Posted on 05/11/2005 12:43:36 AM PDT by calcowgirl
Legislation authorizing the Department of Transportation to contract with public and private entities to build toll roads goes before the state Assembly's Appropriations Committee today.
The hearing comes two days after yet another report pegs California's metropolitan areas as having some of the most choked freeways in the nation.
On Monday, the Texas Transportation Institute's annual report on freeway congestion put San Diego County's rush-hour traffic as 12th worst in the nation and Riverside County as having the nation's ninth worst commute.
Many see toll roads as a way to alleviate the traffic nightmare, including Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. So do a growing number of state lawmakers, according to reports out of Sacramento.
The bill up for consideration today would authorize the transportation department to contract for toll- or fee-based financing of new highways and allow it to build toll lanes on existing freeways.
Assembly Bill 850 is supported by the transportation department, the California Association of Council of Governments and labor groups. The legislation is the centerpiece of a "GoCalifornia" plan backed by the governor and unveiled by the state Business, Transportation and Housing Department in February.
Gary Gallegos, executive director of the San Diego Association of Governments, the region's transportation and planning agency, said Tuesday that passage of the legislation would put "one more tool in the toolbox."
The association points to 16 miles of reversible express lanes on Interstate 15 between State Route 56 south of Escondido and State Route 163 as an example of a successful, publicly funded toll road. Those lanes are limited to car and van pools, buses and drivers willing to pay a flexible fee that changes throughout the day based on traffic count.
An ongoing project to widen I-15 between Escondido and San Diego would add car pool and "managed" lanes, the latter accessible to buses and solo drivers willing to pay a toll. The four lanes being added to I-15 along that stretch also will feature a moveable barrier to expand the number of available lanes during peak north- and southbound drive times.
Gallegos said association policy makers will be presented with a study later this year that proposes consideration of toll lanes to pay for widening I-15 between Escondido and Temecula.
"Tolling could be the way to generate revenues to pay for that widening," Gallegos said.
Much of the drumbeat to make toll roads an integral part of the state's transportation system has come from the Reason Foundation, a libertarian think-tank in Santa Monica co-founded by Robert Poole.
Poole co-authored a study released early this year that examines the association of government's plans to add up to $2 billion worth of "managed lanes" over the next few years. The report said the association should set those plans aside in favor of an $8 billion managed lane network funded largely by toll roads.
Poole said Tuesday that momentum is building for toll roads, and possible conversion of existing commuter lanes to what are called toll lanes, because of the state's traffic woes and a lack of money to fix the problems.
"Even with improved state revenues, there is still a huge shortage of money for transportation," he said in a telephone interview. "The highways can barely keep pace with the population and the state has to start expanding the system in a serious way."
Poole said converting lightly used, carpool-only lanes to toll lanes is "low hanging" fruit that lawmakers could harvest immediately. That would expand the number of lanes available to motorists willing to pay a little to speed their daily commute.
Metropolitan areas throughout the nation are studying use of toll roads and commuter lane conversion as more states and the federal government run out of money to building more highways.
[Republican] State Assemblyman George Plescia said Tuesday he supports the toll road bill authored by Bay Area Democrat Joseph Canciamilla.
"All of us know that North County's transportation infrastructure needs help and this is an appropriate way to look at every avenue to help being relief," said the San Diego Republican whose district includes Poway and portions of Escondido.
"Low hanging fruit" means money in our pockets... "harvesting" means it is there for the pickins'.
Hey, Sacramento! Whatever happened to "We don't have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem."
PING - More sustainable development craziness gaining steam in Sacramento.
How much extra are they collecting in sales tax on the gas price increases?
Organized COG's and GovernMental Unions... NOW THERE's a pair to draw to!!!
Illegitimate governing bodies and parasitic pissants!!!
"The legislation is the centerpiece of a "GoCalifornia" plan backed by the governor"
This Governor is not helping with crappola like this!!!
We're so blessed to have a GReeno Gubinor, huh?
Between unions, moderates, NGOs, corrupt politicos who won't uphold the state constitution and laws, a judicial system hellbent on legislating and overriding the people's will, and "non'existent" 'special interests only trying to help (Yeah, help themselves to the spoils), California is pretty much toast.
I know, let's have a special election and fix it all. ;-)
Quit stealing the gas tax funds that were to be for highways to build and subsidize the stupid public transportation systems that take nobody from nowhere to nowhere at a time they can't use them and there will be plenty of money for roads.
>>This Governor is not helping with crappola like this!!!
Nor are the other "compromising" R(INO)s who are apparently supporting it.
I agree with DR: just quit stealing the gas tax funds. Problem solved.
Dalereed is right, of course! There have been too many illegal diversions from the "revenue stream!" Of course those streams need some DAMS, to even out the flow between good years and lean years. That's part of what got us into this mess along with depending on nothing but rich people for revenue. They can weather the bad years far better than our ill equiped government that is completely out of touch with reality!!!
..How creative.
BTTT!!!!!!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.