Isnāt the solution obvious? Go to a monthly pass where price varies by income. Iām sure that what they really want.
The second phase, totaling about 6 miles, is expected to include the construction of subterranean stations at 28th Street in San Joseās Little Portugal, in downtown San Jose near the intersection of Santa Clara and Market streets, the San Jose Diridon rail depot and a ground-level station just north of Avaya Stadium in Santa Clara.
The $5.6 billion second phase is expected to break ground in 2022, with an estimated completion date around 2030. VTA officials changed both of those estimates last year, increasing the price tag by nearly $1 billion and pushing the opening back roughly four years.
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Might as well double it now.
āJust three years ago, the VTA estimated the project would cost a total of $4.7 billion and be completed by 2026. The completion date is now 2030.ā
āFederal officials expect BARTās four-station extension into downtown San Jose could cost as much as $9.1 billionā
This is why we donāt have more projects. They are never remotely close to the original timeline and budget. I imagine by the time itās done itāll be in the normal 3-6x original price range.
Itās ridiculous. The numbers are staggering tooā¦We Need to be outraged but sadly itās like we donāt care at all.
Need to put in contract Salary deduction for every % over budget/time. 
I have a friend that works for the equivalent of VTA up here. She said the initial budgets are based on surveys of voters and what they think will pass. They have zero bearing in reality or what a project will actually cost. They just need voters to approve to start the project, then itās a lot easier to keep adding funds to finish it. People donāt pay that close of attention, so they get away with it.
The light rail extension here just announced they are āon timeā for opening a new station. The are āon timeā to about the 15th revised timeline thatās 4-5 years late compared to the original. Most people arenāt paying enough attention and just see the headline that itās on time. Itās amazing how easy it is to manipulate the public.
Public works projects are a disaster. Unions, OSHA EPA and local bureaucrats look at public works as a feeding frenzy to expand their influence. They are diametrically opposed to keeping these projects under budget. In fact nobody cares about keeping them affordable. It is a vast conspiracy to fleece the public. The whole green movement is full of the same shit. Same with the homeless industry. They are dedicated to making more people drugged, pathetic and homelessā¦ helps expand their empires. Truly disgusting peopleā¦ like the people that run SF.
@marcus335 @Elt1 What you guys said both make sense to me.
So as an individual, what I can do about it? Or do I just throw up my hands and say it is what is?
Ballot measure that projects like these must have a reasonable price estimate that would hold up in court or lose their jobs and their pensions.
You can add CPS to that list.
As long as people keep voting to give them money, they will keep doing it. We have to vote no on giving them money.
It is like paying off terrorists. Sounds logical but doesnāt work. We have made a deal with devil. If the left doesnāt gets what it wants it riots and threatens the rest us. No more. Appeasement doesnāt work.
Itās amazing up here. They count hitting their revised timeline as āon timeā. They keep revising it, so the project will always end up being āon timeā. I always wonder how they get the money for cost overruns.