California Transportation Commission today > Rexroad.com

Today at the California Transportation Commission meeting Speaker Fabian Nunez played hard ball. He wen to the podium and basically said that without the improvements he was seeking in the transpotation allocation that he would block the funding of the bond money for the list. That is a tough play.

The Governor then followed with a list of items he wanted included. I have enclosed the text of the letter from the Governor below.

These people are playing rough. I think that I-5/113 interchange, although very important, is not in this league.

In the end, they have the political muscle to make this happen.

For Immediate Release:
Contact: Aaron McLear
Tuesday, February 20, 2007                                                                                                                                                                                    916-445-4571

Gov. Schwarzenegger Calls on California Transportation Commission to Fully Allocate Corridor Mobility Improvement Program Funds

Today, Governor Schwarzenegger sent the following letter to the California Transportation Commission staff regarding their recent recommendations to fix California's transportation system:

February 20, 2007

Ms. Marian Bergeson
California Transportation Commission
1120 N Street
Sacramento, California 95814

Dear Chairperson Bergeson,

Last year the voters of California passed an historic infrastructure bond package, including Proposition 1B - a long overdue investment in California's critical highways, roads and goods movement corridors. Our promise to the voters in seeking their support for this bond package is that their investment will relieve traffic congestion in key transportation arteries around the State.

The California Transportation Commission (CTC) has the difficult job of choosing among many critical projects that will be funded through the $4.5 billion Corridor Mobility Improvement Account (CMIA). Given the historic backlog of unfunded transportation projects in the State, it is not hard to understand why there are more than $11 billion in project proposals competing for this $4.5 billion fund.

The staff at the California Department of Transportation (CalTrans) submitted a tightly focused list of critical transportation projects that meet the objectives of Proposition 1B's Corridor Mobility Improvement program - to reduce congestion in key arteries of the State. I strongly urge the Commission to reconsider the projects on the CalTrans list for funding in this initial round of programming.

There are significant projects omitted from the CTC staff's list of projects recommended for funding that I believe should be reconsidered. Funding the CMIA program at the full $4.5 billion level is essential to meeting California's transportation needs and providing local agencies with the certainty necessary to move forward in the development of their projects.

Omitted from the list of projects recommended by the CTC staff are several high-priority projects that advance the mobility objectives of the CMIA program which the Commission should consider. These projects include, but are not limited to, the following:

The Los Angeles I-405 High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane project employs an innovative design/build strategy to close a gap in the HOV system on this congested corridor and leverages available federal funding.

The Los Angeles I-5 corridor upgrade from the Orange County line to Interstate 605 is a critical project from a congestion relief standpoint and provides improvements on a facility that was completed in the 1960s.

The I-215 corridor needs funding to provide for a vital HOV lane that will serve to expand the system in conjunction with the revitalization of downtown San Bernardino.

The Riverside State Route 91 HOV project just south of the 60/91/215 interchange to Adams Street is an absolutely essential element of planned improvements to the SR-91 corridor, and closes a serious gap in the existing HOV system in the County.

The Bay Area has significant transportation needs - the Doyle drive approach to the Golden Gate Bridge, the Marin-Sonoma Narrows on Highway 101, and the Alameda 580 corridor is a major goods-movement route that suffers from major congestion.

The I-205 and I-5 widening projects in San Joaquin County are justified given that the corridor is severely impacted by congestion which will only get much worse as the population in this fast-growing area continues to grow.

The Sacramento I-80 HOV lane project combats congestion on a corridor of both regional and national significance, and will provide a continuous 24-mile stretch of HOV lanes in the heavily traveled corridor.

The Solano 80/680/12 interchange is a vitally important project from a goods movement and congestion reduction perspective.

Kern County has several widening projects along the Rosedale Hwy and Route 184 that are necessary for congestion relief and for which Federal funds have already been earmarked.

While funding has been provided for State Route 101 in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties, it is necessary for the Commission to engage with Caltrans and the regional agencies to ensure that this work can proceed to construction in a timely manner.

I urge you to reconsider all the recommended projects on the CalTrans list - many of them are essential to achieving the performance objectives of Proposition 1B in terms of reduced congestion and improved connectivity. The Commission is to be commended for going about this important task in open and responsible manner and I look forward to the discussion that will take place between now and the final selection of projects on February 28.

Sincerely,

Arnold Schwarzenegger

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