TRANSACTIONS NEWSLETTER ONLINE

Feds Lift Funding Freeze

Just before Transactions went to press, the federal government gave its stamp of approval to the region's air quality planning efforts and lifted a funding freeze.

The action capped a complicated series of events. The Bay Area fell into a temporary "conformity lapse" when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency delayed approval of the motor vehicle emissions budget contained in the Bay Area 2001 Ozone Attainment Plan. This in turn forced MTC to delay consideration of whether the 2001 Regional Transportation Plan and an associated list of projects known as the Transportation Improvement Program conform to federal air quality standards.

The logjam was loosened when the EPA found the region's emissions budget adequate, clearing the way for MTC on March 15 to find the two documents in conformity with federal regulations. MTC's action set the stage for $780 million in federal funding to resume flowing to 50 local transportation projects that had been in jeopardy.

Contents

• News Briefs
  • Plans for Trans-California High-Speed Train Accelerate
  • Testing TransLink®
  • Project Update: BART-SFO Line Nearly Done
  • Tax Change Sparks Surge in Workplace Transit Sales
  • MTC Awards "Livable Communities" Grants
  • Feds Lift Funding Freeze
• COMMISSION ACTIONS