Phase I | Phase II |
Environmental |
VTA places a high value on environmental compliance. In accordance with the adopted Board resolutions certifying environmental documents related to the BART Silicon Valley Project, the Project includes design requirements, best management practices, and mitigation measures to minimize impacts on the environment. VTA has developed an Environmental Management System to monitor and report on implementation of the Project’s environmental commitments. It represents a consistent, project-wide approach for environmental compliance and sustainability during the final design, construction, and operation phases of the Project. Ongoing updates on environmental compliance will be included in project reports and uploaded to this website as they are available.
VTA is also committed, through its Sustainability Program, to the conservation of natural resources, the reduction of greenhouse gases, the prevention of pollution and the use of renewable energy and materials. The BART Silicon Valley Project includes a Sustainability Plan and subsequent reports to monitor and report on implementation of the Project’s compliance with sustainability measures.
VTA obtained California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) clearance (required by state law) in 2004 and in 2007 for the full 16-mile, six station BART Silicon Valley Program. Following the 2004 and 2007 CEQA clearances, and at the recommendation of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), VTA decided to build the project in phases. VTA entered into the FTA New Starts grant funding program in 2009 and received National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) clearance (required by federal law) in 2010 for Phase I.
Phase II of VTA’s BART Silicon Valley Program requires an approved Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement/Subsequent Environmental Impact Report (SEIS/SEIR) to become eligible for federal and state funding. A combined SEIS/SEIR has been developed to evaluate and environmentally clear Phase II of VTA’s BART Silicon Valley Program and is available here.