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Executive Director's Report

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR STEVE HEMINGER’S REPORT TO THE
COMMISSION MEETING OF OCTOBER 27, 2010

SUMMARY OF EVENTS:

ARB Adopts Greenhouse Gas Targets
Sacramento, September 23

After lengthy public testimony, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) unanimously adopted greenhouse gas (GHG) targets for the state’s major metropolitan areas as required by Senate Bill 375. In the case of three of the four largest regions – the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento region, and San Diego region – ARB adopted the targets requested by the metropolitan planning organization representing the area. ARB adopted more aggressive targets than the greater Los Angeles area had requested, but also promised to revisit the LA target in the near future.


Strategic Facilities Committee
San Francisco, October 1

Chair Haggerty and I joined our counterparts from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and ABAG in the first formal discussion of a potential headquarters consolidation for our three regional agencies. The committee received a preliminary report from the real estate consultants we have retained to help us explore the possibility. The report recommends proceeding to a second phase of work under which specific sites in Oakland and San Francisco would be evaluated. That recommendation to proceed to a site-specific evaluation will be presented for approval to the boards of the three agencies in November.

FTA Announces “State of Good Repair” Grants
Washington DC, October 8

The Federal Transit Administration has awarded over $50 million in discretionary “State of Good Repair” bus and bus facility grants to transit operators in the San Francisco Bay Area – the second largest regional award in the nation in the inaugural cycle of this new program.

Governor Signs Latest-Ever Budget
Sacramento, October 8

Governor Schwarzenegger signed the latest budget ever adopted in modern California history after reaching an agreement with legislative leaders that appears to rely heavily on an improving economy and uncommitted federal aid to close a $19 billion budget gap. The state’s transportation funding accounts were largely unaffected by the final budget agreement, except for some unexpected line-item vetoes for the high-speed rail project.

President Mounts Infrastructure Bully Pulpit
Washington DC, October 11

For the second time in as many months, President Obama made some major remarks on the importance of greater U.S. infrastructure investment in general, and about the next federal surface transportation authorizing legislation in particular. Since the current Congress will be returning for a lame duck session after the November elections and since the latest extension of the SAFETEA law expires in December, there is considerable speculation about whether near-term action on a new transportation bill finally might be at hand. On the occasion of the President’s remarks, the Treasury Department released a new study on the economic value of infrastructure investment.


Western High Speed Rail Conference
Las Vegas, October 14-15

I joined my former national commission colleagues Tom Skancke and Matt Rose on a panel at this conference highlighting the importance of an improved U.S. intercity passenger rail network.

SAS Fabrication Site Visit
Shanghai, October 18-22

Chair Haggerty, Commissioner Dodd, Andy Fremier and I visited the Shanghai facility operated by the ZPMC Corporation where the steel superstructure sections of the self-anchored suspension (SAS) bridge are being fabricated. On my way to Shanghai, I joined some of our bankers at meetings in Hong Kong with potential investors for our next sale of Build America Bonds. CFO Brian Mayhew joined another banking team in London for similar meetings that same week.

TIGER II Grants Announced
Washington DC, October 20

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced the second round of multi-modal TIGER grants worth $600 million nationwide. In the Bay Area, the MTC-endorsed East Bay Regional Park District Pedestrian/Bicycle Network received $10 million in capital funds, and planning efforts at the Oakland Army Base and the “Grand Boulevard” project along El Camino Real also received a combined $5 million in funding.


OAC Groundbreaking
Oakland, October 21

Vice Chair Tissier represented the Commission at the long-awaited groundbreaking ceremony for the Oakland Airport Connector project that will build a rail link between the Coliseum BART station and the Oakland International Airport. Congresswoman Barbara Lee headlined the event. More info

Map of the Month

The map of the month illustrates the racial diversity of neighborhoods in the San Francisco Bay Area. As you can see, many of the region’s most densely populated areas are relatively integrated, with two or more ethnicities living in the same vicinity.


MTC Operational Statistics

The monthly report on the performance of MTC’s operating programs:


Upcoming Events

October 27 — BATA Bond Pricing, New York
October 29 — eBART Groundbreaking, Pittsburg
November 15-16 — Focus on the Future Conference, La Quinta
November 15-16 — ITS California Conference, Berkeley

Previous Executive Director's Reports