The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) recently announced in a press release that the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority’s (VTA's) Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Silicon Valley Phase II project will advance under the first Expedited Project Delivery Pilot Program.

The project will expand BART by six miles from the Berryessa Transit Center to downtown San Jose and the City of Santa Clara, providing reliable rail service to the county's approximately 1.7 million residents.

“Great news that @bartsv has reached this important milestone," Jason Baker, former mayor of Campbell, California, tweeted.

USDOT's Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has issued a Letter of Intent (LOI) to VTA, stating its intention to commit funding for the project and establishing various requirements VTA must satisfy within two years to be eligible for a Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA). The project must meet within the next two years to be considered.

"Linking San Jose with the East Bay and San Francisco will give millions of residents all over the Bay Area a convenient and reliable option to get to work, school, shopping and health care," said Ray Tellis, FTA's Region 9 Regional Administrator. "Adding this route will take thousands of cars off the road, helping reduce traffic jams and the climate impact that comes with them.” 

Federal funding would cover $2.287 billion, or 25% of the project's total cost, which is estimated to be $9.148 billion.