Several San Jose residents are blaming Valley Transportation Authority light rail extension construction for damaging their homes. VTA’s Eastridge to BART Regional Connector has recently been in the spotlight after some businesses said they would have to shutter due to lane and road closures f rom the project. Homeowners are now adding to the growing concerns about the light rail extension, which started in the summer of 2024 and is estimated to be completed in 2028. Karla Mendoza on Thursday showed NBC Bay Area cracks in her home she believes was caused by the light rail extension construction. VTA Mar 5 VTA grants may not be enough to save businesses impacted by light-rail extension San Jose Feb 27 ‘Heartbreaking': Businesses may close due to VTA's light rail extension project San Jose Oct 17, 2025 VTA moves forward with San Jose tunnel design for BART extension Mendoza used her phone to record what happens when a piledriver is used during construction. Video showed what appears to be water shaking in its bottle, light bulbs rattling in their socket and a whole home shaking over and over. Another homeowner, Gloria Gutierrez, called the construction “like an earthquake.” Several impacted homeowners gathered Thursday to strategize on next steps. Some said they will file a claim with VTA. Homeowner Maria Reyes said VTA has already denied her claim. “I was really disappointed that my claim was denied,” Reyes said. “I don’t want them to rebuild my home. I just want them to repair the damages that have been done.” Ken Ronsse, an engineer who is helping oversee the VTA light rail extension, said monitors placed throughout the project show vibrations are well below the federal threshold. Ronsse added VTA has hired a third party forensics engineer to determine if the construction is responsible for any home damages. “We are taking this serious,” Ronsse said. “We will absolutely go into every single home that files a claim to do an evaluation.” Eleven homeowners have filed claims so far, according to Ronsse, adding two have been denied and four are under review. The five other claims have been paid and settled. Residents who would like to file a claim should call 408-321-7575 or email [email protected]. For more information on the project, visit vta.org/eastridgetobart. ...read more read less