Station area planning for the new BART stations is an important element of the project.   VTA is working with the cities and stakeholders to develop transit-supportive land uses around the stations that will increase transit ridership, create vibrant communities, ease the housing shortage, and promote multi-modal access to and from the stations. See Overview of Stations for more information on each station. See Listing of Existing Plans and Policies for a list of the plans and policies considered for land use planning for the stations. Status: In 2002, three rounds of workshops were held in four communities:  Milpitas, East San Jose, downtown San Jose, and Santa Clara to develop station concept plans for further evaluation.   From 2003 to 2005, VTA hosted several community and stakeholder meetings to discuss station design concepts and alignment options.   In Spring/Summer 2005, VTA held a series of public meetings that presented station and alignment concepts developed for value-engineering.  Public meetings were held in Milpitas, San Jose, and Santa Clara, and Community Working Group (CWG) meetings were held in Milpitas and San Jose. Upcoming Activities: Two studies are currently in progress in relation to station area planning: 1) Santa Clara Station Area Plan, 2) Milpitas Transit Sub Area Specific Plan. Station area planning will be conducted for all stations.  Schedule is to be determined. Public involvement is an essential element of the station area planning process. If you are interested in obtaining further information, please e-mail vtabart@vta.org or call VTA Customer Service at (408) 321-2300 or TDD for the hearing impaired at (408) 321-2330. Continue agency and stakeholder coordination on design development. Continue to seek public involvement and input on the station area planning process.