Biden earmarks additional $200M for Silicon Valley BART extension

President Joe Biden has earmarked an additional $200 million for the Silicon Valley BART Extension Phase II in his upcoming proposed budget, a spokesperson for the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority announced on Monday.     

The project will extend BART alignment from the North San Jose Berryessa station through downtown San Jose to Santa Clara, adding four more stations and six more miles of track, the agency said.     

This will be the third allocation of funds for the project after the Federal Transit Authority authorized $125 million in 2019 and another $100 million in 2021.     

Senator Dianne Feinstein, D-CA, praised the announcement Monday.     

"We know that traffic will only get worse throughout California, particularly in Los Angeles and the Bay Area," she said in a statement. "We also know that removing cars from our roads is one of the best ways to reduce carbon emissions. By funding these two projects, we're helping reduce traffic, lower emissions and broaden economic opportunity for residents."     

Phase II is estimated to carry 54,600 passengers each weekday to destinations throughout the Bay Area by 2040, according to the VTA announcement.