Press Releases

For Immediate Release

Public's Chance to Comment on Proposed 25-Year Transportation Plan

CONTACT:

Randy Rentschler
510.817.5780

Doug Kimsey
510.817.5790

OAKLAND, Calif., Aug. 14, 2001...Residents in the nine-county Bay Area can learn about and comment on a long-range transportation plan proposed by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) that outlines how $82 billion in projected federal, state and local transportation funds should be invested over the next 25 years. MTC will hold eight meetings throughout the Bay Area in September to obtain public comments on the newly released Draft 2001 Regional Transportation Plan.


Copies of the 182-page Draft 2001 Regional Transportation Plan are available in public libraries and by mail upon request to the MTC/ABAG Library (call 510.817.5836). The plan also can be viewed on the MTC Web site: <www.mtc.ca.gov > and downloaded. A 12-page overview of the plan is available and will be mailed upon request to the MTC/ABAG Library. In addition to attending and speaking at MTC meetings, the public can comment on the plan by mail (MTC Public Information, 101 Eighth Street, Oakland, CA 94607), by e-mail (info@mtc.ca.gov) or by fax (510.817.5848). Beginning Aug. 17, an interactive comment form will be posted on the MTC Web site.

While focused on transportation, the Draft 2001 Regional Transportation Plan also depicts the nine-county region's population and job growth, where people will live, the region's aging trend, and the impact of commuters from outlying counties on Bay Area roads and transit.

According to MTC Chair Sharon Brown, "This edition of the Regional Transportation Plan is MTC's most extensive effort ever to meet the increasing transportation needs of our diverse, expanding population and to balance competing needs against limited financial resources."

Of the total $82 billion that MTC anticipates will flow to the Bay Area for transportation, 90 percent ($74 billion) is already committed to maintaining the existing transportation infrastructure or to new or expansion projects approved by local voters. The $82 billion includes maintaining or rehabilitating 18,000 miles of local streets and roads and the cost of operating the region's public transit systems.

MTC proposes splitting the remaining $7.7 billion, with approximately half going to road and transit projects recommended by county congestion management agencies and half reserved for regional programs and services designed to benefit all Bay Area travelers, regardless of their home county.

Among the major projects proposed by the counties are: electrification of Caltrain; a fourth bore for the Caldecott Tunnel; and new high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes on I-80 in Fairfield and on stretches of U.S. Highway 101 in Sonoma, Marin, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.

MTC and local transportation agencies are still identifying sources for other high-profile transit projects to include in the plan, such as extending BART to San Jose, a people-mover connection to the Oakland International Airport, a Third Street light-rail connection to San Francisco's Chinatown, and various express and urban rapid bus services.

Among the regional services MTC proposes for funding are: TransLink®, a transit-fare "smart card" for use on all Bay Area transit systems; the Freeway Service Patrol that assists motorists in distress on the region's freeways; rideshare programs that set up carpool/vanpool ride matches; traveler information services, such as the regionwide phone number (817-1717) that provides realtime traffic information and connects to transit agencies; and the Transportation for Livable Communities program that provides grants for small-scale transportation projects to enhance community vitality. (See below list list of major projects.)

In the plan, MTC goes beyond the $82 billion of identified funding and envisions what could be accomplished if more money becomes available. One potential new source of funding is a transportation financing measure approved by the California legislature (ACA 4) that may go on the statewide ballot for voter approval in spring 2002.

MTC developed the draft transportation plan, in part, based on thousands of comments the agency received from Bay Area residents during an extensive public outreach effort last spring. MTC is the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area transportation planning, coordinating and financing agency.

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Sample Local RTP Projects

Roughly one-half of the Track 1 pot of $7.7 billion in discretionary revenues has been earmarked for road and transit projects recommended by the county congestion management agencies. Following are some highlights:

Alameda County
o BART to Warm Springs*
o BART/Oakland Airport Connector*
o Bus Rapid Transit (Berkeley, Oakland, San Leandro)*

Contra Costa County
o Route 4 improvements
o Caldecott Tunnel 4th bore
o Richmond Intermodal Transfer Station

Marin County
o Local bus service enhancements
o I-580/U.S. 101 interchange improvements

Napa County
o Route 12/29/221 intersection improvements

San Francisco
o Third Street light-rail extension to Chinatown (Central Subway)*
o Doyle Drive replacement (environmental/design)
o Muni Bus Rapid Transit program

San Mateo County
o Caltrain grade separations
o U.S. 101 auxiliary lanes and interchange modifications

Santa Clara County
o BART to San Jose*
o San Jose International Airport light-rail connection
o U.S. 101 HOV lanes from southern San Jose to Morgan Hill

Solano County
o I-80/I-680/Route 12 interchange improvements
o Jepson Parkway
o New I-80 HOV lane segments, Fairfield to Dixon

Sonoma County
o U.S. 101 HOV lanes and interchange improvements, Windsor to Petaluma
o Northwestern Pacific track improvements and other upgrades

Transbay/Multicounty
o US 101 "Novato Narrows" HOV lanes from Novato to Petaluma
o Dumbarton Bridge rail service*
o Route 12 widening (Napa, Solano)
o Capitol Corridor, ACE Intercity Rail Improvements*
o Caltrain electrification and track improvements (Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Francisco)*

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