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California’s Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) recently opened its Tasman East/Capitol light-rail extension on time and $14 million under budget.

The $434.9 million, 6.3-mile extension includes eight stations, and provides access to the Great Mall of the Bay Area and other shopping centers. By 2015, ridership on the line is expected to average 6,500 weekday passengers.

The extension — which began in 2001 — is part of a newly created Santa Teresa-to-Alum Rock line. A second reconfigured line operates between downtown Mountain View and Baypointe.

The project was funded through the Measure B Transportation Improvement Program, approved by Santa Clara County voters in 1996 to apply a half-cent sales tax to fund countywide transportation improvement projects. Federal and state agencies, the cities of Milpitas and San Jose, and the Santa Clara Valley Water District also provided funds for the extension.