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BART breaks ground on subway section of Warm Springs Extension

BARTtv: Warm Springs

Today, top BART, State of California, regional transit and local officials broke ground on the subway portion of the Warm Springs Extension, a 5.4 mile project that will bring BART closer to San Jose.

"This is more than 5.4 miles of track," BART Board President Thomas Blalock said. "BART’s Warm Springs Extension is a worthwhile investment in our future.  It will save Bay Area residents money on gas, lessen severe congestion and ultimately go far in shrinking the carbon footprint from transportation in the East Bay."

FREMONT CENTRAL PARK SUBWAY PROJECT
The subway portion of the Warm Springs Extension is a $136 million project to extend BART south through Fremont Central Park, including under a portion of Lake Elizabeth, and beneath the Union Pacific Rail Road freight track to just north of Paseo Padre Parkway.  Soon, BART contractors will begin construction of two ventilation structures and relocation of a number of amenities within Fremont Central Park, including the dog park, basketball courts and related parking.  The subway work is expected to take three and a half years.  BART hopes to have the Warm Springs Extension in service by 2014. The City of Fremont is well underway with another key component of the extension:  an overpass that would carry BART trains above Paseo Padre Parkway. You can see video of the overpass and subway construction at www.bart.gov/barttv.

FUNDING PARTNERS 
The total project budget for the Warm Springs Extension is approximately $890 million dollars.  “It took years and the creative and collaborative efforts from funding partners to secure the dollars for this extension,” BART General Manager Dorothy Dugger said.  “BART is proud to be a part of a project that will create jobs, protect the environment and bring BART closer to Silicon Valley.  Most importantly, this groundbreaking today clearly illustrates BART’s strength as a collaborative partner that succeeds in improving the quality of life in the Bay Area.”
A number of funding partners are sharing the cost to build the extension.  They are:

  • $220.4 million from the Alameda County Transportation Improvement Authority (ACTIA), Measure B Tier 1
  • $100.4 million from the State Traffic Congestion Relief Program
  • $176 million from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) Regional Measure 2 Bridge Toll
  • $118 million from the MTC, Regional Measure 1 Bridge Tolls
  • $69 million from the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP)
  • $2.2 million from the Alameda County CMA
  • $40 million from Proposition 1B - 50% BART (Revenue Based), 50% MTC (Population Based)
  • $86 million Proposition 1B State & Local Partnership Program (SLPP)
  • $24 million BART Agency Contribution
  • $54 million SFO Extension Surplus Revenue