Phase I | Phase II |
Environmental Approval Process |
Phase II Overview
VTA’s Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Silicon Valley Program is a voter–approved, regional transportation project that is planned to extend BART from southern Fremont in Alameda County through the cities of Milpitas, San Jose, and Santa Clara in Santa Clara County. Once completed, the project will close a significant gap in the regional rail system and provide commuter rail connections to the region’s three major metropolitan centers: San Jose, San Francisco, and Oakland.
VTA’s BART Silicon Valley Program is being built in phases. The Berryessa Extension Project (Phase I) is currently under construction and is projected to open in 2018. The Phase II Extension Project (Phase II) will include a 5-mile long subway tunnel through downtown San Jose and will extend the BART system from the future Phase I terminus for approximately six miles. Four stations are proposed for Phase II: Alum Rock/28th Street, Downtown San Jose, Diridon, and Santa Clara.
Phase II of VTA’s BART Silicon Valley Program requires an approved Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement/Subsequent Environmental Impact Report (SEIS/SEIR) to become eligible for federal and state funding. A combined SEIS/SEIR has been developed to evaluate and environmentally clear the Phase II project.
Why an SEIS/SEIR?
NEPA and CEQA require government agencies to identify adverse environmental impacts associated with a project and to avoid, minimize, or mitigate those adverse impacts.
Opportunities for Public Participation and Input