Entending BART is a poor value, writes BART Director Roy Nakadegawa.

The BART Board approved the VTA-BART funding agreement .
Reported by the SJ Mercury, Fremont Argus, SF Chronicle, Business Wire, Conta Costa Times, Oakland Tribune.

Mr Roadshow says many worry about falling income from fares on VTA light-rail and bus systems in the past year.

Mr. Roadshow's Q& A about the BART extension project.

VTA Board unanimously approved both the VTA-BART funding agreement and the BART to Santa Clara extension. Story inside.

Local transit officials are satisfied with the VTA-BART agreement, reports the Fremont Argus. Extension from Fremont to Santa Clara set to open in 2010 and carry 39,000 people a day.

Building BART to San Jose will require higher taxes, according to an article in the SF Chronicle and a story in the San Jose Business Journal and in the SJ Mercury.

The East Bay was left out of the VTA-BART deal -- Extensions to Antioch and Livermore get no new funds or support according to the Conta Costa Times.

There are so many questions about future financing about the BART to San Jose project, says an SJ Mercury editorial.

Details of the VTA-BART agreement as published in the SJ Mercury. The VTA-BART agreement has not been ratified by either BART or the VTA; details in this article from the SF Chronicle.

The VTA and BART reached an operating and maintenance agreement [.pdf] in which the VTA will own and BART will operate and maintain the extension from Fremont to Santa Clara. The VTA will pay BART $48,000,000 per year towards the cost of operating BART. Reported by SJ Business Journal, the SJ Mercury, by the Fremont Argus, San Mateo Times.

	Funding	BART-to-SFO	BART-to-S.J.
	County	$171 million	$2.25 billion
	State	$152 million	$614 million
	Federal	$750 million	$834 million
	BART	$184 million	0
	Misc.	$226.5 million	0
	TOTAL	$1.48 billion	$3.71 billion

On Friday, 2001 November 09 the Valley Transportation Authority Board of Directors will hold a Board Workshop and special meeting to adopt BART to San Jose as the preferred transit alternative for the Fremont to San Jose corridor, approve or reject an agreement (if they can reach one in time) between BART and VTA for the BART to San Jose extension and discuss the implementation of Measure A. The meetings will be held at the San Jose Hyatt Mediterranean Center,
1740 North First St., San Jose
The workshop begins at 8:30 am followed by the special meeting.

San Jose plans to build $153 million worth of downtown parking garages, according to the SJ Merciury.

BART and the VTA do not yet have a financing agreement for the San Jose extension,
reports the SJ Mercury and SJ Business Journal.

An SJ Mercury Editorial rejects Alternative 11b.

The Bay Area Transportation and Land Use Coalition reports that cost overruns on BART to San Jose would endanger other Bay area transit operations. [.pdf]

The next Silicon Valley Rapid Transit Corridor Major Investment Study Policy Advisory Meeting (SVRTC MIS PAB) is coming soon.
Wednesday, October 31, 2001 at 9:00 AM
Milpitas Community Center,
457 E. Calaveras Blvd., Milpitas
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Contact: Cynthia Mathre (408) 321-5744
Who is the Policy Advisory Board ?
2001 April who's who archive copy.

The VTA has agreed to buy for $60 million the 18 miles of WP tracks between Fremont and San Jose (these run west of the Great Mall in Milpitas) according to this SJ Mercury News strory.

The Fremont Argus reports that BART stalled and has not awarded contracts for the Warm Springs extension.

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission gave BART and the Santa Clara County VTA a 2001 Nov. 19 deadline to reach an extension deal or be left out of the region's rail expansion plan according to a report in the Contra Costa Times. Officials consider a Track 1 slot on the 2001 Regional Transportation Plan critical to a successful campaign for $530 million in federal dollars to help pay for a BART extension to San Jose.

Official sites about BART to San Jose: BART; VTA; older VTA site

The Bay Area Transportation & Land Use Coalition (BATLUC)'s letter in the SJ Mercury says BART-like trains would be better than BART.

The TriValley Herald reports that Federal funding for the BART extension in in doubt.

The SJ Mercury's Mr. Roadshow reports that the VTA is considering using BART-like trains but later reports that If anything other than BART is built, it would be a slap in the face to voter.

Public VTA workshops to show the VTA's preferred and recommended options, were held October 11-18.
ACERider filed comments, as did the Bay Rail Alliance.

The MTC is holding hearings to review it's Draft Regional Transportation Plan.

The SJ Metro reports officials from VTA and BART are still haggling over operations and maintenance costs, and haven't decided how -- or even if -- Santa Clara County will formally join BART with a buy-in.

Mathier and Ross quote Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown:
BART would have plenty of money for raises if only it wasn't building that stupid extension to San Jose.

The SJ Mercury reports Norm Mineta supports funding BART to San Jose.

Eugene Bradley's letter in the Mercury News says tehe VTA needs more public input.

The SJ Mercury reports that the last five months of negotiations have gone practically nowhere, putting much-needed federal funding at risk. Transit officials are at odds over key issues such as how much the South Bay should pay to join the system and whether Silicon Valley representatives would sit on BART's governing board.

For Information Contact Cynthia Mathre at (408) 321-5744
AGENDA
Call to Order/Roll Call
Public Presentations:  
This portion of the agenda is reserved for persons desiring to address 
the Committee on any matter not on the agenda.  Speakers are limited 
to 2 minutes.  The law does not permit Committee action or extended 
discussion on any item not on the agenda except under special circumstances.
Approve Minutes of June 29, 2001*
Receive Update on San Jose International Airport Plans and People Mover Project*
Receive Revised Information from June 29, 2001 PAB Meeting*
Goals, Objectives and Evaluation Criteria
Summary and Response to Key Public Comments
Recieve Status Report #3 
 Public Outreach Process*
Adjournment:  Next Meeting Date 
 Wednesday, September 26th, at 10:00am, Location TBD
*Indicates Attachment

Send written comments by 2001 August 01 to:

 Lisa Ives
 VTA Planning & Programming
 Building B
 3331 North First Street
 San Jose, CA 95134-1906

Below are the dates/locations for the July public meeting.

Wednesday, July 18, 2001
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Fremont Marriott Hotel
46100 Landing Parkway
Fremont, CA

Thursday, July 19, 2001
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Milpitas Embassy Suites
901 East Calaveras Blvd.
Milpitas, CA
This location is served by VTA Bus Lines 70 and 71.

Monday, July 23, 2001
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Kelley Park Leininger Center
Okayama Room
1300 Senter Road
San Jose, CA
This location is served by VTA Bus Lines 73 and 25.

Wednesday, July 25, 2001
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Mission Library
1098 Lexington St.
Santa Clara, CA
This location is served by VTA Bus Lines 22, 60 and 81.

  

• a presentation on Federal Transit Administration's New Starts Process,
• the second status report on the screening of the preliminary alternatives and
• an update on the BART extension to Warm Springs funding.

When and Where:

Monday, May 14, 2001
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Santa Clara Embassy Suites
2885 Lakeside Drive
Santa Clara, CA

Wednesday, May 16, 2001
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Fremont Marriott Hotel
Grand Ballroom, Section 1 & 2
46100 Landing Parkway
Fremont, CA

Thursday, May 17, 2001
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Milpitas High School
Library Room
1285 Escuela Parkway
Milpitas, CA

Monday, May 21,2001
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Dr. King Main Library
180 West San Carlos Street
San Jose, CA

Orphaned VTA site - watch this space.