SCCo. Grand Jury: Halt BART to SJ, reform VTA

Grand jury: Halt BART extension

By Barry Witt

In a blistering critique of local transit management, Santa Clara
County's civil grand jury on Friday recommended suspending the $4.2
billion BART project to San Jose and disbanding the Valley
Transportation Authority's current board of directors.

The grand jury's recommendations came after the government watchdog
group, which is appointed by county judges, spent a year reviewing
agency operations. While the report carries no legal weight, it
triggers a requirement that the agency issue a formal response. But
the report could carry significant political meaning as the transit
agency struggles to make its case for state and federal funding, which
is supposed to cover a third of the BART extension's cost.

[Published Saturday, June 19, 2004, in the San Jose Mercury News]

Santa Clara Grandy Jury vs VTA, BART to SJ

The Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) faces significant financial
challenges. Some are outside of the control of the VTA Board (Board),
such as the recent short-term shortfalls of sales tax revenue due to
the economic downturn and a less-than-efficient public transportation
system due to widely dispersed housing and centers of commerce. Other
challenges are the result of decisions made or accepted by the Board,
some as a consequence of the structure of the Board itself. These
include: low recovery of transit costs from fares; high employee costs
per service rendered; over-promising of programs to voters;
inefficient timing of expenditures; financial forecasts designed to
support program plans rather than evaluate options (and as a
consequence not identifying more optimal approaches); and decisions
influenced by benefits to local districts rather than to the regional
Santa Clara County (County) transportation system. The Grand Jury
recommends changes in the size and composition of the Board to provide
better governance of VTA finances in the future.

The overriding financial problem facing VTA at present is that it
cannot afford the cost to build and operate a BART system to San
Jose. Spending limited resources on BART could squander an
opportunity to build, maintain, and operate a far larger network
of transit options throughout the county as enabled by voters
approving the 1/2 cent Measure A sales tax in 2000. The Grand Jury
recommends delaying expenditures for BART to provide more immediate
funding for other Measure A transit projects.

Welcome

The new face of Silicon Valley BART.