Posted on 07/20/2006 8:30:56 AM PDT by calcowgirl
California is on the verge of sharply expanding its 117 miles of toll roads to accommodate trucks, expedite freight and ease the pain of the daily commute in the state's most traffic-clogged areas. The game plan, which is fraught with controversy because private companies will build the roads and collect the tolls, is the result of an agreement reached earlier this year by the governor and the Legislature.
Few in California doubt that traffic congestion needs to be eased. Using toll roads to do it is not so popular, however, and bringing in private vendors to run the roads is less popular still. But even critics of the agreement say public funds are hard to get and that such a "public-private partnership" offers a way to raise money quickly and get the roads built. In the end, the public is tired of getting stuck in traffic.
"I think there is a hope, if not a belief, that if they can get private sector or other sources of funding it will relieve the pressure," said Bruce Blanning of the Professional Engineers in California Government, which opposed the toll-road plan.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and lawmakers authorized four privately run toll roads--two in Southern California and two in the north state--in legislation authored by Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez that Schwarzenegger signed in May.
The bill, AB 1467, which drew little attention at the time, also authorized up to four new high-occupancy toll (HOT) lane projects, where high-occupancy vehicle lanes, known as HOV or "diamond lanes," are transformed into HOT lanes, with the cost of tolls pegged to the level of traffic congestion. Unlike the toll roads, these toll lanes would be operated by the government.
The specific toll-road projects have not yet been identified. But private and Capitol officials who are familiar with the issue believe the new tollways, carrying price tags in the hundreds of millions of dollars range, are likely to include an addition to I-710, which links the port zone to inland Los Angeles; new toll lanes or a separate roadway paralleling I-680 at the Sunol Grade; and a roadway paralleling I-580 from the Bay Area to the Central Valley. Other possibilities include expanding U.S. 101 in Marin County north of the Golden Gate Bridge.
The projects would be approved locally, then by the California Transportation Commission, which sets long-term transportation policy, and by Caltrans. Final approval of the projects and lease agreements would be required by the Legislature. Attempts to have the Democrat-controlled Legislature approve each contract in floor votes was rejected by the Núñez.
Instead, contracts will be presented to the Legislature for a 60-day review, similar to gaming contracts and labor MOUs, and will take effect automatically unless the Legislature intervenes.
None of the projects has been approved, although each has been under discussion for years. For example, the Alameda Corridor revamp in Southern California, a mammoth $1.2 billion project to expedite rail deliveries and ease traffic, has been in the works for two decades. The international interests who have finance toll-road development in other states, including Macquarie of Australia and the Spanish consortium Cintra, are both interested in California's toll-road plans. Macquarie recently hired California Strategies, a prominent consulting and lobbying firm.
"The thing is, with the public-private partnership you get the money quicker," said Senate GOP leader Dick Ackerman, who favors the arrangement.
"Like that [toll road] expansion in Orange County, it would still not be done if we were waiting for public monies. The private sector came in and built that thing, and built it in record time," Ackerman said. "They had the ability to get financing quicker, and they did it."
One toll road, a project authorized by legislation authored 17 years ago, is just getting built now--Route 125 in San Diego. Statewide, a half-dozen agencies operate 117 miles of toll roads and bridges in several counties, including San Diego, San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa and Orange. Nearly half of the state's toll road mileage, 51 miles, is located in Orange County, plus an additional 16 miles is poised to be built.
Núñez 's toll-roads bill emerged easily from both houses as an accompaniment to the $19.9 billion transportation bond on the November ballot. But AB 467 is separate from the bonds, does not require a public vote and can be put into effect regardless of whether the bonds are approved. Opposition to the bill included an unusual mix of liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans; both camps said they had philosophical problems with the bill.
"It hands over vital public-transportation corridors to private monopolies. That is totally unacceptable," said Sen. Tom McClintock, R-Thousand Oaks, the vice chairman of the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee. "The fatal flaw with [private] toll roads is that the owners require the state to either agree not to expand the adjacent highways, or to reimburse them if the state does expand the state highways. If we can't expand the public highway system that the public has bought and paid for without paying tribute to a private interest, we shouldn't do it."
Other states looking at public-private partnerships include Indiana and Texas, and there the results have prompted political battles. Texas, for example, is in the midst of deciding a major expansion to its toll-road system. Does Texas have any lessons for California?
"What I would say to California is that you need a safety valve in your locally elected officials. You need to keep them as a big part of your transportation planning," said Texas state Rep. Joe Pickett, D-El Paso, who served on the Texas House Transportation Committee and is major critic of Texas transportation policy.
"And remember, once you get into billions of dollars of public funds, once something is written down, you're in it for a long time. They [the toll road owners] will control everything, and it will no longer be controlled by local officials," Pickett said.
John Howard is Managing Editor of Capitol Weekly
"It hands over vital public-transportation corridors to private monopolies. That is totally unacceptable," said Sen. Tom McClintock, R-Thousand Oaks, the vice chairman of the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee. "The fatal flaw with [private] toll roads is that the owners require the state to either agree not to expand the adjacent highways, or to reimburse them if the state does expand the state highways. If we can't expand the public highway system that the public has bought and paid for without paying tribute to a private interest, we shouldn't do it."
McClintock Ping!
Please freepmail me if you want on or off this list
So what is new? California has been suffering from "road inadequacies" for the many decades I have lived in the state. The state is ALWAYS ten years behind the demand.
What is the news here??
During our recent "day wtihout Mexicans" day here in California, we had no traffic problems at all.
The fact is that with the illegals off the road it was a perfect driving day noted by virtually every news outlet.
Maybe the problem is not a lack of roads but...
On the other hand, Californias pay a huge tax on our gas that was to to to roads but never was so now they still want the tax and, add more debts via bonds to burden the california tax payer.
they no sooner complete a job on one part of a freeway that they start another one in the same place. LOL
two steps forward, three steps backward
unrelated, I just wish they would ban cell phone use while driving...it's gotten to the point that every time I drive I see morons on cell phones wavering in and out of lanes or even worse cutting in front of others. It's nothing short of miraculous that we don't have more accidents in CA than we do!
And yes, Mac has a good point. This does smack of another quid pro quo by our socialist leaders. Of course, the state CAN AFFORD to put out over $10 BILLION PER YEAR FOR ILLEGAL ALIEN WELFARE but it cannot build roads without DOUBLE TAXING the public...freakin' socialists.
BTTT
Bump to that!
Why isn't this man governor or president, for gosh sake?
It's like this almost everywhere you turn. We have some clowns in Kern Cty who want to raise our sales tax by .5% to fund highway projects and mass transit.
http://saferoadskern.org/faq.php
SZ
I was just up driving through the Somoma coast area. What amazes me about Claifornia roads is that they are in such crappy condition with absolutely no frost heave. One can only imagine how they would be if there were a freeze/thaw cycle.
California Strategies..?
Bob White.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/10/26/BAG5V9G1I31.DTL
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Bob White, who once served as chief of staff to former Gov. Pete Wilson and is still owed money by Schwarzenegger for his work on the recall, is merging his company with well-known lobbying group Snodgrass & Micheli, lobbyist Chris Micheli confirmed Monday. The new company will retain the name of White's consulting business, California Strategies.
The repositioning could mark a significant change for the company at a time when other groups with ties to Schwarzenegger also are on the rise. White's firm is one of three that also promotes the interests of groups with a substantial stake in Schwarzenegger decisions and has expanded or opened offices in Sacramento in the past year.
Richard Gephardt, the former congressional leader and two-time presidential candidate, recently dropped by California's Capitol to chat with a fellow Democrat, Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata. The subject was not politics but private toll roads, according to people familiar with the meeting.Gephardt works for Goldman Sachs, the investment bank that is making millions advising Chicago and Indiana on how to sell toll roads to private companies.
(snip)
Among Democrats, who hold the majority in both houses of the Legislature, the idea of private toll roads is one of the most controversial parts of the governor's plan. Gephardt and a Macquarie executive hope to convince legislators that the idea makes sense ...
"Why isn't this man governor?"
If everyone who said they were going to vote for him for governor in 2003 had actually voted for him; he would have been!
But you'll get another chance come 2010! :-]
In the mean time, don't forget to vote for McClintock for Lt. Governor in November.
FYI. Texas is voicing some good advice to California (see last 3 paragraphs).
"Attempts to have the Democrat-controlled Legislature approve each contract in floor votes was rejected by the Núñez.
Instead, contracts will be presented to the Legislature for a 60-day review, similar to gaming contracts and labor MOUs, and will take effect automatically unless the Legislature intervenes."
If it were me, I would prefer the Democrats and Republicans fighting these contracts on the floor. That is the American way. Gov. Rick Perry and Cintra still have hidden threir contracts from the public who are expected to pay for them. UnAmerican to say the least.
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