VTA to receive $5.1B for BART extension through South Bay

SAN JOSE, Calif. - VTA announced it's receiving more than $5 billion in federal funding to complete the BART extension through Santa Clara County.

Officials call it a historic investment.

"$5.1 billion for this project. It is an incredible milestone," said Supervisor Cindy Chavez, chair of the VTA Board.

The amount is the second largest the Federal Transportation Administration has awarded in its history.

"It also signals the confidence of the federal government in this incredibly important project. Working together we're going to make this happen," Chavez said.

The long-awaited BART extension will have four stations and run through downtown San Jose and into Santa Clara. VTA oversees the project.

"It's VTA, it's our community, it's our contractors, and it's those workers behind me who are actually going to be doing that work, 75,000 jobs," says VTA's General Manager Carolyn Gonot.

The trouble is that even with the new award and local tax measures, the project still has a $700 million shortfall.

"This is the first time we've had a gap to fill that is the last gap," says State Sen. Dave Cortese.

And so local officials say there's still work to be done, likely to trim the $12.7 billion total price tag.

"We have to come together around the table and find cost savings, find efficiencies and make some trade-offs. We need to get the scope of this project to match the budget that we have," said San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan.

But Mahan says it needs to happen to ensure Silicon Valley's next phase of growth.

"We need to lock it in now and get going," he says.

Officials had hoped to have all the funds lined up by the end of the year, but now they may need more time. They need to close that $700 million gap before the federal money will be released.