Posted on 12/15/2003 5:50:39 PM PST by BenLurkin
The California Transportation Commission played Grinch this week when it denied funding for a project to extend high-occupancy vehicle lanes from Acton to Palmdale on the Antelope Valley Freeway in favor of other Metropolitan Transportation Authority projects. "This is a very difficult time for transportation," said David Yale, the MTA's director of regional programming.
"We've lost a lot of money over the last several funding cycles and we're running out of ways to solve these problems."
The commission also denied funding for a project on State Route 90.
The MTA sought funding from the commission for five projects through GARVEE bonds.
Such bonds allow the agency to borrow on future money it would ordinarily get in federal gas tax funds that would be coming to California for use on transportation projects.
An extensive list of MTA projects costing nearly $400 million put forth earlier this year was whittled down to the five projects costing about $146 million put before the commission, which then approved funding for three of them.
Those projects include an interchange at the San Diego and Ventura freeways, an auxiliary lane on the San Diego Freeway near UCLA and a six-mile segment of HOV lanes in both directions on the I-5 from the 118 Freeway to the Antelope Valley Freeway.
Once complete - that is, if the project ever begins - the Antelope Valley Freeway HOV lanes, costing an estimated $39 million, will extend 6.2 miles from Pearblossom Highway as far north as Avenue P-8.
The project is ready to go to bid once funding is available and is expected to take about two years to complete.
"We tried to rally everyone and tried to suggest the merits of the projects were reasons it should go forward," said Rosa Fuquoy, transportation deputy for Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich.
Fuquoy said they found out late Wednesday funding for the project was in jeopardy.
"We haven't given up, by no means," she added. "We'll move even more fiercely than we did before."
At one time the project was supposed to begin this month but an MTA board majority voted in April to delay it.
The project received a new lease on life this fall after lobbying by local elected officials including Lancaster Mayor Frank Roberts, first vice chairman of the MTA board; Antonovich, also an MTA board member; Assemblywoman Sharon Runner; and state Sen. William J. "Pete" Knight.
Commissioners Esteban E. Torres, a congressman from 1983 to 1999, and Allen M. Lawrence, were the only two who supported the project.
"It got into a procedural issue," said Torres, who said the commission's staff recommended against funding the project.
A call to Diane Eidam, the commission's executive director, was not returned.
"These five projects were to be considered under GARVEE bonds as a way of financing them," Torres said.
But commission staff recommended against the two projects because it was felt they would not have an impact on the region as a whole.
"The MTA board will be putting together a proposal that will then go to the CTC," Yale said.
The agency has until April 12 to submit a revised funding proposal to the commission for it be considered for action in August, he added.
The MTA's Yale and representatives of Supervisor Gloria Molina worked with Torres to support the projects.
"We were in fact urging Congressman Torres to support the entire MTA package that included the 14 (HOV lanes) …," said Miguel Santana, Molina's assistant chief deputy.
Santana and other Molina staffers were there to support a separate project in the supervisor's district that the MTA hoped to fund through AB 3090.
The MTA may be able to pursue funds for the HOV project on the 14 through the measure, which allows the agency to borrow against the county's sales tax revenues and ask the state for reimbursement.
"We just have to find some other money," Roberts said.
Roberts added he was pleased the MTA was able to get at least three of its projects funded.
The article says they'll build lanes on I-5 and I-405. What the article doesn't mention is funding for public transit, which is a far less efficient or economical use of the money than building new freeway lanes would be.
I'd prefer to cut public transportation spending in favor of more freeway lanes. After all, people survived without the MTA when the MTA workers were on strike last month.
From the article:
...approved funding for three of them.
Those projects include an interchange at the San Diego and Ventura freeways, an auxiliary lane on the San Diego Freeway near UCLA and a six-mile segment of HOV lanes in both directions on the I-5 from the 118 Freeway to the Antelope Valley Freeway.
flame suit on.
But hey, it's only Other People's Money. California has plenty of that, right? Oops.
Guess half a loaf is better than none.
Ding - ding - ding! We have a winner EXCEPT . . .
the dems have an eager ally in the new governor.
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