Action
Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
Summary
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) intend to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for the proposed BART Extension to Milpitas, San Jose, and Santa Clara in the Silicon Valley Rapid Transit Corridor. The proposed extension was selected following completion of the Silicon Valley Rapid Transit Corridor Major Investment Study (MIS) in November 2000. The MIS evaluated 11 alternatives representing various modes of travel (express bus, bus rapid transit, commuter rail, diesel and electric light rail, and BART) and various alignments and stations located in the cities of Fremont, Milpitas, San Jose, and Santa Clara, California. The MIS screening and evaluation process resulted in the adoption of a Preferred Investment Strategy by the VTA Board of Direcctors on November 9, 2001. The Preferred Investment Strategy consists of an approximate 16.3-mile extension of the BART system, which would begin at the planned Warm Springs BART station in Fremont, extend along the Union Pacific Railroad line to Milpitas, and then continue to 28th and Santa Clara Streets in San Jose. From there, BART would leave the railroad right-of-way, tunneling under downtown San Jose to the Diridon Caltrain Station. The BART extension would then turn north under the Caltrain line and terminate at the Santa Clara station. The BART extension will be further refined during the conceptual design phase of the project and carried forward in the EIS/EIR. The EIS/EIR will evaluate a No-Action Alternative, a future "New Starts" Baseline Alternative, the BART Extension Alternative including alignment and station options, and additional alternatives that emerge from the scoping process. Scoping will be accomplished through correspondence and discussions with interested persons; organizations; federal, state and local agencies; and through public meetings.