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]