TRANSACTIONS NEWSLETTER ONLINE

April/May 2005

Facts and Figures:
Federal Funding Windfall Kick-starts Bay Area Transportation Projects

A $122 million windfall is helping to accelerate a slew of urgently needed transportation projects. The lion's share of the new revenue — $107 million — is derived from unspent federal Surface Transportation Program (STP) and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ) funds. At the same time, another $15 million in federal and state funds has become available to beef up Lifeline services for low-income residents. This funding augments the $216 million previously committed by the Commission to Lifeline services as part of the Transportation 2030 Plan and will accelerate the delivery of new programs to needy communities.

"Federal transportation money comes with a 'use it or lose it' kicker, and the Bay Area consistently puts whatever federal dollars it gets to work right away. This allowed us to scoop up some of the dollars that other regions have had to forfeit," said MTC Executive Director Steve Heminger.

Lifeline funding will be distributed to Bay Area counties through a formula based on the number of low-income residents in each county, with Alameda and Santa Clara counties receiving the largest shares. "Whether the destination is work, school or the doctor, all Bay Area residents — regardless of income — should be able to get from place to place," said Heminger. "The Lifeline Program helps make that possible."

Because the latest infusion of STP and CMAQ funds must be invested by September 30 of this year, MTC is directing $22.5 million to transit rehabilitation projects that are already in the pipeline as well as $55 million to five state highway projects that are fully permitted and ready for construction, but had been stalled by the state budget crisis. This includes $21.3 million to widen U.S. 101 and close the carpool-lane gap between San Rafael and Corte Madera; $17.5 million for the widening of Interstate 238 in Alameda County, a heavily used trucking route; $8.3 million to improve the U.S. 101/ Steele Lane interchange in Santa Rosa in preparation for future carpool lanes; $5.5 million to add auxiliary lanes along Interstate 680 between Sycamore Valley Road in Danville and Bollinger Canyon Road in San Ramon; and $2.4 million to widen State Route 92 in Half Moon Bay.

Of special interest is a $1.6 million grant for environmental review and preliminary engineering for a long-discussed suicide barrier for the Golden Gate Bridge.

Windfall Winners:

$ 55,000,000 Strategic highway projects
$ 22,500,000 Transit rehabilitation (BART, Caltrain, Golden Gate Ferry and San Francisco Muni)
$ 22,500,000 Local street and road rehabilitation (all nine counties)
$ 15,000,000 Lifeline transportation (all nine counties)
$ 5,300,000 System management (including 511 Traveler Information System, Silicon Valley SMART Corridor and SFgo)
$ 1,600,000 Golden Gate Bridge suicide deterrent system (environmental review and preliminary engineering)