Executive Director's Report

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR STEVE HEMINGER’S REPORT TO THE
COMMISSION MEETING OF JULY 23, 2008

SUMMARY OF EVENTS:

Metro/ULI Conference
Portland, June 25-26

I gave two speeches on the Transportation for Tomorrow report and the origins of the Bay Area Toll Authority at this conference sponsored by the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for Portland as well as the local chapter of the Urban Land Institute.

Brookings Metropolitan Tour
Germany, June 30-July 4

I was invited by the Brookings Institution to join a delegation of public and private sector officials from major U.S. metropolitan areas on a week-long visit to three cities in Germany: Stuttgart, Hamburg, and Berlin. We learned about how these European regions are coping with many similar challenges such as climate change, goods movement, and community redevelopment. At the end of the trip in Berlin, we were able to participate in the dedication ceremonies for the new United States Embassy at its pre-war location near the Brandenburg Gate.

HCD Announces Proposition 1C Grants
Sacramento, July 1

The state Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) announced the results of the first cycle of competition for Proposition 1C housing bond funds. With a statewide population share of 19%, the Bay Area received 24% of the Infill Incentives Grant funds, 32% of the Transit Oriented Development funds, and 47% of the Multifamily Housing Program funds.

Gateway Park Visioning Workshop
Oakland, July 10

The Toll Bridge Program Oversight Committee — composed of Caltrans Director Will Kempton, CTC Executive Director John Barna, and me — joined with Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums in hosting a meeting of landowners and stakeholders in the area adjacent to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge toll plaza that will be the focus of major new maritime expansion, commercial development, and recreational facilities when the east span replacement project is completed and the existing bridge is demolished in several years.

AASHTO Conference
Monterey, July 14

I addressed a joint meeting of several committees of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) on the final report of the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission.

Urban Partnership Program Update

On July 11th, the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District acted to increase its base auto toll effective September 1, 2008 to $5 for FasTrak users and $6 for cash customers. As has been reported in the press, we are engaged in ongoing meetings with officials from the U.S. Department of Transportation about the traffic impacts of the congestion tolling alternatives being considered for implementation by the Golden Gate Bridge in order to satisfy the condition for receipt of our $159 million Urban Partnership Program grant. In addition, Chair Dodd and other commissioners have been involved in continued discussions about the possibility of a toll contribution from the Golden Gate Bridge for construction of the $1 billion Doyle Drive replacement project. I will keep the Commission posted about developments as they occur.

Potential Proposition 42 Raid

After hearing reports from Sacramento that suspension of Proposition 42 was on the table in budget negotiations, we sent letters to the Bay Area delegation and the Governor urging them to resist this "quick fix" approach that does nothing to address the underlying structural deficit and only further hurts our state's economy. The letters show the key State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) projects that would be frozen by a suspension of Proposition 42 as well as the hit to the region's transit operators. When combined with the $1.1 billion in cuts already proposed for public transit funding, the suspension of Proposition 42 would bring the total “hit” on the transportation budget to over $2.5 billion in FY 2008-09.

Map of the Month

The map of the month depicts traffic collisions per square mile in 2006. The Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) processes all reported fatal and injury collisions which occurred on California's state highways and all other roadways, excluding private property. During 2006, the Bay Area had over 89,000 traffic collisions of which 458 were fatal (up 4% from 2005), and 31,049 involved injuries (down 7% from 2005). Out of the 493 fatal collisions that occurred in the region, 119 pedestrians and 23 bicyclists were killed. The top three cities with a fatal collision involving a pedestrian were, not surprisingly, the three largest: San Jose (19), San Francisco (19), and Oakland (14).

• Traffic Collisions per Square Mile (PDF)
  

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

• MTC Operational Statistics (PDF)