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Hi Folks,<BR>
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Most of us would agree that a transit connection between the new Berryessa BART station and the train stations at Diridon and Santa Clara is needed. However, there might be some disagreement about how to accomplish that link.<BR>
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The VTA is planning to place a one-half percent sales tax measure on the 2016 ballot to pay for an expensive underground BART extension to cover the six-mile route. Instead of spending $4700M for BART technology, what if we use Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) technology instead to provide similar service levels and 12 above-ground stations for only $200M (4% of the BART cost)? That's what I have proposed to VTA management. To my surprise, they don't seem interested. The Green Party may want to go on record supporting a PRT alternative.<BR>
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Or, the Green Party of Santa Clara County may want to sign onto the "NO" argument to be published in the sample ballot next year. If there is interest from this on-line group, I will start drafting the wording for such an argument. In the meantime, learn more about PRT technology in general and my proposal for applying PRT technology to this transit link at<BR>
<A HREF="http://sunnyhillsneighborhood.org/crossing.html#what">http://sunnyhillsneighborhood.org/crossing.html#what</A><BR>
<A HREF="http://sunnyhillsneighborhood.org/BART-PRT-comments.pdf">http://sunnyhillsneighborhood.org/BART-PRT-comments.pdf</A><BR>
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VTA needs the measure to pass with a 67% super majority. Even with support from all the traditional backers of these sales tax measures (this is the fourth one), attaining that super majority is challenging. Some effort from those of us who see the BART Burrow as a boondoggle could shave a few percent off the expected strong support at the ballot box, perhaps enough to cause the measure to fail. Please let me know what you think.<BR>
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-- <BR>
Rob Means, Secretary<BR>
Sunnyhills Neighborhood Association<BR>
www.SunnyhillsNeighborhood.org<BR>
408-262-0420, SNA@electric-bikes.com<BR>
1421 Yellowstone Ave, Milpitas, CA 95036-0581<BR>
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