The San Francisco area could be a beneficiary of an infusion of $500 million in funding that would help extend the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has recommended funding for 18 large transit projects in 11 states across the nation. All told, he wants to allocate $4.45 billion for construction on such efforts, the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced March 9. The projects are expected to greatly enhance regional transit services and promote economic development, according to the news release.
"Proposed investments as part of the president’s FY24 budget would help to extend BART trains to San Jose, providing transit access to more residents and businesses across the region," Buttigieg said on Twitter last week.
The $500 million recommendation for BART would go toward the Silicon Valley Phase II Project. The project includes stretching BART service six miles through downtown San Jose to Santa Clara and is expected to greatly improve mobility and connectivity of regional transit services, as well as promote economic development in the area, the release states.
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) plans to extend the BART Silicon Valley service from Berryessa Station to Santa Clara, with five miles of subway tunnels, 48 heavy rail vehicles, two mid-tunnel ventilation and egress facilities, and a storage yard and maintenance facility. The project aims to improve mobility, connectivity of regional transit services, and support local and regional land use plans, according to the news release.
Several other projects in California also would benefit from the funding project, the news release reports.
Buttigieg suggested $643 million be allocated for the Los Angeles Westside Subway Section 2 connecting downtown L.A. with the Westside, and Section 3 rail projects. He also recommends $167 million for the East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor Phase 1 project to improve light rail service.
The Monterey-Salinas Transit SURF! Highway 1 Busway and Bus Rapid Transit project, connecting the cities of Marina, Sand City, and Seaside and including a dedicated busway to reduce congestion, would be slated to receive $14 million, according to the release.
"Transit is a great equalizer for our nation," FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez said in the release. "For the men and women who will use these systems, this investment will open doors to opportunities they may otherwise never have had. For the communities where they'll be built, every dollar we provide will result in five dollars, or even more, of economic growth."
