Santa Clara VTA anticipates $39 million in state funds for BART Silicon Valley project

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is expected to receive $39 million for the sixth and final allocation from California's Traffic Congestion Relief Program for the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) extension to Silicon Valley.

The latest allocation would bring the total amount of congestion relief funding received for the extension to $649 million, VTA officials said in a press release. The California Transportation Commission (CTC), which oversees state-funded transportation programs, is expected to consider the $39 million installment at its Aug. 20 meeting.

If approved, the CTC will have allocated a total $768 million for the BART Silicon Valley project.

"The BART extension will ease traffic congestion, benefit California's economy and remove harmful greenhouse gas emissions from our atmosphere — three great reasons for this significant investment from our state," said CTC Chairman Carl Guardino.

The BART Silicon Valley extension was identified as one of 53 projects statewide eligible to receive transit congestion relief funds in 2000, when legislation passed creating the program. The funds to date for the most part have been applied to the environmental, design and construction activities that are either completed or under way. The allocation anticipated on Aug. 20 will help fund construction of the Milpitas and Berryessa BART station campuses, and the design and construction of the parking structures at the two stations.