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San Jose, Calif. – Today, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) announced the contract award for the Guadalupe South Line Platforms Retrofit Project.   Robert A. Bothman, Inc., the lowest responsible bidder, also has a good record of performance on previous work with VTA on the Downtown Platforms Retrofit contract, delivering an early opening of the Santa Clara Station to limit impacts to VTA’s riders and the surrounding downtown San Jose business community.

The Guadalupe South Line Platform Retrofit Project is the third and final phase of the Platform Retrofit Program.   The initial phase raised platforms along Tasman Drive and North First Street, and was completed in 2004.  The second phase of the program completed the downtown Transit Mall and Convention Center stations in Spring 2007.

The South Line Platform Retrofit Project scope of work includes raising the station platforms of 13 remaining light rail stations to provide level boarding onto low-floor light rail vehicles.   Stations included in this project are Children’s Discovery Museum, Virginia, Tamien, Curtner, Capitol, Branham, Ohlone/Chynoweth, Oakridge, Almaden, Blossom Hill, Snell, Cottle and Santa Teresa light rail stations.

Retrofitting the station platforms increases passenger convenience and improves schedule reliability.   In addition to raising the station platforms, this contract will provide a general rehabilitation of stations involving the shelters, windscreens, benches, information display cabinets, lighting and public address system.

Construction will begin in February 2008, with completion scheduled for March 2009. Light Rail Service will have some impacts during construction.   Some stations will be taken out of service so that construction can proceed safely and quickly.   The Tamien and Santa Teresa stations benefit from high-ridership and will remain in service during construction.  Tamien will be open on weekdays while Santa Teresa will remain open 7 days a week.   Also, the schedule has been arranged so that there will be no station closures on the 4th of July, which is one of VTA’s busiest service days.   Stations serving Oakridge Mall will also remain open during the holiday shopping season.

To provide an equivalent level of transit service to our riders during station closures, bus bridges will operate during the same hours and at the same frequency as the light rail service. Light rail riders arriving at a closed station will be able to board a bus to go to the next open station to board the train.   Early, frequent and effective communications with our riders and the local community will ensure minimum disruption and inconvenience.

With the completion of this project, VTA’s 42 mile light rail system and 62 stations will be fully accessible with level boarding at all doors for all passengers.   For more information on the Guadalupe South Line Platforms Retrofit Project, contact VTA Public Affairs and Community Outreach at (408) 321-7575, for the hearing impaired call TDD (408) 321-2330.

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About VTA
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is an independent special district responsible for bus, light rail and paratransit operations; congestion management; specific highway improvement projects; and countywide transportation planning. As such, VTA is both an accessible transit provider and multi-modal transportation planning organization involved with transit, highways and roadways, bikeways and pedestrian facilities.

For more information about VTA services, call VTA Customer Service at (408) 321-2300, (408) 321-2330 (TDD only). Or, log on to www.vta.org.