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Two Women Lead California’s $12 Billion BART Extension

Prime Highlights

  • Sarah Wilson and Carolyn Gonot are leading California’s $12 billion BART extension through downtown San Jose.
  • The project will add four new stations, including three underground ones, linking San Jose and Santa Clara to the Bay Area transit network.

Key Facts

  • BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) is a public train system that connects cities across the San Francisco Bay Area and helps people travel quickly and easily.
  • The launch structure currently under construction is worth around $400 million.

Background

At a construction site near Santa Clara Station, two women are leading a major project that will improve travel across the Bay Area. Sarah Wilson and Carolyn Gonot are heading the work to extend BART through downtown San Jose as part of the $12 billion Silicon Valley Phase II project.

Wilson serves as construction director for the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, overseeing field delivery, contract administration, and risk management. Gonot, the agency’s general manager and CEO, handles funding, governance, and federal oversight to keep the project on track.

The launch structure they are currently building, worth roughly $400 million, is a key part of the six-mile extension that will add four stations — including three underground — connecting downtown San Jose and Santa Clara to the wider Bay Area Rapid Transit network.

Wilson started her career in design, working on tunnels and underground structures before moving into field operations. She says hands-on construction work demands quick decisions. “In construction, the best decision is one that has been made,” she noted, describing the pressure of real-time calls on site.

Looking ahead, Wilson flagged that building station entrances will be technically demanding due to difficult soil conditions and that ground improvement methods may be needed before excavation can begin.

Both leaders acknowledged that the current construction market is tough, with high demand pushing costs up. Gonot said keeping spending in check and securing steady funding remain the key priorities for the project moving forward.

Their work stands as a strong example of women taking on major leadership roles in large-scale infrastructure and public transit delivery.

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