Bond Money To Pour Into California Freeway Widening

Passing a record $20 billion transportation bond last November may only have been the first battle for transportation advocates. Now the internecine battle has begun as different regions demand bigger chunks of the pie from the arbiter, the California Transportation Commission.

"After an intense day of lobbying in the state capital Tuesday, Feb. 20, Los Angeles' top leaders appeared to be winning their fight to secure $730 million in bond money to widen the 405 Freeway".

CTC staff had recommended "to omit new carpool lanes for the 405 Freeway and other local projects from an initial funding list."

Mayor Villaraigosa and several Los Angeles City Council members had argued "that Los Angeles County has 28% of the state's population and 33% of its traffic congestion but stands to receive only 12% of an initial $2.8 billion in bond money."

Meanwhile, in northern CA, Bay Area transportation leaders were concerned about what they considered to be excessive rural outlays. "The agency's initial $2.8 billion payout included more than $500 million for rural highway upgrades in Northern California that Bay Area officials feared would crowd out local projects -- projects expected to cut thousands of hours of freeway delays."

CA Transportation Commission staff members on Friday, Feb. 16, had "recommended $700 million for the San Francisco Bay Area, less than half of what Caltrans (state department of transportation) had recommended.

Thanks to Roundup