From San Jose Mercury News
State approves $239 million for BART extension to San Jose
By Gary Richards
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.
E-mail Gary Richards at grichards@mercurynews.com. |
