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[Tarazet]

October 2, 2007, San Jose, Calif.— The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) was awarded two Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grants for the Silicon Valley Rapid Transit (SVRT) Project, a 16.1-mile extension of the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit System (BART) to Milpitas, San Jose and Santa Clara. In addition, the FTA gave approval through a Notice of Intent (NOI) for VTA to prepare a federal Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the proposed BART Extension. The NOI was published in the Federal Register on Friday, September 21, 2007.

The two federal grants totaling $8.85 million were appropriated by Congress under the New Starts Program in the FY05 and FY06 federal transportation spending bills. VTA submitted applications in early 2007 and worked cooperatively with the FTA to obtain the release of these funds, which will be used to reimburse VTA for preliminary engineering (PE) work related to the BART Extension.

“These grant awards are critical milestones that propel us forward on this vital project,” said VTA Board Chair Dean Chu, who was pleased to hear the news from Washington. “Bringing BART to Santa Clara County will help fulfill our long-term vision for a complete and effective transportation system in the Bay Area Region that will relieve traffic congestion and provide the foundation for smart growth in the future.”

The publishing of the NOI by the FTA in the Federal Register is the first step in kicking off the federal environmental review process. The EIS for the BART Extension will be prepared in accordance with federal requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The original combined draft of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) required by the state and federal EIS was issued to the public in 2004. Subsequent to the public review period, VTA chose to pursue federal and state environmental clearance of the project on separate paths. The VTA Board of Directors certified the Final EIR in June 2007.

The EIS will now incorporate changes identified in the project, environmental settings and funding considerations. This process will explore the environmental and community impacts of the project and design alternatives as well as discuss actions to reduce or eliminate the effects of these impacts. This Final EIS will require FTA review and approval.

“The release of the New Starts grant funds and the approval of the Notice of Intent by the FTA demonstrates a continued interest on the part of the federal government in the BART Extension,” Chu said. “While we still have issues, these actions show that we are making progress in terms of working cooperatively with the FTA to resolve them.”

The Silicon Valley Rapid Transit Corridor project is part of Santa Clara County’s 2000 Measure A Program. This measure passed with an overwhelming majority vote of 70.4 percent, affirming Santa Clara County’s desire to bring BART to Milpitas, San Jose and Santa Clara.

Sure has been a long time coming, hasn't it? Right now, if you want to travel from Fremont (pop 210,000) to San Jose (pop 929,000), your only option is VTA's 180 express bus, which goes between the Fremont BART station to the San Jose Caltrain station. That takes almost an hour, even under ideal conditions. BART would take 15 minutes, and it would take thousands of cars off of the jam-packed 680 and 880 freeways.

VTA is pretty incompetent when it comes to attracting funding. Hopefully this is a sign that they realize BART is more important to San Jose than another light-rail extension into shitty neighborhoods which would only serve to degrade their existing service. Or maybe it has something to do with the moves of the Oakland A's and San Francisco 49ers to Fremont and Santa Clara.

 

[Mairu]

its about fucking time

 

[Marty Chinn]

Yeah, they've been saying this for years. I'll believe it when I see it.

Ya, no kidding.

 

[Suburban Cowboy]

any milpitas stops?

 

[Wario64]

They're sure taking their time.

 

[Tarazet]

any milpitas stops?

Yes. They're planning a station at Montague and Piper, close to the Great Mall.

 

[GDJustin]

Thank fucking god. I'm in San Mateo right now and it's like a fucking no-mans land for public transport. Too far south for the BART - Caltrain comes through but the bullets pass right by, only traveling between SF and SJ, so if you wanna get anywhere in a halfways quick amount of time the train isn't an option either

 

[Civil]

No service to San Jose has been silly, this is long overdue. I'd love to see it extended up to Sacramento, or at least tied in with the paltry light rail here, but that will never happen.

 

[Ashodin]

MONO rail, monorail... monorail!! Mono... D'OH! :lol

 

[Tarazet]

Thank fucking god. I'm in San Mateo right now and it's like a fucking no-mans land for public transport. Too far south for the BART - Caltrain comes through but the bullets pass right by, only traveling between SF and SJ, so if you wanna get anywhere in a halfways quick amount of time the train isn't an option either

San Mateo is still screwed, unfortunately. This extension is in the East Bay. I drive on 101 through there all the time, so I feel your pain.

 

[Priz]

I seem to remember hearing there was a BART station built at San Jose Airport around 1973, so the plans were there... I'm glad they're finally doing something with it to extend it. I haven't ridden on BART in years, but if it reaches down here, it might be a decent alternative to get into the city instead of driving there all these times that I do.

 

[Marty Chinn]

I wonder if it'll ever be in our lifetime that BART does a full loop. To make BART really effective in the South Bay, it should really loop through the peninsula. There's no reason that they shouldn't extend it from the Milbrae station down to the south bay cuz it seems silly that you have to go such a round about way to get to SF when you it would be drastically shorter to go up that way.

 

[Tarazet]

I wonder if it'll ever be in our lifetime that BART does a full loop. To make BART really effective in the South Bay, it should really loop through the peninsula. There's no reason that they shouldn't extend it from the Milbrae station down to the south bay cuz it seems silly that you have to go such a round about way to get to SF when you it would be drastically shorter to go up that way.

I'd love to see that happen. But this will already provide for a full loop, since Caltrain already connects to BART at Millbrae, and once this project is complete, it will connect at the other end in San Jose as well.

Another thing that will help is that Caltrain plans to rebuild the rail line that ran across the Dumbarton Bridge into Union City and put it back into service. That would go a long way towards supplanting the ghetto DB1 express bus.

 

[KTallguy]

Traffic from SF to San Jose is fucking ludicrous.

Let's get building, people.

 

[Auron_Kale]

It's about time. They needed to start buliding this service 5 years ago, but hopefully it's finally coming. Now all they have to do is get some new trains...

 

[Brimstone]

This is only now starting to happen?


That is sad.

 

[Flynn]

I was under the assumption that the commuter train serviced San Jose. Whenever I fly into SFO I use it to get to Mountainview/Sunnyvale where my sister lives, then use it to get back into the city.

Is the San Jose stop just not enough? Or does it not serve enough of the city? Fill me in on more of the details.

 

[Jumpman Jr.]

Is the San Jose stop just not enough? Or does it not serve enough of the city? Fill me in on more of the details.

It's not enough. The train schedule slows to an hourly schedule and has limited hours, like the last train from SJ to SF leaves at 9 on Sundays, or at least it did when I missed it and had to take a cab to the Fremont BART stop.

 

[Tarazet]

I was under the assumption that the commuter train serviced San Jose. Whenever I fly into SFO I use it to get to Mountainview/Sunnyvale where my sister lives, then use it to get back into the city.

Is the San Jose stop just not enough? Or does it not serve enough of the city? Fill me in on more of the details.

The San Jose station isn't close to anything except the Shark Tank. It's a good transfer point for a variety of bus and rail services, and even better once they get BART installed, but it is practically worthless by itself.

 

[yayaba]

I wonder if it'll ever be in our lifetime that BART does a full loop.

I'm beginning to think the same.

 

[Poody]

Great news! This translates to more work for us engineers

 

[bdoughty]

MONO rail, monorail... monorail!! Mono... D'OH! :lol

 

[methodman]

Finally. I rarely drive up to SF from SJ (live on the north side), but when I know tons of people who have to drive up every day. If this ever gets done, I'll probably use BART to go up to SF 49ers games (VERY doubtful that this is done before the 49ers decide to move to Santa Clara or stay in SF though)

 

[reggieandTFE]

Damn socialists and your public transportation.

 

[Nick]

All I have to say is: thank fucking god.

 

[widgetraf]

No SF to Santa Clara = Fail

I would someday want to avoid driving past Mountain View to work.

 

[Tarazet]

No SF to Santa Clara = Fail

I would someday want to avoid driving past Mountain View to work.

There will be a stop in Santa Clara as well, same place as the ACE/Caltrain station. The extension is San Jose, Santa Clara, Montague/Capitol (Milpitas), Warm Springs (Fremont), and Irvington (Fremont).

I would use this all the time to get back home from rehearsals in San Jose. I can't take Caltrain because it doesn't run that late.

 

[widgetraf]

There will be a stop in Santa Clara as well, same place as the ACE/Caltrain station. The extension is San Jose, Santa Clara, Montague/Capitol (Milpitas), Warm Springs (Fremont), and Irvington (Fremont).

I would use this all the time to get back home from rehearsals in San Jose. I can't take Caltrain because it doesn't run that late.

Ha! That's right outside school. More traffic lawl, good thing I'll be gone by this year.

Yes, but that would mean going around the East Bay. I would prefer a direct route from SF to Santa Clara, which would incidentally mean a stop at Palo Alto.

Buutt.. maybe in 2015. :lol

 

[Suburban Cowboy]

holy shit at all the bay area gaffers. We could run this board!

 

[GDJustin]

San Mateo is still screwed, unfortunately. This extension is in the East Bay. I drive on 101 through there all the time, so I feel your pain.

Fucking shit.

 

[Tarazet]

Ha! That's right outside school. More traffic lawl, good thing I'll be gone by this year.

Yes, but that would mean going around the East Bay. I would prefer a direct route from SF to Santa Clara, which would incidentally mean a stop at Palo Alto.

Buutt.. maybe in 2015. :lol

Ouch, yeah.. the Caltrain bullet schedule screws you hard. It takes over an hour to make that trip, and BART wouldn't be any faster or cheaper.

 

[Flynn]

The San Jose station isn't close to anything except the Shark Tank. It's a good transfer point for a variety of bus and rail services, and even better once they get BART installed, but it is practically worthless by itself.

Gotcha. So is this Bart line going to extend all the way down from SF? Is it going to branch away from where the CalTrain covers to hit more locations?

I don't really have that much invested in NorCal public transportation, but since I'll be returning to LA, where we're obviously struggling with it I'm interested to see how you folks pull it off.

 

[mj1108]

About time!

 

[hyp]

this was said like 10 years ago. what the fuck ever.

sonarrat, can you post the link?

 

[Marty Chinn]

I'd love to see that happen. But this will already provide for a full loop, since Caltrain already connects to BART at Millbrae, and once this project is complete, it will connect at the other end in San Jose as well.

Another thing that will help is that Caltrain plans to rebuild the rail line that ran across the Dumbarton Bridge into Union City and put it back into service. That would go a long way towards supplanting the ghetto DB1 express bus.

The problem with that is you pretty much pay more because of that. I've had to take Caltrain to Milbrae and then BART to Moscone and damn does it add up. I used to take Caltrain into the city on a daily basis when I worked there but I was fortunate that my office was only a few blocks. It would have sucked if it was deeper into downtown.

Throwing Caltrain out of the loop would be cheaper, easier, and faster. This is coming from someone who likes Caltrain too. I just hate how it stops at the edge of the city.

 

[ronito]

Good lord. It's only 20 years late.

 

[Tarazet]

Gotcha. So is this Bart line going to extend all the way down from SF? Is it going to branch away from where the CalTrain covers to hit more locations?

I don't really have that much invested in NorCal public transportation, but since I'll be returning to LA, where we're obviously struggling with it I'm interested to see how you folks pull it off.

Caltrain goes straight down the peninsula from San Francisco to San Jose. BART goes eastbound (and underwater) across the bay to Oakland before tracking southward, paralleling 880 to Fremont.

this was said like 10 years ago. what the fuck ever.

sonarrat, can you post the link?

http://www.vta.org/news/releases/2007/oct_2007/nr10-01_2007.html

 

[reilo]

It's kind of weird that out of all cities, Portland is ahead of the curve with matters such as these.

 

[Tarazet]

The problem with that is you pretty much pay more because of that. I've had to take Caltrain to Milbrae and then BART to Moscone and damn does it add up. I used to take Caltrain into the city on a daily basis when I worked there but I was fortunate that my office was only a few blocks. It would have sucked if it was deeper into downtown.

Throwing Caltrain out of the loop would be cheaper, easier, and faster. This is coming from someone who likes Caltrain too. I just hate how it stops at the edge of the city.

Here's the problem: BART uses a different track gauge than anything else in operation. Nothing else can run on the same tracks with it. If Caltrain was replaced with BART, that would mean both a) discontinuing all freight-rail service through that very busy corridor, and b) laying all new tracks at enormous expense. So that is not going to happen.

 

[cvxfreak]

Didn't they want to build some kind of train line in Santa Clara County called SCAT? :lol

 

[Marty Chinn]

Here's the problem: BART uses a different track gauge than anything else in operation. Nothing else can run on the same tracks with it. If Caltrain was replaced with BART, that would mean both a) discontinuing all freight-rail service through that very busy corridor, and b) laying all new tracks at enormous expense. So that is not going to happen.

I don't mean get rid of Caltrain, but a service that runs parallel.

 

[Poody]

I just read the bolded and this project hasn't even been in the design phase let alone the funding for this project. They are only doing EIR (env. impact report) studies to determine what's feasible. This could still take years of lobbying before this project is funded. Sure the FTA awarded grants but it doesn't state how much. For all we know, the grants only cover the initial phase which are the studies.

Edit: 8 million isn't much. Which leads me to believe this project still needs the funding to design and build it. Anyone hoping for construction to start within the next few years will be sorely disappointed. This happens all too often. California desperately needs an upgrade to our infrastructure and officials recognize this problem, yet we don't have the funds because our governator keeps dipping his hands into the cookie jar to apportion our infrastructure money away.

 

[Vinzer Deling]

mass transit for the masses.

Just need serial numbers burned into your arm with a laser scanner for the beast. Then you're all set.

 

[Ryu]

This is great news.

I just wish Caltrain was more frequent since a line from SF - SJ straight down the peninsula is probably impossible at this point for BART. But those express trains are just lame since it skips so much from SJ - SF during rush hour.

 

[Tarazet]

I just read the bolded and this project hasn't even been in the design phase let alone the funding for this project. They are only doing EIR (env. impact report) studies to determine what's feasible. This could still take years of lobbying before this project is funded. Sure the FTA awarded grants but it doesn't state how much. For all we know, the grants only cover the initial phase which are the studies.

Edit: 8 million isn't much. Which leads me to believe this project still needs the funding to design and build it. Anyone hoping for construction to start within the next few years will be sorely disappointed. This happens all too often. California desperately needs an upgrade to our infrastructure and officials recognize this problem, yet we don't have the funds because our governator keeps dipping his hands into the cookie jar to apportion our infrastructure money away.

The main thing is that there is now money coming from the federal government to make this project happen. That element wasn't present before, and it makes it look a lot more likely that the project will actually come to fruition at some point in the next eon.

 

[soakrates]

Great news, but I'll hold off on celebrating until something substantial comes out of this. I've been hearing about this since I first moved to SJ almost seven years ago, and fuck-all has come of it so far.

But even so, this is awesome. I still use the SJ light rail every day despite having a car, so having more public transit options to travel outside the South Bay would be great.

 

[Mii]

Sweet. Too bad I'm in college on the east coast now.

Maybe it'll be done in 10 years or so when I desire to return. First things I'll do are ride this, then go watch a Fremont A's game, and then a Santa Clara 49ers game.