Mercury News: State approves $239 million for BART extension to San Jose

[marmar]

State approves $239 million for BART extension to San Jose
By Gary Richards
Mercury News
Article Launched: 09/25/2008 02:25:21 PM PDT


Fulfilling a promise made nearly a decade ago, the California Transportation Commission on Thursday unanimously approved spending $239 million to help build the BART extension into Santa Clara County.

The money will be parceled out over the next five years. The state has now committed $760 million to the $6.1 billion project, matching the amount that Gov. Gray Davis pledged in 2000.

About $350 million has been recently committed to the extension. Wednesday, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission approved shifting $91 million that had been earmarked for a proposed Dumbarton Bridge commuter train to the BART extension.

Last month, the state sent nearly $20 million to Fremont to build two road overpasses where BART trains would someday run.

Voters in Santa Clara County approved a 30-year, half-cent sales tax increase eight years ago to pay for BART and other transit upgrades. But voters will be asked Nov. 4 to approve a one-eighth-cent increase in the local sales tax to cover the $50 million a year needed to run and maintain those trains.


http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_10558041?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com

[nxylas]

1. Aren't there already extensive rail links between SF and San Jose?

I thought Amtrak already ran a frequent service between the two cities.

[marmar]

2. If not Amtrak then I'm sure Caltrans does....but with BART you'll probably get more flexibility....

More frequent, with more stops along the way at places such as the San Francisco Airport.

[Vogon_Glory]

3. Caltrans Does

Caltrans runs the commuter rail link between San Jose and downtown San Francisco. I should also add that Caltrans has extended commuter rail service down to Gilroy, CA.

In spite of the BART extension (DU'ers can razz the YAF'ers who probably still claim that it would have been cheaper to buy everyone a new car rather than build BART), I believe that there was a plan to replace the diesel locomotives that haul the trains with more efficient, if costlier, electric locomotives. I'm not sure where that plan went.