East San Jose BART Station Construction Moves Forward

SAN JOSE - Construction has progressed at a parking structure for a future BART station in East San Jose, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority officials said Friday.

Crews have poured the final 15,000 cubic yards of concrete for the seven-level parking garage at the future Berryessa BART station between Berryessa and Mabury roads and east of the San Jose Flea Market, agency officials said.

The structure will also have a 109-foot-tall elevator tower, according to agency officials.

The top level of the 380,000-square-foot structure will have photovoltaic solar panels that will offset 42 percent of energy, agency officials said.

Once completed the structure will have 1,200 parking spots, 24 electric charging stations and a mobile license plate reader to show the number of available spaces, VTA officials said.

The station will also have a VTA bus transit center that will include express service, a private shuttle zone and "kiss-and-ride" loading area, according to agency officials.

The garage is part of the agency's BART Silicon Valley Berryessa Extension project, which started construction four years ago this month.

The station is expected to serve 25,000 riders daily and open for full ridership in 2017, agency officials said.

Test trains will start running along the 10 miles of tracks in this fall, according to agency officials.

-Bay City News, image via vta.org