It’s an exciting time for VTA’s BART Silicon Valley Phase II Extension Project! Construction will be starting soon! It’s important that the public is aware of upcoming construction, especially how it may affect your day-to-day travel. Surface construction will be taking place in four primary areas – In Santa Clara east of the Caltrain Station near PayPal Park, adjacent to the Caltrain Diridon Station, downtown San José; off Santa Clara Street both between Market and First Streets, and at 28th Street in the Little Portugal neighborhood.  

Construction Outreach Management Program (COMP) 

To work with the community in the most conscientious way possible, project staff developed the Construction Outreach Management Program (COMP) which is comprised of three plans: 

• Construction Education and Outreach Plan (CEOP): communication during construction between VTA, the cities of San José and Santa Clara, and the public​. 
• Construction Transportation Management Plan (CTMP): coordinate circulation and access needs within and around the construction areas for all transportation options. The CTMP process blog lays out more details about this plan.  
• Emergency Services Coordination Plan (ESCP): coordinate with local emergency services to minimize impact to emergency service routes and response times due to construction activities. This plan is included in the CTMP effort.  

The CEOP ensures proactive coordination and communication between VTA and the cities of San José and Santa Clara, stakeholders, and the public during project planning and construction. It establishes a process for coordination between VTA and existing businesses and other concurrent construction projects to minimize disruption and delays from construction activities. Processes for also addressing the concerns of businesses and their customers, property owners, residents, and commuters are included in the plan. Outreach strategies are supported by actions, tools, and performance measures to support and evaluate the progress and contribution of each strategy. 

How will you know what is happening? 

Project staff will provide nearby residences and businesses as well as the public with advance notification of upcoming construction activities. Construction notices will include: 

• WHAT – summary of construction activity​ 
• ​WHERE – location of construction activity with map​ 
• ​WHEN – include interval of dates and times, include a note if it includes weekend and nighttime work​​ 
• WHAT TO EXPECT – includes information on the activity and impacts (noise, dust, sidewalk closures, parking impacts, bus stop relocations, detours, etc.) 

Information will be available on the Project website and via emails, and physical flyers delivered within 1,000 feet of the work area. If you haven’t signed up for emails, you are encouraged to do so now!  Project staff may also reach out to key stakeholders that may be more directly impacted to ensure they have all of the information and answer any questions. A Construction Activity Map that will show the location of the activity. Project staff have committed to notifying the public at least two weeks in advance of any construction activity.  

Example of a Construction Notice

When transit, such as light rail and buses, is impacted by the construction, VTA will ensure riders are properly notified in advance through physical notifications, updates to transit apps, and more. For example, if a bus stop will be impacted, VTA will determine the best location to move it to, place physical flyers at the stop to announce the new location, alert riders via digital communications, and update the information on the various transit and mapping apps.  

VTA and the cities coordinate for special events that take place throughout the year, such as marathons and parades, as well as with PayPal Park and SAP Arena for their stadium events. VTA is working specifically on additional outreach methods to ensure patrons understand the changes that may be necessary to get to the event.  

How do I make sure I get the notifications? 

The best method to ensure you’re up to date on the project and receive construction notices is to sign up for email notices. You can sign up using the interest form. Construction notices are also posted on the project website. You can also follow the Project on social media – Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter.