Press Releases
TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES
FY 2010 APPROPRIATIONS REQUESTS
Agency: Department of Transportation
Federal Aviation Administration
Project Title: Palm Springs International Airport Air Traffic Control Tower, CA
Recipient: City of Palm Springs
Location: 3400 East Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
This funding will support construction of a new $21 million Air Traffic Control Tower at Palm Springs International Airport, to meet current FAA standards and the current and future airport traffic control needs of the airport. The existing control tower is inadequate for airport traffic control needs due to the insufficient height of the tower cab, which places some of the operational airport surfaces at or below eye level for controllers. This project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will improve airport effectiveness and safety, and allow for greater commercial growth in the region.
Project Title: Siskiyou County Airport Improvements, CA
Recipient: County of Siskiyou
Location: 305 Butte Street, Yreka, CA 96097
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
Siskiyou County is working to make considerable improvements to the County airport to attract more air traffic and commercial development. The airport has 50-year-old infrastructure that is stifling growth, including its water and sewer system and buildings that should be removed because of hazardous building materials. These infrastructure improvements are a valuable use of taxpayer funds because modernization of the airport facilities will enable significant commercial development in rural Northern California.
Project Title: Stockton Metropolitan Airport – Upgrade of Instrument Landing System, CA
Recipient: County of San Joaquin, Stockton Metropolitan Airport
Location: 5000 South Airport Way, Stockton, CA 95206
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
The Stockton Metropolitan Airport, located in the San Joaquin Valley, is upgrading its Instrument Landing Systems, which help pilots navigate and land in periods of reduced visibility. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will maximize the Airport’s ability to continue operating during inclement weather, improving the Airport’s effectiveness and safety. The Airport’s current landing system allows aircraft to descend and land when visibility is greater than one-half mile. As a foreign trade zone conveniently located and accessible by Interstate 5 and Highway 99, Stockton Airport is poised to become a major commercial service, air cargo and agricultural goods export hub for central California.
Agency: Federal Highway Administration
Project Title: Alameda Corridor East Grade Separations, CA
Recipient: Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG)
Location: 818 West Seventh Street, 12th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90017
Amount Requested: $30,000,000
This project includes safety improvements along 131 rail-highway grade crossings along a 282-mile freight/passenger trade corridor serving 31 cities and two million residents. The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are the point of entry for forty percent of the nation’s containerized cargo imports, much of which is transported via the Alameda Corridor East – 282 miles of freight track in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. This project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because these improvements will increase mobility, enhance safety and encourage economic vitality in connection with the movement of goods from the ports to the rest of the country.
Project Title: Autumn Street Parkway, San Jose, CA
Recipient: City of San Jose
Location: 200 East Santa Clara Street, 18th Floor, San Jose, CA 95113-1905
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
This funding will support construction of the Autumn Street Parkway in San Jose, which will parallel Guadalupe Parkway, providing improved access to downtown, the HP Pavilion and the Caltrain Diridion train station. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will improve downtown access from San Jose Mineta Airport, the new I-880 / Coleman Avenue Interchange, and the interchange at Route 87 and Taylor Street. The plan also calls for bicycle and pedestrian access, which will connect the Guadalupe River Park trails to downtown. The road is a critical element in downtown San Jose redevelopment and is a required transportation mitigation for the master-planned expansion of residential and commercial expansion in the core area over the next ten years.
Project Title: Berkeley/Albany Ferry Service in CA
Recipient: San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transit Authority
Location: Pier 9, Suite 111, The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94111
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
The San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority is expanding Bay Area ferry services, including eight new routes and improvements to current systems. The requested funding will be used to construct a new 149-passenger vessel. This project will provide ferry service between the East Bay and downtown San Francisco, carrying approximately 1,800 people per day. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will alleviate congestion on Bay Area bridges, and provide a mass transit alternative for commuters.
Project Title: Golden Gate Bridge Seismic Retrofit Construction, CA
Recipient: Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District
Location: Golden Gate Bridge Toll Plaza, P.O. Box 9000, Presidio Station, San Francisco, California 94129-0601
Amount Requested: $5,000,000
A seismic retrofit of the Golden Gate Bridge has been underway since 2001 to improve the bridge’s ability to withstand a 7.0 magnitude earthquake or higher. This funding is being requested for the final phase of construction – retrofitting the 4,200 foot-long main span and the two 746 foot-tall towers, and the south tower pier. On average, 100,000 drivers cross this bridge every day. The bridge could sustain major damage if an earthquake occurred on the nearby San Andreas or Hayward faults. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because the U.S. Geological Survey has estimated a 62 percent probability of a magnitude 6.7 or greater earthquake striking the San Francisco Bay Area in the next 30 years, and the retrofit project will protect the safety of drivers and this important American landmark.
Project Title: I-15/I-215 Interchange Improvements, CA
Recipient: San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG)
Location: 1170 West Third Street, San Bernardino, CA 92410
Amount Requested: $2,500,000
This funding will support the San Bernardino Associated Governments’ plans to add one lane in each direction at the Interstate 15 and I-215 interchange, and provide truck bypass lanes around the interchange merge zones. The interchange, constructed in 1969, is one of the most congested goods movement corridors in the country, with traffic exacerbated by roadway design limitations and a lack of viable alternate routes. More than 160,000 vehicles use the interchange daily and traffic is expected to increase to 250,000 vehicles per day by 2030. This project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will dramatically improve goods movement in the area and allow for more efficient throughput between these two key arteries. Additionally, the improvements will eliminate truck weaving in the middle of a substantial grade, further improving the operational efficiency and safety of the interchange.
Project Title: Interchange at I-5 and French Camp Road, and Arch-Sperry Road Construction, Stockton, CA
Recipient: San Joaquin Council of Governments
Location: 555 East Weber Avenue, Stockton, CA 95202
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
The Arch Road-Sperry Road arterial will connect two major highways in the Central Valley, Interstate 5 and State Route 99. This project is necessary to mitigate existing and forecasted truck traffic congestion for Stockton Metropolitan Airport, the Port of Stockton, and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad Intermodal Facility. Several times per day, truck traffic must navigate through the local roadway network, which includes three at-grade railroad crossings, to deliver goods to local businesses. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will significantly improve regional mobility, connect multiple modes of transportation, and relieve congestion between I-5 and SR 99.
Project Title: Rice Avenue Interchange at U.S. Highway 101, Port of Hueneme, CA
Recipient: City of Oxnard
Location: 300 West Third Street, Oxnard, CA 93030
Amount Requested: $5,000,000
The requested funding will begin construction of the new interchange between Rice Avenue and U.S. 101 at the Port of Hueneme, the only deepwater port between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The new interchange will enhance traffic flow and the economic viability of the Port, which sees more than $4 billion in cargo value each year. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will significantly improve the efficiency of the port, and increase goods movement and traffic safety.
Project Title: Riverside Freeway (State Route 91) Congestion Relief Project in Orange County, CA
Recipient: Orange County Transportation Authority
Location: 550 South Main Street, Orange, CA 92868
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
This funding will support preliminary engineering to determine whether it is more feasible to add one or two new lanes at the interchange between the State Route 241 Toll Road and the tolled congestion management lanes on the Riverside Freeway (State Route 91). SR 91 is critical for the movement of goods from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to inland destinations, and is currently operating at full capacity during peak hours for commuters and goods movement, with over 300,000 vehicles per day. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will reduce severe delays between Riverside and Orange Counties, minimizing delays for goods movement and lessening travel times for commuters.
Project Title: South Access to the Golden Gate Bridge, Doyle Drive, City and County of San Francisco, CA
Recipient: San Francisco County Transportation Authority
Location: 100 Van Ness Avenue, 26th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94102
Amount Requested: $15,000,000
Doyle Drive, the south access to the Golden Gate Bridge, is more than seventy years old and has been rated by the Department of Transportation as the fifth worst bridge in the nation and the worst in California. The requested funding will be used to replace this aging facility with a new parkway connecting San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Presidio. Doyle Drive is a designated Post Disaster Recovery Route, providing the only road linkage between San Francisco and northern California counties. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds as it is imperative that Doyle Drive be fully functional for daily use and in case of emergencies, in order to retain a vital lifeline that is critical for national security and emergency services in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Project Title: State Route 152 Improvements, CA
Recipient: County of Merced
Location: 2222 M Street, Merced, CA 95340
Amount Requested: $2,500,000
The requested funding will be used to construct a new alignment for State Route 152 in Merced County, which provides the only direct connection between State Route 99, Interstate 5 and U.S. Highway 101 in central California. The project will construct a seven-mile four-lane bypass around the City of Los Banos, which will significantly reduce truck congestion travelling to and from the Central Valley. The current winding, two-lane rural road cannot accommodate the increasing volume of commercial truck and automobile traffic. These improvements are a valuable use of taxpayer funds because they will improve regional mobility, enhance goods movement to the Port of Oakland, and ease congestion.
Project Title: State Route 180 Improvements, CA
Recipient: Council of Fresno County Governments
Location: 2305 Tulare Street, Suite 201, Fresno, CA 93721
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
The requested funds will be used to widen a six-mile section of State Route 180 to four lanes, east of the City of Fresno to the City of Sanger. The widened expressway will provide improved access to connect the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park to Interstate 5. The completion of SR 180 will accommodate increased safe traffic flows vital for economic and commercial development of eastern Fresno County and will enhance farm-to-market shipping opportunities for the region. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will relieve highly congested SR 99 of truck traffic, and assist in air pollution control by moving traffic away from the metropolitan Fresno area.
Project Title: Travis Air Force Base Access Roads, CA
Recipient: Solano Transportation Authority
Location: One Harbor Center, Suite 130, Suisun City CA 94585
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
In the past few years, Travis Air Force Base has become the busiest military air terminal for passengers and cargo in the country, while the closure of base housing has also increased the number of base employees commuting to work. The county roads that provide access to Travis are insufficient to handle this increasing traffic. This project will benefit taxpayers by enhancing access, and improving the movement of cargo and personnel to an Air Force base.
Project Title: Tulare County Short Line Railroad Restoration, CA
Recipient: Tulare County Association of Governments
Location: 5961 South Mooney Boulevard, Visalia, CA 93277
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
The County of Tulare is working to revitalize and preserve a forty-mile rail spur. This project is the first step in developing a short-haul rail system which will connect the Port of Oakland to many communities and agricultural producing regions of the San Joaquin Valley, extending 300 miles through nine California counties from Alameda to Kern. A viable short-haul rail system would provide much needed economic benefits and air quality improvements to Tulare County and the Valley. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will improve regional mobility, connect multiple modes of transportation, and promoting goods movement to and from the Port of Oakland to California’s agricultural base.
Agency: Federal Railroad Administration
Project Title: Caltrain - Positive Train Control, CA
Recipient: Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board
Location: 1250 San Carlos Avenue, San Carlos, CA 94070
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
This funding will allow Caltrain to proceed with preliminary demonstration and deployment of a Positive Train Control system (PTC) – a critical railroad traffic signal and control system to provide a higher margin of safety. PTC is a predictive collision avoidance technology designed to prevent train-to-train collisions, speeding and over-speed derailments, incursions into track work zones, and movement of a train through a switch left in the wrong position. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will provide improved safety for the 39,000 passengers per day who ride Caltrain, and promote increased use of public transit, which will, in turn, lower carbon emissions and improve air quality.
Project Title: Metrolink - Grade Crossing Improvements, CA
Recipient: Southern California Regional Rail Authority – Metrolink
Location: 700 South Flower Street Suite 2600, Los Angeles, CA, 90017
Amount Requested: $10,500,000
This project enhances safety at highway-rail grade crossings through the construction of grade crossing safety improvements including median barriers, four-quadrant gates at crossings, fencing at strategic points, traffic signal system upgrades including advanced signal preemption, additional traffic signage, and street striping improvements at crossings in Metrolink’s service area, to systematically reduce the opportunity for accidents in the corridor. This project encompasses 63 at-grade vehicular and pedestrian crossings along Metrolink’s Antelope Valley and Ventura County Lines. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it enhances safety for train passengers and engineers, and motorists at all highway-rail grade crossings.
Project Title: Metrolink - Positive Train Control, CA
Recipient: Southern California Regional Rail Authority – Metrolink
Location: 700 South Flower Street Suite 2600, Los Angeles, CA, 90017
Amount Requested: $5,000,000
This funding will go toward implementing Positive Train Control (PTC) along the Metrolink system, which operates seven routes providing 149 weekday commuter trains over 388 route miles through six counties in Southern California, carrying nearly one million passengers each month. PTC is a predictive collision avoidance technology designed to prevent train-to-train collisions, speeding and over-speed derailments, incursions into track work zones, and movement of a train through a switch left in the wrong position. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will drastically improve safety on rail systems in which passenger and freight trains travelling in opposite directions share a single track with only a signal light to prevent devastating collisions.
Project Title: Sacramento Intermodal Terminal Facility Rail Relocation, CA
Recipient: Sacramento Area Council of Governments
Location: 1415 L Street, Suite 300, Sacramento, CA 95814
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
This funding will help relocate and straighten existing Union Pacific freight rail tracks, which will allow freight trains to operate at higher speeds and increase their freight movement capacity. Separating the freight and passenger rail lines will also create safer operation for Amtrak’s Capitol Corridor service with fewer conflicts and delays. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will allow for increased capacity for freight trains and passenger service on the shared Union Pacific line between Nevada, Sacramento, and the Bay area, and provide significant safety improvements for train passengers.
FRA Programs
Program Title: Railroad Safety Technology Grants
Recipient: Federal Rail Administration
Location: Washington, D.C.
Amount Requested: $50,000,000
This important program was authorized at $50 million in the Railroad Safety Enhancement Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-432, Section 105), to help commuter rail systems implement safety improvements such as Positive Train Control systems. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it is critical that improved measures be put in place to mitigate rail safety hazards wherever and whenever possible.
Program Title: Capital Grants for Class II and Class III Railroads
Recipient: Federal Rail Administration
Location: Washington, D.C.
Amount Requested: $50,000,000
This program was authorized at $50 million in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-140, Section 1112), for making capital grants to class II and class III railroads, for projects that facilitate the use of railroad transportation for freight shipments. This funding is also available to projects that serve the public interest through the rehabilitation, preservation, or improvement of railroad track used primarily for freight transportation. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because a viable short-haul railroad system is vital for the promotion of goods movement throughout the country, and provides significant economic and air quality improvements regionally and nationally.
Agency: Federal Transit Administration
Project Title: AC Transit BRT Corridor, CA
Recipient: Alameda - Contra Costa Transit (AC Transit)
Location: 1600 Franklin Street, Oakland, CA 94612
Amount Requested: $3,000,000
Alameda – Contra Costa County Transit (AC Transit) is requesting funding to improve their Bus Rapid Transit service, by providing bus priority at traffic signals, utility relocation, sidewalk widening, and streetscape and bus shelter improvements to enhance pedestrian safety. In addition, the request will go toward implementing electronic real-time bus arrival information at bus shelters and technology to improve accessibility for persons with disabilities. More than 30,000 riders use this corridor daily. This project will benefit taxpayers by increasing access to public transit, and enhancing the effectiveness of this mass transit corridor for the region’s commuters.
Project Title: Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center, CA
Recipient: Orange County Transportation Authority
Location: 550 S. Main St., P.O. Box 14184, Orange, CA 92863-1584
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
This funding will be used to continue preliminary engineering and environmental study for a centralized transportation hub, the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center. Situated along the Los Angeles-San Diego rail line and bounded by State Route 57 and Interstate 5, this hub will provide access to Metrolink commuter rail, Amtrak intercity rail, and bus service, and will serve as a station for the future California High Speed Rail system. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will help to accommodate the travel needs of 45 million annual visitors to the area, will connect multiple modes of transportation, and relieve congestion.
Project Title: Livermore-Amador BRT, CA
Recipient: Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority
Location: 1362 Rutan Court, Suite 100, Livermore, CA 94551
Amount Requested: $79,900
This project will reduce congestion along the I-580 corridor by providing Bus Rapid Transit service between the Dublin BART station and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, via downtown Livermore. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will reduce vehicle traffic on I-580, facilitate regional mobility by taking nearly 600,000 commuters off the road annually, and improve the movement of goods between the Ports of Oakland and Stockton. Funding will assist in purchasing 14 electric-hybrid buses, constructing 34 new bus stations and installing traffic signal upgrades along the 12 mile route. This request is included in the President’s Budget.
Project Title: Los Angeles Metro Rapid Bus Transit System, CA
Recipient: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Location: One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Amount Requested: $23,236
The requested funding will fulfill the federal cost share for adding eight bus routes to the Los Angeles County Bus Rapid Transit system. Metro Rapid buses are equipped with sensors that extend green lights or shorten red lights to help buses get through intersections. The project will benefit taxpayers by increasing access to public transit for LA residents, decreasing congestion in and around the City, and improving air quality by reducing emissions. This request is included in the President’s Budget.
Project Title: Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension, Los Angeles, CA
Recipient: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Location: One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Amount Requested: $9,582,551
The Metro Gold Line Eastside Light Rail Extension is a six-mile light rail project that connects Union Station in downtown Los Angeles through Little Tokyo, the Arts District, Boyle Heights and terminating in East LA. This project benefits taxpayers because it will provide low-cost mass transit access to downtown LA for low-income residents, and provide a transportation alternative for commuters from the highest density residential area in LA. This funding will be used for construction of eight new stations along the Metro Gold Line Eastside Light Rail Extension, which is scheduled to begin revenue operation by mid-2009, and is expected to carry an average of 23,000 passengers per day. This request is included in the President’s Budget.
Project Title: Metro Regional Connector, Los Angeles, CA
Recipient: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Location: One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Amount Requested: $5,000,000
The Metro Regional Connector is an approximately two-mile light rail project that connects Metro Gold Line in downtown Los Angeles to the Metro Blue Line and Red Line Stations. The project will provide continuous transit service across the region in two different directions: north/south and east/west without the need to transfer, and will include three new stations. This project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will provide travel time savings by eliminating the need to transfer, and will increase convenience and accessibility for transit riders.
Project Title: Metro Westside Extension, Los Angeles, CA
Recipient: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Location: One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Amount Requested: $5,000,000
The Metro Westside Extension, also known as the “Subway to the Sea”, will extend the existing Metro subway system to the Westside of Los Angeles. The initial nine-mile extension to Beverly Hills, Century City and Westwood/UCLA will include seven to ten new stations. An extension of the subway to the Westside will serve the high number of regional commuters that ride to and from this area each day. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will extend public transportation to several key hubs of employment, residency, and education throughout greater Los Angeles, promoting the use of mass transit, taking cars off of the road, and thus mitigating congestion and improving air quality.
Project Title: Mid-City Rapid, San Diego, CA
Recipient: San Diego Association of Governments
Location: 401 B Street, Suite 800, San Diego, CA 92101
Amount Requested: $2,359,850
This project will improve public transportation in San Diego by providing a ten-mile rapid bus route from San Diego State University to downtown San Diego. The buses will service 16 stations at major activity centers and transfer points, including downtown Trolley stations, Balboa Park, the San Diego Zoo, and San Diego State University. Station improvements will include ticket vending machines, upgraded shelters, passenger information signs, level platforms to ease boarding, landscaping, and upgraded paving. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will improve access to public transportation in the region, ease congestion, provide mass transit alternatives, and improve air quality. This request is included in the President’s Budget.
Project Title: Monterey Bay Bus Rapid Transit, CA
Recipient: Monterey Salinas Transit
Location: Salinas Transit Center, 110 Salinas St., Salinas, CA 93901
Amount Requested: $2,800,000
Monterey Salinas Transit (MST) is planning the Monterey Bay Rapid Transit system, a 6.7-mile Bus Rapid Transit line from the Edgewater Transit Exchange in Salinas, though Monterey and the Transit Plaza, to Cannery Row and the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Twenty-one new stations will be constructed and 15 buses from the existing fleet will operate on the alignment. When completed, the project will provide a continuous Bus Rapid Transit system connecting the heavily transit-dependent communities of Seaside to the employment and tourist activity centers in Monterey. This project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will enhance and expand public transportation for the region’s heavily transit-dependent communities, promoting mass transit use, reducing congestion, and improving air quality. This request is included in the President’s Budget.
Project Title: Perris Valley Line, Riverside, CA
Recipient: Riverside County Transportation Commission
Location: 4080 Lemon St, 3rd Floor, Riverside, CA 92502
Amount Requested: $25,000,000
The extension of Metrolink on the Perris Valley Line will connect downtown Riverside to the University of California, Riverside campus, the March Air Reserve Base employment center, and the Cities of Moreno Valley and Perris, extending Metrolink service 22.7 miles. This extension will benefit thousands of residents along the Interstate 215 corridor, and could attract as many as 4,000 riders per day at start-up. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will provide a mass transit capability to this growing community.
Project Title: San Bernardino E Street Corridor sbX Bus Rapid Transit, CA
Recipient: City of San Bernardino
Location: 300 No. “D” Street, San Bernardino, CA 92418
Amount Requested: $32,300,000
Omnitrans and the City of San Bernardino are proposing to construct a 16.5-mile Bus Rapid Transit project along E Street in San Bernardino. The project will provide a dedicated bus travel lane through the majority of the corridor from north of California State University, San Bernardino, to downtown San Bernardino, the City of Loma Linda, and through the Loma Linda University Medical Center to the VA Hospital. The project includes seventeen new stations, street improvements to accommodate exclusive bus operations, and 14 new buses. The project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will enhance and expand public transportation for this transit-dependent community, promoting mass transit use, reducing congestion, and improving air quality. This request is included in the President’s Budget.
Project Title: San Francisco Muni Third St. Light Rail - Central Subway Project, CA
Recipient: San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
Location: 1 South Van Ness, 7th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
This funding is for continued preliminary engineering and design work for a 1.7-mile subway extending the light rail line in San Francisco. The project is being constructed in two phases—Phase 1, a surface light rail line with 18 stops, began service in April 2007. Phase 2 will extend this light rail line through San Francisco’s booming South of Market area and the downtown-Union Square shopping district into the heart of the city’s Chinatown. Once complete, the line is projected to carry more than 78,000 riders per day. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will improve the City’s public transit service and reliability.
Project Title: San Joaquin County Metro Express-Airport Way BRT Corridor, CA
Recipient: San Joaquin Regional Transit District
Location: 421 East Weber Avenue, Stockton, California 95202
Amount Requested: $2,808,825
Funding will expand existing Bus Rapid Transit services from downtown Stockton to the Stockton Airport. This new bus route will traverse approximately 7.2 miles along the Airport Way Corridor, and will provide access to a concentration of places of employment, educational institutions, health clinics, governmental agencies, utility offices, the San Joaquin County Superior Court and Public Library, the proposed Stockton Amtrak Station, the Altamont Commuter Express Station., and the airport. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will enable residents to use public transit to access the airport, as well as provide greater access to places of employment, education, and city services. This request is included in the President’s Budget.
Project Title: Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) Preliminary Engineering, CA
Recipient: Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit
Location: 750 Lindaro Street, Suite 200, San Rafael, CA 94901
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
This funding will continue preliminary engineering and preparation of the environmental analysis for the proposed Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) project, a 70-mile passenger rail service corridor, from Cloverdale in Sonoma County to Larkspur in Marin County, which will provide alternative modes of transportation along the Highway 101 corridor. The proposed project will include 14 rail stations, a rail maintenance facility, shuttle service at selected rail stations, and bicycle/pedestrian pathway facilities generally paralleling the rail line and connecting the rail stations. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will expand public transportation options to the residents of Sonoma and Marin Counties, reducing congestion on U.S. Highway 101, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Project Title: South Sacramento Light Rail Extension, CA
Recipient: Sacramento Regional Transit District
Location: 1400 29th Street, Sacramento, CA 95812-2110
Amount Requested: $40,000,000
This project will extend light rail service 4.2 miles, linking the rapidly developing South Sacramento Corridor with downtown Sacramento, and extending light rail service to Cosumnes River College. The project will add four new light rail stations with 2,700 park-and-ride spaces and a major transit center. On top of the benefits of extending public transit alternatives to more residents, this is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will help the region meet its air quality goals, and facilitate economic development opportunities along the alignment. This request is included in the President’s Budget.
Project Title: Transportation Agency for Monterey County Caltrain Commuter Rail Extension to Monterey County Project, CA
Recipient: Transportation Agency for Monterey County
Location: 55-B Plaza Circle, Salinas, CA, 93901
Amount Requested: $5,000,000
The Caltrain Commuter Rail Extension to Monterey County will extend the existing Caltrain commuter rail service 38 miles from its current terminus. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will make it possible for residents to utilize mass transit for their daily commute to and from work, and to access health care, education, and interregional transportation (airports, trains) in the Silicon Valley, San Jose and San Francisco, providing an alternative to the heavily congested Highway 101 corridor.
Project Title: Wilshire Boulevard Bus-Only Lane, CA
Recipient: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Location: One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Amount Requested: $13,558,474
This project will implement dedicated bus lanes along portions of a 12.5 mile section of Wilshire Boulevard between downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica. The bus-only lanes will be used exclusively by Bus Rapid Transit service during rush hour, and are expected to reduce travel time by 25 percent compared to current service. Wilshire Boulevard is one of the most important transit corridors in LA County, with approximately 93,000 bus boardings taking place each weekday. This project will benefit taxpayers because it will enhance the effectiveness of Los Angeles’s public transit, and promote ridership which will also cut down on greenhouse gas emissions and benefit the environment and public health. This request is included in the President’s Budget.
Agency: Department of Housing and Urban Development
Project Title: Coachella Valley Homeless Multi-Service Center, CA
Recipient: Coachella Valley Association of Governments
Location: 73-710 Fred Waring Drive, Suite 200, Palm Desert, CA 92260
Amount Requested: $500,000
This funding will purchase a facility where the County of Riverside, nine cities, several nonprofits and a school district will co-locate their services to provide coordinated assistance to residents in the western Coachella Valley. The center will house up to 300 homeless individuals or families with children. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because operating this homeless center and providing comprehensive support services will prevent future costs to taxpayers who would otherwise continue to support homeless individuals through the band-aid approach of minimal local programs and emergency room visits.
Project Title: Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles Tenant Commissioner Requirement Waiver, CA
Recipient: Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles
Location: 2 Coral Circle, Monterey Park, CA 91755
Amount Requested: Bill Language
This language is included in the President’s budget. It will continue a provision from the FY08 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which grants a waiver to the Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles from the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s tenant commissioner requirement, which stipulates that a public housing authority include in its governing body at least one member that is directly assisted by the housing authority. The County meets the intent of HUD’s tenant commissioner requirement through its nine-member Housing Advisory Commission, of which four are tenant commissioners who live in housing assisted by the Authority. Los Angeles County would lose $5.8 million in housing capital funds if it does not receive a waiver for this requirement. I request that the following language be extended from the FY08 bill:
“A public housing agency or such other entity that administers Federal housing assistance in the States of Alaska, Iowa, and Mississippi and the Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles, California shall not be required to include a resident of public housing or a recipient of assistance provided under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 on the board of directors or a similar governing board of such agency or entity as required under section (2)(b) of such Act. Each public housing agency or other entity that administers Federal housing assistance under section 8 in the States of Alaska, Iowa, and Mississippi and the Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles, California shall establish an advisory board of not less than 6 residents of public housing or recipients of section 8 assistance to provide advice and comment to the public housing agency or other administering entity on issues related to public housing and section 8. Such advisory board shall not meet less than quarterly.”
Project Title: Mountain View Affordable Housing, Thermal, CA
Recipient: County of Riverside Redevelopment Agency
Location: 1325 Spruce Street, Suite 400, Riverside, CA 92507
Amount Requested: $500,000
A federal judge has determined that Duroville Mobile Home Park, home to 2,000 permanent residents and as many as 4,000 seasonal workers during Coachella Valley’s peak harvesting season, must be closed within two years and that the residents should be moved to a new complex. The park has been cited numerous times for substandard living conditions, including open wastewater ditches and unhealthy drinking water. In preparation for the closure, Riverside County officials are working to build a replacement park, Mountain View Estates, in Thermal, California. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will ensure that 4,000 people are not displaced and made homeless due to a federal court order to condemn their current homes.
Project Title: Santa Ana Centennial Park Improvements, CA
Recipient: City of Santa Ana
Location: 20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701
Amount Requested: $250,000
These funds are being requested to upgrade and improve the playing fields and amenities at the City’s Centennial Park. The City has one of the youngest populations in the country and uses its recreational programs as a deterrent for drug use, gang activity, violence, and diabetes in its majority Hispanic population. This project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because activities at the park provide significant public safety and public health benefits to the city’s residents.
Project Title: Wattstar Theatre and Education Center, CA
Recipient: Watts Cinema and Education Center, Inc.
Location: 10124 South Broadway, Suite 110-D, Los Angeles, CA 90003
Amount Requested: $500,000
This funding will support the construction of the Wattstar Theatre, a 34,000 square foot building with four first-run movie theatres and 12,000 square feet for education and training in the Watts district of Los Angeles. This important project will provide a unique educational opportunity in an area where the youth unemployment rate is 50 percent and 25 percent of the households have a combined annual income of less than $25,000. With five public housing developments and over one million people within a five-mile radius, the Wattstar Theatre will be the vehicle for jobs and small business creation, global communications, educational enrichment and quality entertainment. This project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it provides much-needed career training to the youth in this impoverished and low-employment community.
I have also asked for reprogramming of the following projects from Public Law 110-161:
Original Project: Brentwood Boulevard/SR 4 Improvements, Brentwood, CA
New Project: John Muir Parkway Project, Brentwood, CA
Recipient: City of Brentwood
Location: 708 Third Street, Brentwood, CA 94513
Funding will be used for construction of roadway and corresponding utility improvements, enhancing safety by expediting the response time for fire, police, and emergency response services within the City of Brentwood.
Grantee: Emergency Housing Consortium in San Jose, CA
Original Purpose: for construction of the Sobrato Transitional Center, a residential facility for homeless individuals and families
New Purpose: for improvements to homeless services and prevention facilities
Location: 2011 Little Orchard Street, San Jose, CA 95125-1031
Funding will be used for improvements to homeless services and prevention facilities operated by the Emergency Housing Consortium, the leading provider of shelter, housing opportunities, and supportive services to people in crisis and those experiencing homelessness in Silicon Valley.
FY 2010 APPROPRIATIONS REQUESTS
Agency: Department of Transportation
Federal Aviation Administration
Project Title: Palm Springs International Airport Air Traffic Control Tower, CA
Recipient: City of Palm Springs
Location: 3400 East Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
This funding will support construction of a new $21 million Air Traffic Control Tower at Palm Springs International Airport, to meet current FAA standards and the current and future airport traffic control needs of the airport. The existing control tower is inadequate for airport traffic control needs due to the insufficient height of the tower cab, which places some of the operational airport surfaces at or below eye level for controllers. This project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will improve airport effectiveness and safety, and allow for greater commercial growth in the region.
Project Title: Siskiyou County Airport Improvements, CA
Recipient: County of Siskiyou
Location: 305 Butte Street, Yreka, CA 96097
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
Siskiyou County is working to make considerable improvements to the County airport to attract more air traffic and commercial development. The airport has 50-year-old infrastructure that is stifling growth, including its water and sewer system and buildings that should be removed because of hazardous building materials. These infrastructure improvements are a valuable use of taxpayer funds because modernization of the airport facilities will enable significant commercial development in rural Northern California.
Project Title: Stockton Metropolitan Airport – Upgrade of Instrument Landing System, CA
Recipient: County of San Joaquin, Stockton Metropolitan Airport
Location: 5000 South Airport Way, Stockton, CA 95206
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
The Stockton Metropolitan Airport, located in the San Joaquin Valley, is upgrading its Instrument Landing Systems, which help pilots navigate and land in periods of reduced visibility. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will maximize the Airport’s ability to continue operating during inclement weather, improving the Airport’s effectiveness and safety. The Airport’s current landing system allows aircraft to descend and land when visibility is greater than one-half mile. As a foreign trade zone conveniently located and accessible by Interstate 5 and Highway 99, Stockton Airport is poised to become a major commercial service, air cargo and agricultural goods export hub for central California.
Agency: Federal Highway Administration
Project Title: Alameda Corridor East Grade Separations, CA
Recipient: Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG)
Location: 818 West Seventh Street, 12th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90017
Amount Requested: $30,000,000
This project includes safety improvements along 131 rail-highway grade crossings along a 282-mile freight/passenger trade corridor serving 31 cities and two million residents. The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are the point of entry for forty percent of the nation’s containerized cargo imports, much of which is transported via the Alameda Corridor East – 282 miles of freight track in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. This project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because these improvements will increase mobility, enhance safety and encourage economic vitality in connection with the movement of goods from the ports to the rest of the country.
Project Title: Autumn Street Parkway, San Jose, CA
Recipient: City of San Jose
Location: 200 East Santa Clara Street, 18th Floor, San Jose, CA 95113-1905
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
This funding will support construction of the Autumn Street Parkway in San Jose, which will parallel Guadalupe Parkway, providing improved access to downtown, the HP Pavilion and the Caltrain Diridion train station. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will improve downtown access from San Jose Mineta Airport, the new I-880 / Coleman Avenue Interchange, and the interchange at Route 87 and Taylor Street. The plan also calls for bicycle and pedestrian access, which will connect the Guadalupe River Park trails to downtown. The road is a critical element in downtown San Jose redevelopment and is a required transportation mitigation for the master-planned expansion of residential and commercial expansion in the core area over the next ten years.
Project Title: Berkeley/Albany Ferry Service in CA
Recipient: San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transit Authority
Location: Pier 9, Suite 111, The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94111
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
The San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority is expanding Bay Area ferry services, including eight new routes and improvements to current systems. The requested funding will be used to construct a new 149-passenger vessel. This project will provide ferry service between the East Bay and downtown San Francisco, carrying approximately 1,800 people per day. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will alleviate congestion on Bay Area bridges, and provide a mass transit alternative for commuters.
Project Title: Golden Gate Bridge Seismic Retrofit Construction, CA
Recipient: Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District
Location: Golden Gate Bridge Toll Plaza, P.O. Box 9000, Presidio Station, San Francisco, California 94129-0601
Amount Requested: $5,000,000
A seismic retrofit of the Golden Gate Bridge has been underway since 2001 to improve the bridge’s ability to withstand a 7.0 magnitude earthquake or higher. This funding is being requested for the final phase of construction – retrofitting the 4,200 foot-long main span and the two 746 foot-tall towers, and the south tower pier. On average, 100,000 drivers cross this bridge every day. The bridge could sustain major damage if an earthquake occurred on the nearby San Andreas or Hayward faults. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because the U.S. Geological Survey has estimated a 62 percent probability of a magnitude 6.7 or greater earthquake striking the San Francisco Bay Area in the next 30 years, and the retrofit project will protect the safety of drivers and this important American landmark.
Project Title: I-15/I-215 Interchange Improvements, CA
Recipient: San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG)
Location: 1170 West Third Street, San Bernardino, CA 92410
Amount Requested: $2,500,000
This funding will support the San Bernardino Associated Governments’ plans to add one lane in each direction at the Interstate 15 and I-215 interchange, and provide truck bypass lanes around the interchange merge zones. The interchange, constructed in 1969, is one of the most congested goods movement corridors in the country, with traffic exacerbated by roadway design limitations and a lack of viable alternate routes. More than 160,000 vehicles use the interchange daily and traffic is expected to increase to 250,000 vehicles per day by 2030. This project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will dramatically improve goods movement in the area and allow for more efficient throughput between these two key arteries. Additionally, the improvements will eliminate truck weaving in the middle of a substantial grade, further improving the operational efficiency and safety of the interchange.
Project Title: Interchange at I-5 and French Camp Road, and Arch-Sperry Road Construction, Stockton, CA
Recipient: San Joaquin Council of Governments
Location: 555 East Weber Avenue, Stockton, CA 95202
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
The Arch Road-Sperry Road arterial will connect two major highways in the Central Valley, Interstate 5 and State Route 99. This project is necessary to mitigate existing and forecasted truck traffic congestion for Stockton Metropolitan Airport, the Port of Stockton, and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad Intermodal Facility. Several times per day, truck traffic must navigate through the local roadway network, which includes three at-grade railroad crossings, to deliver goods to local businesses. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will significantly improve regional mobility, connect multiple modes of transportation, and relieve congestion between I-5 and SR 99.
Project Title: Rice Avenue Interchange at U.S. Highway 101, Port of Hueneme, CA
Recipient: City of Oxnard
Location: 300 West Third Street, Oxnard, CA 93030
Amount Requested: $5,000,000
The requested funding will begin construction of the new interchange between Rice Avenue and U.S. 101 at the Port of Hueneme, the only deepwater port between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The new interchange will enhance traffic flow and the economic viability of the Port, which sees more than $4 billion in cargo value each year. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will significantly improve the efficiency of the port, and increase goods movement and traffic safety.
Project Title: Riverside Freeway (State Route 91) Congestion Relief Project in Orange County, CA
Recipient: Orange County Transportation Authority
Location: 550 South Main Street, Orange, CA 92868
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
This funding will support preliminary engineering to determine whether it is more feasible to add one or two new lanes at the interchange between the State Route 241 Toll Road and the tolled congestion management lanes on the Riverside Freeway (State Route 91). SR 91 is critical for the movement of goods from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to inland destinations, and is currently operating at full capacity during peak hours for commuters and goods movement, with over 300,000 vehicles per day. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will reduce severe delays between Riverside and Orange Counties, minimizing delays for goods movement and lessening travel times for commuters.
Project Title: South Access to the Golden Gate Bridge, Doyle Drive, City and County of San Francisco, CA
Recipient: San Francisco County Transportation Authority
Location: 100 Van Ness Avenue, 26th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94102
Amount Requested: $15,000,000
Doyle Drive, the south access to the Golden Gate Bridge, is more than seventy years old and has been rated by the Department of Transportation as the fifth worst bridge in the nation and the worst in California. The requested funding will be used to replace this aging facility with a new parkway connecting San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Presidio. Doyle Drive is a designated Post Disaster Recovery Route, providing the only road linkage between San Francisco and northern California counties. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds as it is imperative that Doyle Drive be fully functional for daily use and in case of emergencies, in order to retain a vital lifeline that is critical for national security and emergency services in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Project Title: State Route 152 Improvements, CA
Recipient: County of Merced
Location: 2222 M Street, Merced, CA 95340
Amount Requested: $2,500,000
The requested funding will be used to construct a new alignment for State Route 152 in Merced County, which provides the only direct connection between State Route 99, Interstate 5 and U.S. Highway 101 in central California. The project will construct a seven-mile four-lane bypass around the City of Los Banos, which will significantly reduce truck congestion travelling to and from the Central Valley. The current winding, two-lane rural road cannot accommodate the increasing volume of commercial truck and automobile traffic. These improvements are a valuable use of taxpayer funds because they will improve regional mobility, enhance goods movement to the Port of Oakland, and ease congestion.
Project Title: State Route 180 Improvements, CA
Recipient: Council of Fresno County Governments
Location: 2305 Tulare Street, Suite 201, Fresno, CA 93721
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
The requested funds will be used to widen a six-mile section of State Route 180 to four lanes, east of the City of Fresno to the City of Sanger. The widened expressway will provide improved access to connect the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park to Interstate 5. The completion of SR 180 will accommodate increased safe traffic flows vital for economic and commercial development of eastern Fresno County and will enhance farm-to-market shipping opportunities for the region. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will relieve highly congested SR 99 of truck traffic, and assist in air pollution control by moving traffic away from the metropolitan Fresno area.
Project Title: Travis Air Force Base Access Roads, CA
Recipient: Solano Transportation Authority
Location: One Harbor Center, Suite 130, Suisun City CA 94585
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
In the past few years, Travis Air Force Base has become the busiest military air terminal for passengers and cargo in the country, while the closure of base housing has also increased the number of base employees commuting to work. The county roads that provide access to Travis are insufficient to handle this increasing traffic. This project will benefit taxpayers by enhancing access, and improving the movement of cargo and personnel to an Air Force base.
Project Title: Tulare County Short Line Railroad Restoration, CA
Recipient: Tulare County Association of Governments
Location: 5961 South Mooney Boulevard, Visalia, CA 93277
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
The County of Tulare is working to revitalize and preserve a forty-mile rail spur. This project is the first step in developing a short-haul rail system which will connect the Port of Oakland to many communities and agricultural producing regions of the San Joaquin Valley, extending 300 miles through nine California counties from Alameda to Kern. A viable short-haul rail system would provide much needed economic benefits and air quality improvements to Tulare County and the Valley. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will improve regional mobility, connect multiple modes of transportation, and promoting goods movement to and from the Port of Oakland to California’s agricultural base.
Agency: Federal Railroad Administration
Project Title: Caltrain - Positive Train Control, CA
Recipient: Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board
Location: 1250 San Carlos Avenue, San Carlos, CA 94070
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
This funding will allow Caltrain to proceed with preliminary demonstration and deployment of a Positive Train Control system (PTC) – a critical railroad traffic signal and control system to provide a higher margin of safety. PTC is a predictive collision avoidance technology designed to prevent train-to-train collisions, speeding and over-speed derailments, incursions into track work zones, and movement of a train through a switch left in the wrong position. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will provide improved safety for the 39,000 passengers per day who ride Caltrain, and promote increased use of public transit, which will, in turn, lower carbon emissions and improve air quality.
Project Title: Metrolink - Grade Crossing Improvements, CA
Recipient: Southern California Regional Rail Authority – Metrolink
Location: 700 South Flower Street Suite 2600, Los Angeles, CA, 90017
Amount Requested: $10,500,000
This project enhances safety at highway-rail grade crossings through the construction of grade crossing safety improvements including median barriers, four-quadrant gates at crossings, fencing at strategic points, traffic signal system upgrades including advanced signal preemption, additional traffic signage, and street striping improvements at crossings in Metrolink’s service area, to systematically reduce the opportunity for accidents in the corridor. This project encompasses 63 at-grade vehicular and pedestrian crossings along Metrolink’s Antelope Valley and Ventura County Lines. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it enhances safety for train passengers and engineers, and motorists at all highway-rail grade crossings.
Project Title: Metrolink - Positive Train Control, CA
Recipient: Southern California Regional Rail Authority – Metrolink
Location: 700 South Flower Street Suite 2600, Los Angeles, CA, 90017
Amount Requested: $5,000,000
This funding will go toward implementing Positive Train Control (PTC) along the Metrolink system, which operates seven routes providing 149 weekday commuter trains over 388 route miles through six counties in Southern California, carrying nearly one million passengers each month. PTC is a predictive collision avoidance technology designed to prevent train-to-train collisions, speeding and over-speed derailments, incursions into track work zones, and movement of a train through a switch left in the wrong position. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will drastically improve safety on rail systems in which passenger and freight trains travelling in opposite directions share a single track with only a signal light to prevent devastating collisions.
Project Title: Sacramento Intermodal Terminal Facility Rail Relocation, CA
Recipient: Sacramento Area Council of Governments
Location: 1415 L Street, Suite 300, Sacramento, CA 95814
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
This funding will help relocate and straighten existing Union Pacific freight rail tracks, which will allow freight trains to operate at higher speeds and increase their freight movement capacity. Separating the freight and passenger rail lines will also create safer operation for Amtrak’s Capitol Corridor service with fewer conflicts and delays. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will allow for increased capacity for freight trains and passenger service on the shared Union Pacific line between Nevada, Sacramento, and the Bay area, and provide significant safety improvements for train passengers.
FRA Programs
Program Title: Railroad Safety Technology Grants
Recipient: Federal Rail Administration
Location: Washington, D.C.
Amount Requested: $50,000,000
This important program was authorized at $50 million in the Railroad Safety Enhancement Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-432, Section 105), to help commuter rail systems implement safety improvements such as Positive Train Control systems. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it is critical that improved measures be put in place to mitigate rail safety hazards wherever and whenever possible.
Program Title: Capital Grants for Class II and Class III Railroads
Recipient: Federal Rail Administration
Location: Washington, D.C.
Amount Requested: $50,000,000
This program was authorized at $50 million in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-140, Section 1112), for making capital grants to class II and class III railroads, for projects that facilitate the use of railroad transportation for freight shipments. This funding is also available to projects that serve the public interest through the rehabilitation, preservation, or improvement of railroad track used primarily for freight transportation. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because a viable short-haul railroad system is vital for the promotion of goods movement throughout the country, and provides significant economic and air quality improvements regionally and nationally.
Agency: Federal Transit Administration
Project Title: AC Transit BRT Corridor, CA
Recipient: Alameda - Contra Costa Transit (AC Transit)
Location: 1600 Franklin Street, Oakland, CA 94612
Amount Requested: $3,000,000
Alameda – Contra Costa County Transit (AC Transit) is requesting funding to improve their Bus Rapid Transit service, by providing bus priority at traffic signals, utility relocation, sidewalk widening, and streetscape and bus shelter improvements to enhance pedestrian safety. In addition, the request will go toward implementing electronic real-time bus arrival information at bus shelters and technology to improve accessibility for persons with disabilities. More than 30,000 riders use this corridor daily. This project will benefit taxpayers by increasing access to public transit, and enhancing the effectiveness of this mass transit corridor for the region’s commuters.
Project Title: Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center, CA
Recipient: Orange County Transportation Authority
Location: 550 S. Main St., P.O. Box 14184, Orange, CA 92863-1584
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
This funding will be used to continue preliminary engineering and environmental study for a centralized transportation hub, the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center. Situated along the Los Angeles-San Diego rail line and bounded by State Route 57 and Interstate 5, this hub will provide access to Metrolink commuter rail, Amtrak intercity rail, and bus service, and will serve as a station for the future California High Speed Rail system. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will help to accommodate the travel needs of 45 million annual visitors to the area, will connect multiple modes of transportation, and relieve congestion.
Project Title: Livermore-Amador BRT, CA
Recipient: Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority
Location: 1362 Rutan Court, Suite 100, Livermore, CA 94551
Amount Requested: $79,900
This project will reduce congestion along the I-580 corridor by providing Bus Rapid Transit service between the Dublin BART station and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, via downtown Livermore. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will reduce vehicle traffic on I-580, facilitate regional mobility by taking nearly 600,000 commuters off the road annually, and improve the movement of goods between the Ports of Oakland and Stockton. Funding will assist in purchasing 14 electric-hybrid buses, constructing 34 new bus stations and installing traffic signal upgrades along the 12 mile route. This request is included in the President’s Budget.
Project Title: Los Angeles Metro Rapid Bus Transit System, CA
Recipient: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Location: One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Amount Requested: $23,236
The requested funding will fulfill the federal cost share for adding eight bus routes to the Los Angeles County Bus Rapid Transit system. Metro Rapid buses are equipped with sensors that extend green lights or shorten red lights to help buses get through intersections. The project will benefit taxpayers by increasing access to public transit for LA residents, decreasing congestion in and around the City, and improving air quality by reducing emissions. This request is included in the President’s Budget.
Project Title: Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension, Los Angeles, CA
Recipient: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Location: One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Amount Requested: $9,582,551
The Metro Gold Line Eastside Light Rail Extension is a six-mile light rail project that connects Union Station in downtown Los Angeles through Little Tokyo, the Arts District, Boyle Heights and terminating in East LA. This project benefits taxpayers because it will provide low-cost mass transit access to downtown LA for low-income residents, and provide a transportation alternative for commuters from the highest density residential area in LA. This funding will be used for construction of eight new stations along the Metro Gold Line Eastside Light Rail Extension, which is scheduled to begin revenue operation by mid-2009, and is expected to carry an average of 23,000 passengers per day. This request is included in the President’s Budget.
Project Title: Metro Regional Connector, Los Angeles, CA
Recipient: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Location: One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Amount Requested: $5,000,000
The Metro Regional Connector is an approximately two-mile light rail project that connects Metro Gold Line in downtown Los Angeles to the Metro Blue Line and Red Line Stations. The project will provide continuous transit service across the region in two different directions: north/south and east/west without the need to transfer, and will include three new stations. This project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will provide travel time savings by eliminating the need to transfer, and will increase convenience and accessibility for transit riders.
Project Title: Metro Westside Extension, Los Angeles, CA
Recipient: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Location: One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Amount Requested: $5,000,000
The Metro Westside Extension, also known as the “Subway to the Sea”, will extend the existing Metro subway system to the Westside of Los Angeles. The initial nine-mile extension to Beverly Hills, Century City and Westwood/UCLA will include seven to ten new stations. An extension of the subway to the Westside will serve the high number of regional commuters that ride to and from this area each day. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will extend public transportation to several key hubs of employment, residency, and education throughout greater Los Angeles, promoting the use of mass transit, taking cars off of the road, and thus mitigating congestion and improving air quality.
Project Title: Mid-City Rapid, San Diego, CA
Recipient: San Diego Association of Governments
Location: 401 B Street, Suite 800, San Diego, CA 92101
Amount Requested: $2,359,850
This project will improve public transportation in San Diego by providing a ten-mile rapid bus route from San Diego State University to downtown San Diego. The buses will service 16 stations at major activity centers and transfer points, including downtown Trolley stations, Balboa Park, the San Diego Zoo, and San Diego State University. Station improvements will include ticket vending machines, upgraded shelters, passenger information signs, level platforms to ease boarding, landscaping, and upgraded paving. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will improve access to public transportation in the region, ease congestion, provide mass transit alternatives, and improve air quality. This request is included in the President’s Budget.
Project Title: Monterey Bay Bus Rapid Transit, CA
Recipient: Monterey Salinas Transit
Location: Salinas Transit Center, 110 Salinas St., Salinas, CA 93901
Amount Requested: $2,800,000
Monterey Salinas Transit (MST) is planning the Monterey Bay Rapid Transit system, a 6.7-mile Bus Rapid Transit line from the Edgewater Transit Exchange in Salinas, though Monterey and the Transit Plaza, to Cannery Row and the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Twenty-one new stations will be constructed and 15 buses from the existing fleet will operate on the alignment. When completed, the project will provide a continuous Bus Rapid Transit system connecting the heavily transit-dependent communities of Seaside to the employment and tourist activity centers in Monterey. This project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will enhance and expand public transportation for the region’s heavily transit-dependent communities, promoting mass transit use, reducing congestion, and improving air quality. This request is included in the President’s Budget.
Project Title: Perris Valley Line, Riverside, CA
Recipient: Riverside County Transportation Commission
Location: 4080 Lemon St, 3rd Floor, Riverside, CA 92502
Amount Requested: $25,000,000
The extension of Metrolink on the Perris Valley Line will connect downtown Riverside to the University of California, Riverside campus, the March Air Reserve Base employment center, and the Cities of Moreno Valley and Perris, extending Metrolink service 22.7 miles. This extension will benefit thousands of residents along the Interstate 215 corridor, and could attract as many as 4,000 riders per day at start-up. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will provide a mass transit capability to this growing community.
Project Title: San Bernardino E Street Corridor sbX Bus Rapid Transit, CA
Recipient: City of San Bernardino
Location: 300 No. “D” Street, San Bernardino, CA 92418
Amount Requested: $32,300,000
Omnitrans and the City of San Bernardino are proposing to construct a 16.5-mile Bus Rapid Transit project along E Street in San Bernardino. The project will provide a dedicated bus travel lane through the majority of the corridor from north of California State University, San Bernardino, to downtown San Bernardino, the City of Loma Linda, and through the Loma Linda University Medical Center to the VA Hospital. The project includes seventeen new stations, street improvements to accommodate exclusive bus operations, and 14 new buses. The project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will enhance and expand public transportation for this transit-dependent community, promoting mass transit use, reducing congestion, and improving air quality. This request is included in the President’s Budget.
Project Title: San Francisco Muni Third St. Light Rail - Central Subway Project, CA
Recipient: San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
Location: 1 South Van Ness, 7th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
This funding is for continued preliminary engineering and design work for a 1.7-mile subway extending the light rail line in San Francisco. The project is being constructed in two phases—Phase 1, a surface light rail line with 18 stops, began service in April 2007. Phase 2 will extend this light rail line through San Francisco’s booming South of Market area and the downtown-Union Square shopping district into the heart of the city’s Chinatown. Once complete, the line is projected to carry more than 78,000 riders per day. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will improve the City’s public transit service and reliability.
Project Title: San Joaquin County Metro Express-Airport Way BRT Corridor, CA
Recipient: San Joaquin Regional Transit District
Location: 421 East Weber Avenue, Stockton, California 95202
Amount Requested: $2,808,825
Funding will expand existing Bus Rapid Transit services from downtown Stockton to the Stockton Airport. This new bus route will traverse approximately 7.2 miles along the Airport Way Corridor, and will provide access to a concentration of places of employment, educational institutions, health clinics, governmental agencies, utility offices, the San Joaquin County Superior Court and Public Library, the proposed Stockton Amtrak Station, the Altamont Commuter Express Station., and the airport. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will enable residents to use public transit to access the airport, as well as provide greater access to places of employment, education, and city services. This request is included in the President’s Budget.
Project Title: Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) Preliminary Engineering, CA
Recipient: Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit
Location: 750 Lindaro Street, Suite 200, San Rafael, CA 94901
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
This funding will continue preliminary engineering and preparation of the environmental analysis for the proposed Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) project, a 70-mile passenger rail service corridor, from Cloverdale in Sonoma County to Larkspur in Marin County, which will provide alternative modes of transportation along the Highway 101 corridor. The proposed project will include 14 rail stations, a rail maintenance facility, shuttle service at selected rail stations, and bicycle/pedestrian pathway facilities generally paralleling the rail line and connecting the rail stations. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will expand public transportation options to the residents of Sonoma and Marin Counties, reducing congestion on U.S. Highway 101, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Project Title: South Sacramento Light Rail Extension, CA
Recipient: Sacramento Regional Transit District
Location: 1400 29th Street, Sacramento, CA 95812-2110
Amount Requested: $40,000,000
This project will extend light rail service 4.2 miles, linking the rapidly developing South Sacramento Corridor with downtown Sacramento, and extending light rail service to Cosumnes River College. The project will add four new light rail stations with 2,700 park-and-ride spaces and a major transit center. On top of the benefits of extending public transit alternatives to more residents, this is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will help the region meet its air quality goals, and facilitate economic development opportunities along the alignment. This request is included in the President’s Budget.
Project Title: Transportation Agency for Monterey County Caltrain Commuter Rail Extension to Monterey County Project, CA
Recipient: Transportation Agency for Monterey County
Location: 55-B Plaza Circle, Salinas, CA, 93901
Amount Requested: $5,000,000
The Caltrain Commuter Rail Extension to Monterey County will extend the existing Caltrain commuter rail service 38 miles from its current terminus. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will make it possible for residents to utilize mass transit for their daily commute to and from work, and to access health care, education, and interregional transportation (airports, trains) in the Silicon Valley, San Jose and San Francisco, providing an alternative to the heavily congested Highway 101 corridor.
Project Title: Wilshire Boulevard Bus-Only Lane, CA
Recipient: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Location: One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Amount Requested: $13,558,474
This project will implement dedicated bus lanes along portions of a 12.5 mile section of Wilshire Boulevard between downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica. The bus-only lanes will be used exclusively by Bus Rapid Transit service during rush hour, and are expected to reduce travel time by 25 percent compared to current service. Wilshire Boulevard is one of the most important transit corridors in LA County, with approximately 93,000 bus boardings taking place each weekday. This project will benefit taxpayers because it will enhance the effectiveness of Los Angeles’s public transit, and promote ridership which will also cut down on greenhouse gas emissions and benefit the environment and public health. This request is included in the President’s Budget.
Agency: Department of Housing and Urban Development
Project Title: Coachella Valley Homeless Multi-Service Center, CA
Recipient: Coachella Valley Association of Governments
Location: 73-710 Fred Waring Drive, Suite 200, Palm Desert, CA 92260
Amount Requested: $500,000
This funding will purchase a facility where the County of Riverside, nine cities, several nonprofits and a school district will co-locate their services to provide coordinated assistance to residents in the western Coachella Valley. The center will house up to 300 homeless individuals or families with children. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because operating this homeless center and providing comprehensive support services will prevent future costs to taxpayers who would otherwise continue to support homeless individuals through the band-aid approach of minimal local programs and emergency room visits.
Project Title: Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles Tenant Commissioner Requirement Waiver, CA
Recipient: Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles
Location: 2 Coral Circle, Monterey Park, CA 91755
Amount Requested: Bill Language
This language is included in the President’s budget. It will continue a provision from the FY08 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which grants a waiver to the Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles from the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s tenant commissioner requirement, which stipulates that a public housing authority include in its governing body at least one member that is directly assisted by the housing authority. The County meets the intent of HUD’s tenant commissioner requirement through its nine-member Housing Advisory Commission, of which four are tenant commissioners who live in housing assisted by the Authority. Los Angeles County would lose $5.8 million in housing capital funds if it does not receive a waiver for this requirement. I request that the following language be extended from the FY08 bill:
“A public housing agency or such other entity that administers Federal housing assistance in the States of Alaska, Iowa, and Mississippi and the Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles, California shall not be required to include a resident of public housing or a recipient of assistance provided under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 on the board of directors or a similar governing board of such agency or entity as required under section (2)(b) of such Act. Each public housing agency or other entity that administers Federal housing assistance under section 8 in the States of Alaska, Iowa, and Mississippi and the Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles, California shall establish an advisory board of not less than 6 residents of public housing or recipients of section 8 assistance to provide advice and comment to the public housing agency or other administering entity on issues related to public housing and section 8. Such advisory board shall not meet less than quarterly.”
Project Title: Mountain View Affordable Housing, Thermal, CA
Recipient: County of Riverside Redevelopment Agency
Location: 1325 Spruce Street, Suite 400, Riverside, CA 92507
Amount Requested: $500,000
A federal judge has determined that Duroville Mobile Home Park, home to 2,000 permanent residents and as many as 4,000 seasonal workers during Coachella Valley’s peak harvesting season, must be closed within two years and that the residents should be moved to a new complex. The park has been cited numerous times for substandard living conditions, including open wastewater ditches and unhealthy drinking water. In preparation for the closure, Riverside County officials are working to build a replacement park, Mountain View Estates, in Thermal, California. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will ensure that 4,000 people are not displaced and made homeless due to a federal court order to condemn their current homes.
Project Title: Santa Ana Centennial Park Improvements, CA
Recipient: City of Santa Ana
Location: 20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701
Amount Requested: $250,000
These funds are being requested to upgrade and improve the playing fields and amenities at the City’s Centennial Park. The City has one of the youngest populations in the country and uses its recreational programs as a deterrent for drug use, gang activity, violence, and diabetes in its majority Hispanic population. This project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because activities at the park provide significant public safety and public health benefits to the city’s residents.
Project Title: Wattstar Theatre and Education Center, CA
Recipient: Watts Cinema and Education Center, Inc.
Location: 10124 South Broadway, Suite 110-D, Los Angeles, CA 90003
Amount Requested: $500,000
This funding will support the construction of the Wattstar Theatre, a 34,000 square foot building with four first-run movie theatres and 12,000 square feet for education and training in the Watts district of Los Angeles. This important project will provide a unique educational opportunity in an area where the youth unemployment rate is 50 percent and 25 percent of the households have a combined annual income of less than $25,000. With five public housing developments and over one million people within a five-mile radius, the Wattstar Theatre will be the vehicle for jobs and small business creation, global communications, educational enrichment and quality entertainment. This project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it provides much-needed career training to the youth in this impoverished and low-employment community.
I have also asked for reprogramming of the following projects from Public Law 110-161:
Original Project: Brentwood Boulevard/SR 4 Improvements, Brentwood, CA
New Project: John Muir Parkway Project, Brentwood, CA
Recipient: City of Brentwood
Location: 708 Third Street, Brentwood, CA 94513
Funding will be used for construction of roadway and corresponding utility improvements, enhancing safety by expediting the response time for fire, police, and emergency response services within the City of Brentwood.
Grantee: Emergency Housing Consortium in San Jose, CA
Original Purpose: for construction of the Sobrato Transitional Center, a residential facility for homeless individuals and families
New Purpose: for improvements to homeless services and prevention facilities
Location: 2011 Little Orchard Street, San Jose, CA 95125-1031
Funding will be used for improvements to homeless services and prevention facilities operated by the Emergency Housing Consortium, the leading provider of shelter, housing opportunities, and supportive services to people in crisis and those experiencing homelessness in Silicon Valley.
###
