Since November 15, when VTA announced the difficult decision to defer passenger service on the BART Silicon Valley Berryessa Extension to 2020, VTA has made significant progress on remaining project work. This work includes modifications to initially scoped work, resolving items identified during BART’s initial acceptance testing and completing new project requirements.

A required safety feature of the future service is a monitoring system to identify anything that intrudes the trackway. VTA has completed installation and testing of the Railroad Intrusion Detection System (RIDS) and the system is currently undergoing the 30-day monitoring for performance, consistency and stability. System modifications have also been developed and are being implemented
for train control to ensure trains stop precisely at designated platform positions.

Since the resequencing of project activities and change in the corridor access protocol from November, the project team and the contractors have mobilized more than two dozen crews in all disciplines on multiple shifts to focus on resolving items identified during BART’s acceptance testing.

VTA and BART have issued the below joint statement demonstrating the commitment to deliver safe and reliable BART service in Santa Clara County in as expeditious manner as possible.

VTA and BART Joint Statement of Commitment

As we look forward to the New Year and the beginning of BART service in Santa Clara County, we wish to reinforce and confirm our organizations’ mutual commitment to successfully transition from the construction to the operational phase of the BART Extension to Silicon Valley.

Our organizations have worked cooperatively and diligently to deliver on the promise of BART service to Santa Clara County. The construction of ten miles and two stations of new BART service is essentially complete. In order to ensure that service is delivered in keeping with a careful view toward safety and reliability as well as the timely delivery on the promise of service our organizations have made to the public, we commit our organizations to the following:

• Both organizations will adhere to best practices in safety as defined by well-established industry standards.
• All remaining VTA activities and the plan for completion of Phase 2 Testing will be rigorously followed formally accepted and appropriately documented by the approving authority at BART and VTA.
• The BART plan for Phase 3 Testing will be rigorously followed, formally accepted and appropriately documented by the approving authority at BART and VTA.
• During the completion of the systems work and opening of the extension for passenger service, any new non-safety related changes will be deferred until after the start of passenger service.

Our organizations are dedicated to delivering passenger service in the safest, most effective manner. We are committed to the important regional goals of more transit service, less greenhouse gas emissions and growing the economic vitality of the region.

TERESA O'NEILL, Chair, VTA

BEVAN DUFTY, President, BART