San Jose ' VTA project managers updated the Transportation and Environment Committee on the East Ridge to BART Regional Connector (EBRC), describing construction progress, outreach and business-support plans while councilmembers raised concerns about the project's economic impact on small, immigrant-owned businesses.

Ven Prasad, project manager for EBRC, summarized scope and progress: the project is a 2.4-mile aerial guideway from Alum Rock Station to Eastridge with two new stations (Story Road and Eastridge Transit Center). "We have about 50% of the project is complete, currently," Prasad said, and staff reported that foundation pile driving and more than one mile of bridge structure were already built; construction completion is expected by the end of 2027 with revenue service in early 2028.

Prasad and VTA community-relations manager Gretchen Baisa described traffic mitigation measures (off-duty police at intersections, real-time traffic monitoring, reduced speed limits in construction zones) and community outreach (weekly emails, 80-plus events since Jan. 2024, and 500+ home visits). VTA also committed to planting 249 California-native trees within two miles of the corridor and offered free trees with a three-year stewardship plan.

Project art at Story and Eastridge stations was presented as a community feature. VTA reported a project budget of $652.9 million and said, at the time of presentation, the project was on schedule and trending to complete on budget.

Councilmember Ortiz praised the long-term benefits but said construction has displaced customers and hit small immigrant-owned businesses hard: "many businesses have reported losing up to 40 to 50% of their overall clientele," Ortiz said, and urged VTA to accelerate financial and operational support. VTA said it submitted a board referral for business and homeowner support (a tentative $500,000 referral was discussed) and hoped to meet the VTA board in February to advance that work; Ortiz said more funding and faster action will be necessary given months of disruption.

The committee voted 5-0 to accept the regional transportation activities report. VTA said it will continue outreach, coordinate with city departments on traffic-calming and business-support implementation and report back to the VTA board and the committee on any board-referral outcomes.