The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) has been named the California 2023 “Owner of the Year” by Engineering News Record (ENR) for its innovative work on the BART to Silicon Valley Phase II project and its VTA Transit Capital Program.
“Recognizing numerous agency accomplishments, most notable to VTA’s selection is bringing innovation to the forefront with VTA’s 6-mile extension of the regional Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system and working collaboratively with industry partners,” the magazine wrote in making the award.
ENR is an internationally renowned engineering and construction news publication reporting on the top design firms, construction companies, and projects across the globe. Each year ENR honors project owners for prestige in planning, design, construction, and managing projects.
“We are honored to be recognized for our work. We thank Santa Clara County residents and our numerous delivery partners for their efforts to enhance mobility in an environmentally positive way and improve the quality of life in our region,” said Carolyn Gonot, VTA General Manager and CEO upon learning of the honor.
Being on track to deliver more than 70 projects in its Transit Capital Program, including the Eastridge to BART Regional Connector, an extension of the existing light rail system was another key consideration to being selected for the award. In addition to these transit extensions, VTA is prioritizing system rehabilitation, system maintenance, state of good repair, system safety enhancements, and the implementation of technology enhancements to improve and maintain the existing transportation network.
Later this year, VTA looks forward to breaking ground on early preparation work for the largest project in Santa Clara County history. The BART Silicon Valley Phase II Extension Project extends the regional Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) commuter rail system into Downtown San José and Santa Clara. This Project will be the first in the United States to include a single-bore subway tunnel and set a gold standard for delivering mega transit infrastructure.
Read the full article on this exciting award.