One of the costliest transit projects in the Bay Area is a $772 million contract, closer to construction come Dec. 8. The long-awaited BART extension from Fremont to the region's largest city may be contingent on FTA funding expected in February.
"The (Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority) vote on a construction bid for the (BART Silicon Valley) project will come at its Dec. 8 board meeting and is certain to be approved. That sets the stage for the much-anticipated decision by the Federal Transit Administration in February to determine how much if any federal aid will be earmarked for the $2.3 billion, 10-mile line from Warm Springs to the Berryessa area of San Jose.
Now all that stands in the way of BART commuters being able to travel south of Fremont is federal funding -- money the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) thinks it will get but which is beholden to the nation's fiscal crisis and political deadlock in Washington, D.C."
"When we get the federal funding agreement in February, that's it. It will happen", asserted a confident San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed.
VTA is seeking $900 million in federal New Starts funding for the initial, 10-mile, two-station extension to Berrryessa. The full project goes another six miles to Santa Clara (Caltrain Station), including the subway through downtown San Jose that would include a stop at the Caltrain/Amtrak Station where it would meet with the planned high speed rail train from Los Angeles.
Thanks to Matthew WILLIAMS
FULL STORY: Key step for BART to San Jose
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