The Driver's Room

MercuryNews.com | 06/11/2005 | S.J. lawmaker predicts support for transit tax hike:

"People in our community are so anxious to have BART and traffic relief, and really believe that Silicon Valley is worth being a part of and saving, that I think we're going to get the support we need for a quarter-cent sales tax if we do that in fall 2006"

San Jose Councilwoman Cindy Chavez believes the very existence of Silicon Valley depends on building BART. Since when has BART had anything to do with the success of the high-tech industry here?

This isn't about the existence of Silicon Valley; its about the image of San Jose in the eyes of potential business newcomers.

Let's review some of the facts:

• VTA needs $2.6 billion from Measure A to fund the BART extension.
  That fact assumes that the cost of building it, currently estimated at $4.2 billion, will not rise, an assumption that has proven ridiculous in every single instance in the past, and on the assumption that the federal government is willing to fill in the funding gap, which brings us to point two:


• VTA's financial outlook is not good, which is one of the reasons the federal government is unwilling to fund it. The other reason they are unwilling to fund it is


• The proposed BART extension is projected to have low ridership, and thus, will provide almost zero traffic relief.

One of the supposed benefits of having BART extended to San Jose is "every community within the South Bay would have direct access through another mode of transit to one of the BART stations." That is something that exists now even without the extension. VTA provides direct access to the Fremont station by way of the 180 express. This really is not a new benefit.

The real motive behind building the BART extension and the real beneficiary of its building is summed up in a statement by Jim Cunneen: "[M]any of us strongly believe that we need to create an authentic urban living and work environment in our downtown," meaning downtown San Jose. It is San Jose, and only San Jose, that will benefit by it. And it has nothing to do with traffic relief, but rather, it is being built to create the perception that San Jose is a bigger city than it is.

Why would that be so important? It is important because it can serve to attract business here, not to Silicon Valley. It is not about traffic relief. It is not about saving Silicon Valley. It is about San Jose's image. Period.

And when the federal funds needed to complete the project fail to materialize, these BART zealots will cut bus service, meaning lay you off, in order to gain the benefits for San Jose that Mr. Cunneen succinctly summarized.