Site work and new construction of a mixed-use development in Santa Clara, California. Working plans call for the construction of a transportation facility.

https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/06/06/vtas-eastridge-light-rail-extension-will-fulfill-a-decades-long-promise/ June 6, 2024 When the shovels hit the ground Saturday for VTA's Eastridge light-rail extension, it'll be the fulfillment of a promise made more than 30 years ago -- long before anyone dreamed the future station could one day provide a connection to BART. In 1991, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors set the trolley wheels in motion, voting unanimously to add the proposed line to a 20-year master transit plan. The supervisors at the time consisted of future leaders: U.S. Rep. Mike Honda, U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales, and two of the valley's all-time biggest transit champions, Rod Diridon and Dianne McKenna. Another supporter Blanca Alvarado, who was then a San Jose City Councilmember and would join the Board of Supervisors in 1994. Buses line up waiting for passengers at the Eastridge Transit Center in San Jose on June 6, 2024. The station is planned to be the end point of a new light-rail extension that will connect to BART. (Sal Pizarro/Bay Area News Group) Buses line up waiting for passengers at the Eastridge Transit Center in San Jose on June 6, 2024. The station is planned to be the end point of a new light-rail extension that will connect to BART. (Sal Pizarro/Bay Area News Group) The extension was considered a sign of recognition for the oft-neglected East Side. Gonzales told the Mercury News at the time, "It serves a neighborhood that is dependent on public transit and one where workers live." At the time of the vote, it was thought it might take as long as 15 years to get all the funding in line for construction (and cost for the total project ballooned over the years to $653 million). A dot-com bust, the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic didn't help, and while transit projects were started and finished, Eastridge always seemed just out of reach. At least that was true until now, with the extension expected to be completed in 2028. Saturday's 10 a.m. groundbreaking will include a celebration with mariachis, food trucks, a resource fair, and a few speeches to mark the occasion. The East San Jose community should savor the moment; it's been a long time coming. CULTURAL CONNECTIONS: The summer of culture continues this weekend with Dia de Portugal at History Park in San Jose on Saturday. This year's celebration includes an exhibit by the Portuguese Historical Society of California on the 50th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution. In April 1974, a group of young captains -- who became knowns as the "Capitaes de Abril" -- overthrew Portugal's authoritarian government without bloodshed, transitioning the country to a democracy. The festival, which runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., opens with a bilingual Mass celebrated by Fr. Prosper Molengi followed by a short parade, and will include live music performances, book readings and plenty of food and drinks. Go to diadeportugalca.org for more details. SOFA'S COOLEST EVENT: The jacaranda trees in downtown San Jose's SoFA district are in full violet bloom, and that means it's time for SubZERO, the DIY tech-friendly music and art mashup taking place this weekend. The festival -- "where street meets geek" as the slogan goes -- runs 5-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights, with three stages of music, a beer garden and more than four dozens artists lining South First Street. Of course, Friday night coincides with the monthly South First Fridays art walk, which includes exhibitions at galleries in and around the SoFA District that will be open late and free to visit. You can stop by the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles for "Printed and Stitched," with work from members of the California Society of Printmakers and Studio Art Quilt Associates, or check out MACLA's new exhibition, "From Where I Stand," which showcases the perspective of six photographers about issues that'll be part of the debate this election year. Personally, I'm planning to visit Kaleid Gallery at 320 S. First St. to see "Playing Dice With the Universe," a solo exhibition of the art of Doug Edwards -- who has the rare distinction of being both a former Mercury News guy and an early Googler. These days, he's an artist and longtime arts patron, too. "Art is how I manage to maintain a grasp on sanity," Edwards says, "though judging by what I've produced, it's not clear how firm that grasp is." You can get a full lineup of the SubZERO and South First Fridays offerings, as well as a map to the locations, at www.southfirstfridays.com. _____________________________________________________________ https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/05/15/san-jose-economy-train-google-property-build-bart-caltrain-amtrak-tech/ May 16, 2024 SAN JOSE -- A wide-ranging plan to usher in a dramatic revamp of the area around a historic train station in downtown San Jose might cost billions of dollars, fresh plans on file with local transit officials show. The proposals take an early peek at three major alternatives for a modern transit hub that would sprout next to the existing Diridon train station near the corner of West Santa Clara Street and Cahill Street in San Jose.The Diridon Station Joint Policy Advisory Board, which the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority established, has received a report with three major options for how a future BART line and anticipated high-speed rail link might connect to a proposed modern transit hub across the street from the SAP Center. "The approximate cost range of the three alternatives is $2.5 billion to $13 billion," according to a report prepared by Marian Lee and Melissa Reggiardo, who are affiliated with Caltrain. Lee is a public relations executive and Reggiardo is a Caltrain planning manager.Here are the three alternatives and their key components: -- Elevated option. Elevated tracks with a ground-level concourse. -- At-Grade option. Tracks are at the street level and the concourse is "slightly below" the street level. The at-grade option attempts to replicate the elevated option yet still avoids raised tracks. -- Stacked option. The concourse would be below the street level and the tracks would be split. The high-speed rail line would be elevated while other rail lines would run at street level. "All alternatives offer a similar passenger experience at the station," the report states. "The passenger enters the concourse and goes up the vertical circulation to access the heavy rail tracks and (San Jose International Airport) connector and down for light trail transit." It wasn't precisely clear how the BART tracks would connect to this new transit hub. "Access options to BART Silicon Valley continue to be evaluated," the report stated. Two options envision an underground connection to BART while one option indicates a street-level connection to the future BART station at this site. BART's southernmost location in Santa Clara County currently is in northeast San Jose at the Berryessa station. Three more San Jose stations are envisioned, including the Diridon BART stop. However, the San Jose BART extension is running behind schedule and above its prior budget targets. The cost estimates for the future transit hub are preliminary and will almost certainly be fine-tuned. "The at-grade alternative has the lowest cost followed by the stacked alternative," the report stated. "The elevated alternative has the highest cost." Beyond estimates of a low cost of $2.5 billion and a high cost of $13 billion, the report didn't detail specific costs for any of the three alternatives. The report was prepared for a meeting of the Diridon Station Joint Policy Advisory Board. Plenty of development is being proposed at and near the future transit complex. Plus, Google has proposed a mixed-use neighborhood near the Diridon train station and SAP Center. Office buildings, housing, stores, restaurants, entertainment hubs, open space and cultural loops will be part of the new neighborhood.. The transit village is stalled, however, stymied by the tech titan's current regimen of cost controls, layoffs and cutbacks in Google's real estate footprint. On the site of the transit hub, office spaces, housing and commercial sites are under consideration, according to the report. "All station alternatives include a north and south concourse with a connecting commercial corridor with retail, operational space, restaurants, programmed space, and opportunities for both passengers and the public to gather," the report stated. Transit agency staffers will continue to refine and fine-tune the plans for the future rail hub. "Staff will recommend two alternatives for further analysis and public outreach at the August Joint Powers Authority Board meeting," the report stated. Staffers consider the Diridon Station and the proposed future rail complex to be vital pieces in the regional transit system. "Diridon Station is integral to California's transportation network," the report stated. "To effectively accommodate planned activity and future service needs, the station must be reconfigured, expanded, and upgraded to provide adequate capacity, functionality, and interconnectivity for passengers." _____________________________________________________________ Bay Area transit agencies among several to receive billions in state funds. Trades include but are not limited to Asphalt Paving, Concrete, Drilling, Piling, Electrical, Erosion Control, MPT STS, Fencing, Groundwater Treatment, Grouting, Instrumentation & Monitoring, Landscaping, Lumber Wood Supply, Office Trailers, Building Furnishing, Janitorial, On Site Services: Drug Testing, On Site Services: Security Service, Quality Control, Portable Toilets, Rebar, Retaining Walls, Slurry Walls, Rigging, Mancages & Workdecks, Stair Towers, Steel, Street Sweeper, Surveying, TBM Support Materials, Temporary Water Treatment Facilities, Traffic Control & Signage, Trucking & Hauling, Tunnel Ventilation, Utilities, Welding and Wells: Depressurization and Dewatering. As of May 15, 2024, a joint venture design build team has been selected. The design build team is holding a pre-proposal outreach event for interested subcontractors to learn about this phase, and meet the team. A firm timeline to construction start has not been announced, however, the passenger service is expected to be underway by the end of 2026.