BART or freeways? All too often, the answer is both.
Latest example: the VTA.
The VTA has started work on an I880 widening project, adding two new lanes at a cost of $100 million. This highway expansion will compete directly against the BART-San Jose extension — also under construction by the VTA.
One agency building two incompatible transportation projects. The irony is that VTA was chartered by Santa Clara County to combine all road and transit planning under a single agency. You know, to create synergies…
… and barely anything but pavement within 1/4 mile of the station to boot.
[…] highway (the same project opposed by Council Member Scott Griggs, whom we highlighted yesterday). Systemic Failure laments the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority’s bad habit of pursuing both BART and […]
The day the Bay Area stops building Park & Rides will be a day worthy of song and legend.
Though if I ever live to see it, I’ll be just a shocked as you.
It’s such a misuse of public funds to build expensive heavy rail mass transit and then undermine its use by expanding adjacent roadways. The MTC has strongly supported a fourth bore of the Caldecott Tunnel. The elimination of this bottleneck will weaken BART ridership. For pricey heavy rail projects to even begin to make sense in the sprawling suburbs, the incentive to ride must outweigh the convenience to drive. Aside from the environmental consequences of road/highway expansion projects, many major MTC policies are illogical and inefficient.
You’re looking at it the wrong way. VTA’s building both the BART line and the freeway expansion is twice the success. Instead of getting $2 billion in federal funding, they got $4 billion! Just think of all the jobs that will be created, for a few years at least. And that’s what you get when you measure success by the inputs instead of the outputs.
I do not understand the highway widenings. These things are insanely, unsafely, uselessly wide ALREADY. We’re going to have to rip out these palatial “temples to oil” sooner or later. Where do these get their political support, anyway?
Caltrain or freeways? “Freeways, every time.” says VTA.
http://www.mercurynews.com/traffic/ci_20509954/bay-area-first-double-carpool-lanes-coming-highway
Multi-modal! Synergistic!