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[KevinKorell]

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) released a Record of Decision (ROD) for the next six miles of Calif.’s Santa Clara VTA’s BART Silicon Valley Extension into downtown San Jose and Santa Clara (Phase II). Receiving the ROD is a required next step for projects seeking federal funding, making this a critical milestone. It signifies that VTA satisfied the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the $4.7 billion project.

As the project sponsor, VTA is applying for $1.5 billion in FTA New Starts Program funding, completing the Phase II funding plan. VTA has already secured 70% of the funding through two local sales tax measures and a $750 million Senate Bill 1 state grant.

The ROD is issued once extensive environmental analysis and public review is completed, which is documented in the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS). The FSEIS assessed alternatives considered, public comments made during the draft environmental document phase and responses to those comments, and provides the basis for the decision and measures required to mitigate potentially adverse effects.

RELATED: Silicon Valley Extension Takes Shape

Now that a ROD has been issued, VTA will begin the engineering phase of the project and apply for federal funding.

VTA’s BART Silicon Valley Phase II Project is a six-mile, four-station extension that will expand BART operations from Berryessa/North San José through downtown San Jose to the City of Santa Clara. The Phase II Project completes the full 16-mile extension from the Warm Springs/South Fremont Station into Santa Clara County, enhancing regional connectivity linking BART with VTA’s light rail and bus network, Amtrak, ACE, Caltrain, and Capitol Corridor. It will help reduce regional traffic congestion and spur transit-oriented development around stations, providing increased access to jobs, housing, and education.

RELATED: WSP to manage BART extension into Silicon Valley

Construction is planned to start by 2021 with passenger service by 2026, serving a projected 52,000 weekday riders by 2035. Once constructed, the extension will be operated by BART, as part of its regional rail system.

Keywords

BART   construction   FTA   NEPA   New Starts   Record of Decision   Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority   

 

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[CNJRoss]

Progressive Railroading,7/9/19

 

FTA seeks expedited delivery of Santa Clara VTA rail extension

 

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced yesterday it's pursuing an agreement with the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) to expedite delivery of the second phase of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Silicon Valley project.

 

The project includes constructing a 5-mile subway tunnel through San Jose and extending the BART system to Santa Clara, California.

 

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[CNJRoss]

FTA news release

 

Federal Transit Administration to Begin Discussions with Santa Clara VTA Regarding Participation in the Expedited Project Delivery Program

 

7/8/2019

 

 

WASHINGTON - Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Acting Administrator K. Jane Williams recently announced that FTA will begin discussions with Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) regarding participation in the Expedited Project Delivery Pilot Program.

 

"Cutting red tape and delivering infrastructure projects more rapidly is a key priority for the Trump Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation," said Williams. "We are happy to announce that FTA is pursuing an agreement with the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority in San Jose for the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Silicon Valley Phase II project."

 

The Pilot Program is aimed at expediting delivery of new fixed guideway capital projects, small starts projects, or core capacity improvement projects that utilize public-private partnerships, are planned to be operated and maintained by employees of an existing public transportation provider, and have a federal share not exceeding 25 percent of the project cost.

 

It is also aimed at increasing innovation, improving efficiency and timeliness of project delivery, and encouraging new revenue streams.

 

In September 2018, FTA announced it was accepting expressions of interest from transit project sponsors for the Pilot Program. FTA stated in its Federal Register Notice that it would evaluate submissions and work with sponsors of selected projects to further define the steps in law required before a construction grant agreement could be awarded.

 

The law allows the award of up to eight grant agreements under the program. FTA received expressions of interest from four agencies for seven projects.

 

"While FTA is initiating more detailed discussions with VTA, we are continuing to work with the other project sponsors as their projects’ may become ready for an agreement under the program," Williams said.

 

Through Fiscal Year 2019, Congress has appropriated $125 million for the Expedited Project Delivery Pilot Program.

 

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[CNJRoss]

The Mercury News, San Jose, CA 8/28/19

Federal government readies to give BART’s San Jose extension first installment of funds

 

The $125 million is expected to be the first of a larger funding agreement that will be doled out over several years for the $5.6 billion project, which is expected to be completed in 2026

 

 

 

SAN JOSE — BART’s four-station extension into downtown San Jose is slated to receive $125 million in federal funds, officials said Wednesday, the first installment of what is expected to be a much larger amount.

 

Before it receives the funds, however, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), which is designing and building the $5.6 billion extension that BART will eventually operate, must first complete a formal application with the Federal Transit Administration. That isn’t projected to happen until the summer of next year, when it plans to ask for 25 percent of the project’s costs, or about $1.4 billion, said authority spokeswoman Bernice Alaniz.

 

The federal government will then have four months to approve the project and the full funding amount under its new Expedited Project Delivery pilot, which aims to speed the approval process for big infrastructure projects.  .  .  .

 

SNIP

 

The project was the first in the country to be selected for the expedited pilot program, in part because it was able to secure 75 percent of the projected costs in state and local funds, and in part because of the innovative construction techniques the project will employ, VTA General Manager Nuria Fernandez said in a statement.

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[CNJRoss]

Progressive Railroading 6/26/20

 

Santa Clara VTA to expedite federal funding request for BART expansion

 

VTA will submit the first application to pursue funding through the Federal Transit Administration’s Expedited Project Delivery Pilot Program, VTA officials said. Photo – VTA

 

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) earlier this week announced it's pursuing federal funding for second phase of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Silicon Valley Extension through the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Expedited Project Delivery (EPD) Pilot Program. 

 

The EPD Program enables transit agencies to fast-track the federal funding process for major projects. In August 2019, FTA Acting Administrator K. Jane Williams pledged $125 million of  $1.7 billion in federal funds that VTA will be requesting, VTA officials said in a press release.

 

VTA officials are now working to complete all prerequisites in the application that must be submitted to qualify for the funding for the BART Phase II project, a 6-mile, four station rail extension from the newly opened Berryessa/North San Jose Station in San Jose, California, into downtown San Jose and Santa Clara.

 

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Related: BART Berryessa Extension opening June 13, 2020

[CNJRoss]

Railway Age, 9/28/20

 

BART Silicon Valley Project Enters Phase 2

 

The project’s $6.8 billion final phase will expand BART operations six miles through downtown San José to Santa Clara, and include one at-grade and three underground stations.

 

 

Phase 2 of the 16-mile Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Silicon Valley project is under way with the start of design, engineering and contract procurement. Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) recently released the first Request for Industry Feedback (RFIF) for tunnel and track work. This $6.8 billion final phase will expand BART operations six miles through downtown San José to Santa Clara and include four new stations (see map below).

 

BART Silicon Valley Project: Phase 1 launched in June (purple). Phase 2 work (yellow) is under way.

 

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[CNJRoss]

RT&S 11/18/20
 

VTA hoards tax revenue money for BART extension, but has a plan for other transportation projects

 

 

Officials in California want more money to go to potholes, not towards filling a hole in the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) line.

 

The Valley Transportation Authority, however, has a different take, and wants to spend most of the money raised through the Measure B sales tax on the $6.9 billion downtown San Jose BART extension over the next decade. At the same time, money allocated to road repairs have been cut.

 

The plan was to spend no more than 25 percent of the $6.3 billion coming from the sales tax on the BART extension. VTA still defended the move, saying the spending cap applies over the 30-year life of the tax. The BART extension is projected to take up 24 percent of the total sales tax revenue, but VTA will use 75 percent of the tax revenues between 2022 and 2030 for the BART project.

 

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[CNJRoss]

Progressive Railroading, 1/5/21

 

Santa Clara VTA issues RFQ for BART Silicon Valley tunnel

 

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (SCVTA) last week issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) to identify potential contractors that could compete for a contract to design and build tunnel and track work for SCVTA's Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Silicon Valley Phase II extension project.

 

The Phase II project would extend BART rail service 6 miles into downtown San Jose and Santa Clara, California.

The successful contractor for the tunnel and track work contract package will design and construct 5 miles of tunnel, mine adits, ventilation and emergency egress facilities and three underground station substructures.

 

SNIP

 

The RFQ is the first released for the Phase II project, which will be delivered via four contract packages.

 

More here.

[CNJRoss]

FTA news release

 

 

U.S. Department of Transportation Announces Santa Clara VTA First in Nation to Submit Application for Expedited Project Delivery Pilot Program

 

Monday, January 11, 2021

 

VTA Also Receives $100 Million Funding Allocation for Bart Silicon Valley Phase 2 Project

 

 

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration (FTA) today announced that the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) in Santa Clara County, California, has submitted the first application in the nation under the newly established Expedited Project Delivery (EPD) Pilot Program. In addition to VTA completing this important step, FTA announced the allocation of $100 million to VTA for the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Silicon Valley Phase II project. This is the second funding allocation to VTA under the EPD Pilot Program. FTA previously announced a $125 million funding allocation to VTA in August 2019. With today's announcement, FTA has allocated a total of $225 million to VTA for the project.

 

"I am so pleased that $100 million dollars will be allocated to the first Expedited Project Delivery Pilot Program project in the country to Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority in San Jose, California. Cutting red tape and streamlining federal review processes will help advance the completion of infrastructure projects on a faster timeline for the benefit of the community," said U. S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao.

 

FTA's Expedited Project Delivery Pilot Program is a discretionary program aimed at expediting delivery of new transit infrastructure projects that utilize public-private partnerships, are planned to be operated and maintained by employees of an existing public transportation provider, and have a federal share not exceeding 25 percent of the project cost.

 

By encouraging innovative partnerships and funding from a variety of sources, projects can be completed more quickly thanks to streamlined federal reviews, making better use of taxpayer dollars and bringing new transit service to growing communities.

 

"We are pleased to receive VTA’s formal application – the first in the nation – and announce an additional $100 million dollar funding allocation to VTA as part of FTA’s newly established Expedited Project Delivery Pilot Program," said FTA Deputy Administrator K. Jane Williams. "FTA is proud to provide this federal investment and partner with VTA to create jobs and help communities continue to recover from the COVID-19 public health emergency."

 

The project is a 6.5-mile extension of the BART system from the Berryessa Station through downtown San Jose to the City of Santa Clara. The total estimated project cost is $6.86 billion and VTA has requested $1.715 billion in federal funding through FTA's Pilot Program.

 

The funding allocations will be awarded to VTA when the project has met all program requirements needed to proceed to a construction grant agreement.

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[CNJRoss]

RT&S, 4/26/22

 

BART extension project into San Jose now facing $1.6B funding gap

 

BART

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority wants the one thing that has never been done before in the U.S. to be, well, done. However, it is not a done deal.

 

Rising material and labor costs are now impacting the BART extension into downtown San Jose. The project will include the use of single-bore technology, a first in the U.S., to mine the subway tunnel to minimize disruptions at street level.

 

The extension will be the largest infrastructure project in Santa Clara County history, but there is now a $1.66 billion funding gap that needs to be filled by October 2023 or a $2.3 billion federal funding commitment will be lost.

 

 

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