VTA rose to the top among more than 40 applicants statewide to secure a $20 million state grant from the California State Transportation Agency to help extend BART through Downtown San Jose and into Santa Clara.
The foundation for the grant award was set by the passage of Senate Bill 9 -- the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund/Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program -- introduced by Senator Jim Beall, California Senate District 15, and signed into law last year. (For videotaped comments by Senator Beall click here.)
VTA General Manager and CEO, Nuria Fernandez, commented that the CalSTA grant award and guarantee of future funding will act as seed money to attract more support. The grant is funded by greenhouse gas allowance auction proceeds from the California Air Resources Board’s Cap-and-Trade Program.
"The investment of cap-and-trade dollars in transformative mega-infrastructure projects, like VTA's BART Silicon Valley Phase II Extension, not only improves mobility and the quality of the air we breathe,’’ Fernandez said, “but it also sends a strong message on the State's commitment to this important project, incentivizing the federal government and local communities to become funding partners as well."
“The expansion of BART into the heart of Silicon Valley is a vital project for the region’s and state’s future,’’ said California State Transportation Agency Secretary Brian Kelly. “This project makes sense from an economic, environmental and transportation perspective.
General Manager Fernandez offered her gratitude for Senator Beall’s support on all VTA projects, saying “Without the State’s participation, VTA would not be delivering the first 10 miles of BART service into Santa Clara County in fall 2017.”
(Source: http://www.vta.org/News-and-Media/Connect-with-VTA/VTA-Wins-20Million-Grant-for-BART-Phase-2#.V85TgygrKhc)
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