Transportation Solutions News

San Diego – As state and regional governments decide how to spend an influx of stimulus dollars on transportation projects, a new report by CALPIRG Education Fund highlights the opportunities for California to significantly expand public transportation. The report, Connecting California: Key Public Transportation Projects and Their Benefits for the Golden State, lists a selection of rapid bus, light rail, heavy rail, and subway projects sorely needed to keep California moving.

“We are in a jam, both literally and figuratively,” said Erin Steva, Transportation Associate at CALPIRG. “We need efficient ways to travel around the state that cut traffic and pollution, but we have far few transportation options today. Investing in clean and modern public transportation projects, from rapid buses to high-speed rail, are critical to keeping California moving in the 21st century.”

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provided more than $46 billion for transportation projects, including more than $17 billion specifically for public transportation. Regional agencies across the state, including SANDAG in Southern California on Friday, have been voting on what kinds of projects to build with the influx of federal money.

“San Diego officials have a choice on Friday,” said Steva. “They can simply spend all of the money on roads and highways, or they can invest in ready-to-go transit projects like Escondido and South Bay rapid bus lines instead. Public transit is not only more efficient and reduces our oil dependence, research shows transit projects often create more jobs, too.”

As this report shows, opportunities abound to invest in public transportation. Some of the projects listed in this report, like the South Bay bus rapid transit line, could be ready to go within a few months. Others, like intercity high-speed rail, will take more time to get the tracks on the ground. No matter the time line, voters clearly signaled support for public transportation at the ballot box last November, supporting eight different local and statewide ballot measures for public transit expansions.

Projects highlighted in the report include:

* High-speed rail linking northern and southern California

* The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit Project

* Subway service along Wilshire Blvd in Los Angeles

* Downtown connector between Los Angeles subway lines

* San Diego Trolley expansion to University City

* New downtown transit centers in San Francisco and Anaheim

* Perris Valley Line in Riverside County

* Bus rapid transit service in cities from San Diego to Oakland

* Caltrain upgrades between San Jose and San Francisco

* Light rail expansion in Sacramento to the airport and south of the city

Policy Recommendations:

* Prioritize funding for public transportation, both with stimulus dollars and with long-term funds. The federal stimulus dollars are an exciting opportunity to invest in new transit projects in 2009. Additionally, severe state budget cuts over the last few years have forced many transit agencies to decide between fare hikes, service cuts, or both. State, county and local governments must prioritize stable funding for bus and rail services.

* California officials should support a revamped federal transportation funding law that makes a large investment in needed improvements to transit systems and intercity rail, while focusing federal highway investment on the need to maintain and repair existing infrastructure.

Read the report here.

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