Overview

• BART's operations chief Shane Edwards formally notified VTA on Aug. 15 that BART rejects the Newhall Yard redesign presented to the oversight committee the day before.
• The proposal seeks roughly $340 million in reductions by cutting train storage and maintenance capacity at the yard to help close a $1–2 billion funding gap.
• Edwards said VTA publicized the yard changes and a single‑bore cost analysis without the prior consultation required by their agreement, warning of safety and operational risks.
• VTA said it provides monthly briefings and detailed reports, is addressing issues raised in the letter, and sees a collaborative path to a final yard design.
• VTA’s Aug. 11 report estimates single‑bore tunneling would save about $600 million versus twin‑bore, a claim a third‑party reviewer has challenged as relying on overstated twin‑bore costs.