Posted on 11/14/2007 12:00:38 PM PST by NormsRevenge
SACRAMENTO – A record $19.9 billion transportation bond pitched to voters last fall as a way to “fast track” projects is hitting slowdowns in some areas.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signaled that the money is flowing with a groundbreaking at Solana Beach last month for the extension of car pool lanes on Interstates 5 and 805. The bond will cover part of the $168 million cost.
But legislation to set guidelines for distributing $2 billion to improve the movement of freight was stalled in part because Republicans thought proposals by Democrats were skewed toward improving air quality.
And legislative leaders are delaying $1 billion in matching money for counties with their own transportation funds, such as San Diego County's half-cent TransNet sales tax, until about 10 counties vote on tax increases next year.
Although Schwarzenegger warned against a “porkfest,” lawmakers gave Los Angeles $150 million to time traffic lights, and gave the San Francisco Bay Area $250 million for ferries.
Under pressure from the governor and legislators, the California Transportation Commission in February ignored staff recommendations and awarded the bulk of $4.5 billion to different projects for congestion relief. There is concern that some of those projects will not be under way by the 2012 deadline set in Proposition 1B, the bond measure that voters approved last November.
In California, the planning and regulatory process for a major highway project can take a decade or more. If projects miss the deadline, the commission can switch the funding to another project.
“This is the first time in a long time the commission has this kind of hammer,” said John Barna, the commission's executive director.
A big project left out of staff recommendations, but given $730 million by the commission at the urging of lawmakers, is widening a 10-mile stretch of Interstate 405 in Los Angeles.
Some think the project may miss the 2012 deadline because it runs through Brentwood, Bel-Air and Sherman Oaks, where residents are expected to fight plans to demolish homes and move sound walls closer to residences.
Meanwhile, resentment lingers in other areas of the state that had projects ready to meet the 2012 deadline, but did not receive funds.
“I think they broke the whole process,” said Phil Dow of the Mendocino Council of Governments, which sought $177 million for a long-planned Highway 101 bypass of Willits.
“It doesn't give much hope to small counties,” he said.
The bypass was the top priority for Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte counties.
Some large counties felt shorted, even though the congestion-relief money followed the traditional split that gives 60 percent of transportation funds to the south and 40 percent to the north.
“Southern California is not only more than 60 percent of the state's size, it's well over 60 percent of the state congestion,” said Ty Schuiling, planning and program director for San Bernardino Associated Governments.
Rapidly growing San Bernardino County unsuccessfully sought about $100 million to lengthen several interchange spans in preparation for a widening of Interstate 10 scheduled to begin in 2015.
“We would argue that San Bernardino did the least well among the major urban counties,” Schuiling said. “San Diego did the most well.”
San Diego County received $452 million, or 10 percent of the congestion-relief money, well above the 7.3 percent share the county typically gets from state transportation funds.
The projects will not only meet the 2012 deadline, but San Diego also had enough projects ready to qualify for up to 25 percent of the funds, said Gary Gallegos, San Diego Association of Governments executive director.
Another competition is for a part of the bond that provides $2 billion to improve the movement of freight in trade corridors, particularly from ports.
Bills creating spending guidelines stalled in the Legislature. GOP lawmakers wanted more focus on freight capacity and complained that Democrats insisted on air quality as one of the criteria for selecting projects. The Republicans argued there is $1 billion elsewhere in the bond to reduce emissions.
The Schwarzenegger administration is now developing guidelines for the $2 billion. The California Transportation Commission is working with regional agencies, hoping to avoid more disputes.
Gallegos said San Diego is seeking $500 million for several projects at the U.S.-Mexico border and the port. He said the Los Angeles area wants $1.7 billion, and the San Francisco Bay Area and Central Valley are asking for $800 million.
Rural counties are worried that two transcontinental rail lines through the Sierra will be ignored in the allocation of the $2 billion for trade corridors.
“This is one state,” said Paul A. Smith, a lobbyist for the Regional Council of Rural Counties. “A lot of people recreate here. A lot of trade moves through our counties.”
The distribution of $1 billion to match local transportation funds such as San Diego's half-cent sales tax is caught up in a dispute over whether bridge tolls can be the local match.
Some also want to wait until as many as 10 counties vote on tax increases next year that could make them eligible for a match.
Much of Proposition 1B's $19.9 billion is being distributed by existing formulas, rather than regional competition. The bond was part of a $43 billion public-works package that voters approved last fall.
The governor ordered the creation of a Web site, bondaccountability.ca.gov, to help the public track how the bond money is being spent.
“Will the process turn into a porkfest as it did in Washington with all the earmarks and the backroom deals?” Schwarzenegger asked in his State of the State address in January. “Or, when we have allocated the spending, will the people say, 'They spent our money wisely?' ”
Well, they haven't so far....but a nice rhetorical question.
Now, why did this pass again?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1698464/posts
(snip)
Among the key findings in the AP’s review of the bond:
• At least $8.7 billion - about 43 percent - will not go directly for road work. Instead, the money will pay for bus, rail, freight, air quality and security projects.
• Of the $11.3 billion that could go for roads, less than half is dedicated to reducing congestion on what the state considers to be “high-priority corridors” on highways and other major routes.
• The only road project guaranteed funding is Highway 99 through the Central Valley. It will get $1 billion, although experts say it will take six times that amount to bring it up to interstate highway standards.
• Despite the reference to highway safety in the bond’s title, less than 4 percent of the money would go to the state’s main fund for highway safety projects. Supporters say additional lanes and other such projects also would improve safety.
• The bond also invests $1 billion for transit security. But some experts question whether that’s an appropriate use of borrowed bond money because the state is supposed to be receiving federal homeland security funds for such improvements.
Now, why did this pass again?
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cough cough hack hack..
is that a trick question? ;-)
PR, muh dear, PR.
Oops!!
Ahem.
PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN...!
Good, Car pool lanes are one of the biggest waste of _everybody’s_ time that has ever been perpetrated upon the public.
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