altos Hills City Councilman Breene Kerr, who serves as chairman of VTA’s finance committee. He said the regional transit group’s

reorganization would lead to

more effective planning and spending.

Los Altos Hills is in line to receive substantial state and federal funding for its bike and pedestrian projects around Foothill College, including $500,000 from VTA.

VTA began as a county department in 1972, overseeing regional public transportation. Since 1995 it has expanded to include congestion management and highway systems improvements.