Chapter 7 Transportation Capital Improvement Projects Chapter 7 81
Chapter 7 Transportation Capital Improvement Projects Local Transportation Sales Tax Programs For over three decades, Santa Clara County s transportation network has continued to grow to meet the needs of its residents and workforce. VTA and its predecessor agencies have been fortunate in being able to fund much of the transportation network with locally driven sales tax initiatives. As a result, improvements to public transit service, highways, county expressways, and local roads have occurred over time, extending the reach of the transportation network to the residential and industrial centers of Silicon Valley. 1984 Measure A Program In November 1984, Santa Clara County voters approved the first in a series of one-half-cent sales tax initiatives for transportation purposes that were both time- and project-specific. The revenues collected and spent over the 10-year life of the 1984 Measure A Program (about $1 billion) were limited to state highway improvements, and were used to build State Route 85, widen U.S. 101 and upgrade State Route 237 to a full freeway. The passage of Measure A in 1984 placed Santa Clara County in an enviable financial position in California. It started a new trend of self-help counties those counties that were able to generate substantial funding through the passage of dedicated local sales taxes in order to accelerate major transportation improvements that had been delayed or deferred due to a lack of federal and state money. Today, local sales taxes account for almost 50 percent of all revenues for transportation in California. 1992 Measure A Program In 1992, during a time when a severe statewide economic downturn was underway, Santa Clara County voters reaffirmed their strong support for transportation by approving the 1992 Measure A Program. This program was intended to be a 20-year extension of the half-cent sales tax initially imposed by the 10-year 1984 Measure A. Approximately 90 percent of the revenues raised by the 1992 Measure A would have gone for public transit capital improvements, including Caltrain, public transit accessibility improvements consistent with the requirements of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), commuter buses, and most of the rail corridors envisioned in the recently adopted T-2010 Plan. These new rail corridors included Tasman, Vasona, Capitol, Evergreen-Downtown, and Fremont-South Bay. However, the validity of the 1992 Measure A sales tax was legally challenged, and its fate was ultimately decided by the California Supreme Court. On September 28, 1995, the Supreme Court struck down the 1992 Measure A tax because it had not received a two-thirds majority vote. 82
Transportation Capital Improvement Projects 1996 Measure B Transportation Improvement Program In November 1996, Santa Clara County voters approved Measures A and B, which together defined an ambitious program of transportation improvements for Santa Clara County and a funding source to make them possible. The measures were created by the Citizens Coalition for Traffic Relief, a broad-based community partnership established by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. The 1996 Measure A was an advisory initiative that listed specific transportation improvements that the voters of Santa Clara County wanted to see implemented if funds became available. Projects included: Linking with the BART system in Alameda County. Synchronizing traffic lights on all county expressways. Building the Tasman East, Capitol and Vasona Light Rail Projects. Widening I-880, U.S. 101, and State Routes 87 and 17. Increasing Caltrain service. Upgrading interchanges at State Route 237/I-880, State Route 85/U.S. 101, and State Routes 85/87. Improving safety on State Route 152. Mitigating noise along the State Route 85 Corridor. Expanding bicycle routes. Improving senior and disabled transit services. The 1996 Measure B authorized the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors to collect a nine-year, half-cent sales tax for general county government purposes. This sales tax was identified as a potential funding source for the 1996 Measure A projects. The entire list of projects and their funding is referred to as the 1996 Measure B Transportation Improvement Program. Chapter 7 Collection of the sales tax began in April 1997. However, use of the revenues was suspended pending the outcome of litigation that challenged the validity of the sales tax. In August 1998, the California courts upheld the tax, allowing the 1996 Measure B Transportation Improvement Program to move forward. In January 1999, the VTA Board of Directors and the county Board of Supervisors approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishing a partnership for implementing the program. The MOU called for the county to develop a formal expenditure plan with substantial participation from VTA. Also under this partnership, the county assumed the responsibility for fiscal management of the program. VTA, on the other hand, was responsible for delivering the public 83
transit and highway projects, and assisting in the administration of the pavement management and bicycle elements of the program. Between 2002 and 2004, the economic decline in Silicon Valley resulted in 10 consecutive quarters of decreased sales tax revenues. As a consequence, VTA and the county were put in the position of having to shift project priorities within the 1996 Measure B Transportation Improvement Program. VTA also had to secure outside funding to augment the program, thereby enabling more projects to be delivered than local funds alone would have allowed. With local, regional and state support, VTA and the county have completed all but three of the projects in the program, often besting baseline schedules and budgets. The three remaining projects, all of which are currently under construction, are Caltrain station improvements in San Martin, in Downtown Palo Alto, and at California Avenue in Palo Alto. 2000 Measure A Transit Improvement Program In November 2000, voters in Santa Clara County approved Measure A, a 30-year, half-cent sales tax dedicated solely for public transit purposes. It was passed by a 70.3 percent majority vote and took effect in April 2006, when the 1996 Measure B sales tax expired. The 2000 Measure A Transit Improvement Program includes the following public transit improvement projects: Funding operating and maintenance costs for increased bus, rail and paratransit services. Extending BART from Alameda County to the cities of Milpitas, San Jose and Santa Clara. Providing connections from the Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport to BART, Caltrain and VTA light rail. Extending light rail from downtown San Jose to the East Valley. Purchasing low-floor light rail vehicles. Improving Caltrain by double-tracking from San Jose to Gilroy, and by electrifying from Palo Alto to Gilroy. Increasing the level of Caltrain service. Constructing a new Palo Alto Intermodal Transit Center. Improving service in major bus corridors. Upgrading the Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) Service. Improving Highway 17 Express Bus Service. Connecting Caltrain with the Dumbarton Rail Corridor. Purchasing zero-emission buses and constructing support facilities. Developing new light rail corridors. 84
So far, VTA has moved forward with the following activities related to the implementation of the 2000 Measure A Transit Improvement Program by using a combination of local sales tax revenues, state and federal grants, and bond proceeds: Completed conceptual design, preliminary engineering and 65 percent design for the BART Extension to Silicon Valley. Completed conceptual design, preliminary engineering and 65 percent design for the Capitol Expressway Light Rail Project. Transportation Capital Improvement Projects Completed conceptual design, preliminary engineering and 65 percent design for the first phase of the Caltrain Double-Tracking Project to Gilroy. Purchased 70 low-floor light rail vehicles. Implemented bus rapid transit (BRT) on Line 22, VTA s busiest bus route, and began studying potential BRT improvements in other major bus corridors. Participated in a regional demonstration project to evaluate the feasibility and technological challenges of using zero-emission, hydrogen fuel-cell buses for public transit service. Completed a list of priorities for Caltrain capital improvements, and began work on several projects, including the Blossom Hill Pedestrian Overcrossing, system safety enhancements, and parking expansion in Downtown Mountain View. Initiated a new rail corridor study consisting of two phases: (1) developing a public transit sustainability policy and mode-specific service design guidelines; and (2) identifying potential new public transit corridors using the policy and guidelines. Chapter 7 With the effects of the economic downturn in Silicon Valley still apparent, VTA is working with local jurisdictions and stakeholders to develop a long-term Revenue and Expenditure Plan for the 2000 Measure A Transit Improvement Program that would: (1) allow all projects in the program to be implemented; (2) provide for future public transit service increases; and (3) maintain VTA s existing and future bus and light rail fleet. 2008 Measure B By a two-thirds majority, Santa Clara County voters approved Measure B in November 2008, a 30-year, 1/8-cent local sales tax dedicated solely for funding the operating and maintenance costs associated with the BART Extension to Silicon Valley. The 2008 Measure B sales tax will take effect when the federal government and the state commit to providing construction funding for the BART extension pursuant to the project s financial plan. 85
Highway Projects VTA is currently working on the following five high-priority highway projects within Santa Clara County: U.S. 101 Improvements: I-280 to Yerba Buena Road This project calls for making a series of operational improvements on U.S. 101 in east San Jose in order to eliminate traffic bottlenecks, reduce merging and weaving conflicts, and improve motorist safety. Specifically, a new lane will be constructed in the southbound direction of U.S. 101 from south of Story Road to north of Capitol Expressway. In addition, the U.S. 101/Tully Road Interchange will be reconfigured and the Tully Road Overcrossing will be replaced. The estimated cost of this project is $63 million. It is scheduled to be completed in 2012. The California Transportation Commission (CTC) selected this project to receive $30 million in Proposition 1B bond funds through the Corridor Mobility Improvement Account (CMIA). U.S. 101 Auxiliary Lanes: Embarcadero Road to State Route 85 This project calls for constructing auxiliary lanes in each direction of a 3.2-mile segment of U.S. 101 between State Route 85 in Mountain View and Embarcadero Road in Palo Alto. VTA is also exploring the feasibility of extending the existing high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane through this corridor. The estimated cost of this project is $102 million. It is scheduled to be completed in 2013. The CTC selected this project to receive $84.9 million in Proposition 1B bond money through the CMIA Program. I-880 HOV Widening This project will add an HOV lane in each direction of a 4.6-mile segment of I-880 between U.S. 101 in San Jose and State Route 237 in Milpitas. The estimated cost of the project is $95 million. It is expected to be completed in 2013. The CTC selected this project to receive $71.6 million in Proposition 1B bond funding through the CMIA Program. I-880/I-280/Stevens Creek Interchange This project is intended to improve traffic operations, safety and access between the I-880 and I-280 freeway corridors, as well as to the two adjacent interchanges at I-880/Stevens Creek Boulevard and I-280/Winchester Boulevard. Specific improvements include: Reconfiguring the existing I-880/Stevens Creek Boulevard Interchange to improve traffic flow by widening and realigning ramps, widening the Stevens Creek Boulevard bridge structure over I-880, improving intersections, and providing enhanced access for pedestrians and bicyclists. Separating freeway-to-freeway traffic from local traffic by constructing a new direct connector from northbound I-280 to northbound I-880. 86
Transportation Capital Improvement Projects Providing a new point of access by constructing a northbound I-280 off-ramp at Winchester Boulevard. The estimated cost of the project is $130 million-$150 million. It is expected to be completed in 2013. Chapter 7 U.S. 101 Widening: Monterey Road to State Route 129 This multi-county effort proposes to widen U.S. 101 from four to six lanes in Santa Clara and San Benito Counties to meet future traffic demand and provide access control. The project also includes: Widening and replacing bridge structures. Improving existing horizontal curves. Constructing a new interchange at U.S. 101 and State Route 25. Extending Santa Teresa Boulevard to connect to State Route 25 at the U.S. 101/State Route 25 Interchange. Adding ramp lanes at State Route 129. VTA is partnering with the San Benito Council of Governments, Caltrans Districts 4 and 5, local agencies, and developers to deliver the project. The estimated cost is $370 million. The project is expected to be completed in 2013. 87
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