Funding issues are compounding the troubles involved in expanding the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit System (BART) to include San Jose and other areas in Silicon Valley. A recent allocation of funds is keeping the plan moving.
"Santa Clara County voters approved a 30-year half-cent sales tax six years ago that at the time was touted as enough money to build BART, improve Caltrain and expand light-rail and bus service."
"But the dot-com bust sent projected revenue plunging and to do everything promised will cost about $3 billion more than VTA anticipates it will receive in the next three decades."
"The sales tax, which kicked in earlier this year, would cover about half the cost of building BART. The VTA is banking on getting state and federal aid to make up the difference."
"But building BART is just part of the financial battle. The VTA doesn't have the cash to operate additional transit service approved in the tax plan; roughly $75 million a year is needed. And the agency won't get federal aid until it does."
FULL STORY: BART chugs along, for now
Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?
Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?
Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.
Updating LA’s Tree Rules Could Bring More Shade to Underserved Neighborhoods
A new USC study finds that relaxing Los Angeles’ outdated tree planting guidelines could significantly expand urban tree canopy and reduce shade disparities in lower-income neighborhoods, though infrastructure investments are also needed.
California's Canal Solar Projects Aim to Conserve Resources and Expand Clean Energy
California’s Project Nexus has begun generating electricity from solar panels installed over irrigation canals, with researchers and state agencies exploring statewide expansion to conserve water and boost clean energy production.
HHS Staff Cuts Gut Energy Assistance Program
The full staff of a federal program that distributes heating and cooling assistance for low-income families was laid off, jeopardizing the program’s operations.
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