“Things may come to those who wait. But only the things left by those who hustle.”
San Jose, CA – This evening, Federal Transit Administrator Jane Williams announced that the FTA will be investing $125 million from a new “Expedited Project Delivery” Pilot Program towards our BART extension into downtown San Jose and on to Santa Clara.
I was honored to join Administrator Williams, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo and VTA General Manager Nuria Fernandez, to speak at the news conference today to announce this ‘first-of-its-kind” grant. It underscores the strength of our BART extension and our on-going partnership with the FTA and the VTA.
Here’s context. Your Silicon Valley Leadership Group has led or co-led all four ballot campaigns that have provided the “local” funds for BART “Segment 1 (a 10 mile extension from Fremont to north San Jose) and BART “Segment 2” (a 6.1 mile extension from north San Jose to downtown San Jose and on to Santa Clara). Those four successful ballot campaigns – 2000, 2008, 2016 and 2018 – generate more than $30 billion in local and regional funds. This strong local/regional match then attracts, like a magnet, state and federal funds to build and operate such ambitious transportation improvements.
BART “Segment 1” will open to passenger service by the end of this year – $100 million under budget. BART “Segment 2” is on-track to open by 2026, and is a major reason why iconic employers like Google are attracted to downtown San Jose, and Adobe increases its presence there, with jobs and economic opportunities to benefit our entire community.
Our best partnerships are with our members and the broader community of stakeholders. Let me offer a special thanks to three key public sector partners who were integral to our success with the BART extensions, and visionary in their thinking: San Jose Mayors Ron Gonzales, Chuck Reed and Sam Liccardo.
-Carl Guardino
CEO and President
Silicon Valley Leadership Group