SDHDA-Lunch Meeting Agenda

At the Feb. 20 meeting of the California Transportation Commission (CTC) held in San Diego, SANDAG and other government and civic leaders made presentations asking for $511 million in funding from the $2 billion in funds from Proposition 1B passed in November 2006 for border infrastructure.
Los Angeles was trying to get about two-thirds of the funds. San Diego usually gets less than 10 percent of state funding for transportation. I attended the hearing and saw the outstanding local presentations. The key point was that SANDAG, CalTrans District 11 and the Port District badly needed San Diego projects that were ready to go with great planning. It was a real positive.
On the "good news" side it was announced at April 25 meeting of SANDAG's Board of Directors that San Diego was approved by the CTC to receive $400 million (20 percent) of the border funding for SR-905, SR-11 (proposed toll road), a third port of entry to Mexico, Port District projects and rail funding. SANDAG's board and everyone in attendance cheered.
Gary Gallegos, SANDAG's outstanding executive director, was thanked for his great leadership and personal efforts on the great job that Gary, SANDAG, District 11 of CalTrans, including its Director Pedro Orso Delgado (San Diego has the best CalTrans District in the state), and others that were so successful.
This writer has had the honor of serving on several of SANDAG's committees. I attend most of their board and transportation committees and continue to be impressed with the dedication, hard work and success of SANDAG's Board of Directors and outstanding staff. SANDAG is a first-class government agency and a big plus for our region. When you team up SANDAG and CalTrans District 11 with local government, labor and business leaders, San Diego is a winner.
On the bad news side, a transportation article headlined "Transit Agencies struggle financially" appeared in the Union-Tribune April 27, which updated the recent transit service changes that have been made due to recent cutbacks by the state in transit funding from the sales tax on gasoline which is designated for transit use. Metropolitan Transit (MTS) and North County Transit (NCTD) had to make cutbacks in service and also made fare increases after the state recently shifted voter approved funds that were designated for mass transit, into non-transit programs. The changes are for both trolley and bus service including fare increases and the elimination of transfers. The changes have already resulted in a decline in the ridership on trolleys and buses.
In the Nov. 12, 2006, article in The Union-Tribune, Dan Walters of The Sacramento Bee wrote about the return of Jerry Brown to Sacramento as Attorney General and mentioned many ironic aspects, writing "The State Transportation Commission will begin allocating tens of billions of bond and tax dollars to reverse the shameful deterioration of California's once-superb highway system that began when Brown, more or less on a whim, virtually stopped construction. Brown declared an 'an era of limits,' halted hundreds of long-planned projects and laid off thousands of state highway designers and builders." The article and the recent and continued diversion of funds, both the constitutionally protected gas taxes and the sales tax on gasoline, recalled for me memories of serving as a holdover Gov. Reagan appointee of the State Transportation Board from 1975-78 when Brown was governor. I personally saw the anti-highway approach advocated by Brown. Now the word is that Brown could be governor in 2010. His father Pat Brown, and Gray Davis, also diverted highway funding.
Question? Has Brown learned? Would he return California to the past diversion of fundng?
In San Diego, Brown and his appointees to CalTrans continually changed highway projects and changed existing plans. The widening of I-15 from Escondido to Riverside was stopped. CalTrans District 11 still figured a way to always build highway bridges wide enough so that some day freeways could be widened to at least eight lanes. SR-52 from I-15 to SR-125 in Santee and SR-125 from Santee to SR-54 in South Bay and to the border area were also fought to be either delayed or eliminated. The I-15 extension from Mission Valley to I-5 was opposed, resulting in delays, which then reduced federal funding. Result -- today it is not I-15 to the south from Mission Valley but SR-15, a state freeway. The key SR-252 freeway connection of I-5 to I-805 near National City was also permanently deleted and now is history.
In conclusion, there have been transportation funding protections passed by the voters like Proposition 1A in 2006. The problem however is that when you have a Governor who creatively figures a way to divert funds designated for transportation it will probably continue to happen. Our current Governor has not yet shown that he will protect funding and pay back previously borrowed funds that were designated for highways and now he is diverting transit funding. With San Diego's continued growth projects, population growth do now to the increases in births over deaths and immigration, along with a strong economy and job increases, San Diego must have more funding for transportation. Let's stop the diversion of designated funding and hope that whoever our next governor is that he will not resume the diversion of funding. We don't need more traffic congestion or more bad news on Transportation funding. We need good news.

Schmidt is a retired banker and attorney who is active with the chamber and in civic affairs in transportation, housing and sports. He also serves on three public boards and was Gov. Reagan's appointee to three positions in state government.

	Transportation funding: Good news, bad news By JIM SCHMIDT Monday, May 5, 2008 At the Feb. 20 meeting of the California Transportation Commission (CTC) held in San Diego, SANDAG and other government and civic leaders made presentations asking for $511 million in funding from the $2 billion in funds from Proposition 1B passed in November 2006 for border infrastructure. Los Angeles was trying to get about two-thirds of the funds. San Diego usually gets less than 10 percent of state funding for transportation. I attended the hearing and saw the outstanding local presentations. The key point was that SANDAG, CalTrans District 11 and the Port District badly needed San Diego projects that were ready to go with great planning. It was a real positive. On the "good news" side it was announced at April 25 meeting of SANDAG's Board of Directors that San Diego was approved by the CTC to receive $400 million (20 percent) of the border funding for SR-905, SR-11 (proposed toll road), a third port of entry to Mexico, Port District projects and rail funding. SANDAG's board and everyone in attendance cheered. Gary Gallegos, SANDAG's outstanding executive director, was thanked for his great leadership and personal efforts on the great job that Gary, SANDAG, District 11 of CalTrans, including its Director Pedro Orso Delgado (San Diego has the best CalTrans District in the state), and others that were so successful. This writer has had the honor of serving on several of SANDAG's committees. I attend most of their board and transportation committees and continue to be impressed with the dedication, hard work and success of SANDAG's Board of Directors and outstanding staff. SANDAG is a first-class government agency and a big plus for our region. When you team up SANDAG and CalTrans District 11 with local government, labor and business leaders, San Diego is a winner. On the bad news side, a transportation article headlined "Transit Agencies struggle financially" appeared in the Union-Tribune April 27, which updated the recent transit service changes that have been made due to recent cutbacks by the state in transit funding from the sales tax on gasoline which is designated for transit use. Metropolitan Transit (MTS) and North County Transit (NCTD) had to make cutbacks in service and also made fare increases after the state recently shifted voter approved funds that were designated for mass transit, into non-transit programs. The changes are for both trolley and bus service including fare increases and the elimination of transfers. The changes have already resulted in a decline in the ridership on trolleys and buses. In the Nov. 12, 2006, article in The Union-Tribune, Dan Walters of The Sacramento Bee wrote about the return of Jerry Brown to Sacramento as Attorney General and mentioned many ironic aspects, writing "The State Transportation Commission will begin allocating tens of billions of bond and tax dollars to reverse the shameful deterioration of California's once-superb highway system that began when Brown, more or less on a whim, virtually stopped construction. Brown declared an 'an era of limits,' halted hundreds of long-planned projects and laid off thousands of state highway designers and builders." The article and the recent and continued diversion of funds, both the constitutionally protected gas taxes and the sales tax on gasoline, recalled for me memories of serving as a holdover Gov. Reagan appointee of the State Transportation Board from 1975-78 when Brown was governor. I personally saw the anti-highway approach advocated by Brown. Now the word is that Brown could be governor in 2010. His father Pat Brown, and Gray Davis, also diverted highway funding. Question? Has Brown learned? Would he return California to the past diversion of fundng? In San Diego, Brown and his appointees to CalTrans continually changed highway projects and changed existing plans. The widening of I-15 from Escondido to Riverside was stopped. CalTrans District 11 still figured a way to always build highway bridges wide enough so that some day freeways could be widened to at least eight lanes. SR-52 from I-15 to SR-125 in Santee and SR-125 from Santee to SR-54 in South Bay and to the border area were also fought to be either delayed or eliminated. The I-15 extension from Mission Valley to I-5 was opposed, resulting in delays, which then reduced federal funding. Result -- today it is not I-15 to the south from Mission Valley but SR-15, a state freeway. The key SR-252 freeway connection of I-5 to I-805 near National City was also permanently deleted and now is history. In conclusion, there have been transportation funding protections passed by the voters like Proposition 1A in 2006. The problem however is that when you have a Governor who creatively figures a way to divert funds designated for transportation it will probably continue to happen. Our current Governor has not yet shown that he will protect funding and pay back previously borrowed funds that were designated for highways and now he is diverting transit funding. With San Diego's continued growth projects, population growth do now to the increases in births over deaths and immigration, along with a strong economy and job increases, San Diego must have more funding for transportation. Let's stop the diversion of designated funding and hope that whoever our next governor is that he will not resume the diversion of funding. We don't need more traffic congestion or more bad news on Transportation funding. We need good news. Schmidt is a retired banker and attorney who is active with the chamber and in civic affairs in transportation, housing and sports. He also serves on three public boards and was Gov. Reagan's appointee to three positions in state government.
	print