2001 October 20 

Lisa Ives
VTA - Planning and Programming, Building B
3331 North First Street
San Jose, CA 95134-1906

Dear Ms. Ives:

Here are my comments regarding the VTA's Silicon Valley Rapid
Transit Corridor project.

0. I prefer Alternative #3, modern rail on Alviso, with
service to Livermore.

1. Timeliness and Phased in Service.

The criterion 'time to delivery, where sooner is better' should be
included and weighted when judging and screening proposed options and
alternatives.  Also, capital intensive alternatives with long
construction periods should be considered in phased segments.  For
example, don't just consider BART to San Jose, but consider extending
BART to Warm Springs, extending BART to Milpitas light rail, extending
BART to East Valley light rail, extending BART to San Jose Diridon,
extending BART to Santa Clara, in a way that early extensions can be
opened before completion of later extensions.  If funding limitations
constrain BART construction, a phased delivery would ensure that at
least something useful is completed.

I would consider connecting the VTA light rail system to BART
to be useful.

2. Timely Public Access to Planning Materials

Publish information first, then make decisions.

I acknowledge the publication of the svrtc-vta.org site.  However,
the materials must be published in a more timely manner if the public
comment process is to proceed in a sincere manner.  For example, the
VTA has selected a preferred investment strategy by choosing one of
eleven alternatives, but the alternatives were published _after_ the
preferred investment strategy was announced.

The planning materials for this project should be readily available
and discoverable in a timely manner on the VTA's web site. 

3. Local Representation on Operational Authority

If BART is chosen, and BART is constructed to and in Santa Clara
County, will Santa Clara county residents be represented on the BART
Board ?  Will Santa Clara become an official BART county ?  These
questions need to be addressed before Santa Clara spends billions of
dollars on BART.  The VTA's agreement with BART should be disclosed
before any  commitment to proceed with BART can be taken.

If in 2025 BART decides to use a new type of train, who would
represent the VTA is such a negotiation, and what commitment from BART
would there be to listen to and abide by VTA's expressed preferences ?


4. Budget Uncertainty and Contingency

If an option is chosen and construction undertaken, what is planned if
that option goes over budget ?  What components of the approved plan
would be deleted to get the project back on budget, and how would these
cuts be determined ?

5. Plan to add intermodal stations where lines intersect.

Specific to Alternative #3:
At Tasman and Stars and Stripes in Great America, a combined
Amtrak/ACE/proposed-new-service and Tasman light rail station should
be considered.

Similarly, add a Shinn Station at BART in Fremont.
For the conventional rail, bus, BRT, and LRT alternatives, please add
a "transfer only" station in Fremont near Shinn Rd. where BART and the
regional rail lines intersect.  This Shinn station would be allow only
passengers transferring between BART, ACE, or the Capitols to board
another transit system at that location, and would not require any
automobile parking amenities.

6. Trip origin and destination data.

The VTA should provide a detailed forecast of trip origins and
destinations for people residing in, working in, or travelling through
this corridor.  The maps of residential and employment density
presented in the 2001 July public workshops did not reflect office and
commercial development in Fremont west of I-880.  These data should be
provided before eliminating any potential routes or alignments.  The
data presented in the 2001 October workshops are too vague about
destinations and origins in Alameda County.

Before committing to a preferred alignment, we need to see more
detailed origin/destination data.  For instance, how many commuters
will be travelling from the Livermore/Trivalley area to
Sunnyvale/Santa Clara in 2030, given planned and zoned development ?
How dense will downtown San Jose be ? 

7. Combinations of Alternatives should be considered.

The decision should not necessarily be build Alternative #3 or build
Alternative #11.  The VTA should consider combinations of
alternatives.

A combination I support is as follows: Alternative #3 and Alternative
#9 and adding funding to the Dumbarton Express rail project, which
serves this corridor.