Mayor taking case to D.C.
By Daily Press staff
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Santa Monica’s top political leader this week met with congressional representatives here to lobby for millions of dollars to build a light rail system that would end near City Hall.
Santa Monica Mayor Pam O’Connor went to D.C. with transportation leaders from the six counties that make up the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) region to advocate for its 2005 Consensus Program, a mutually agreed upon package of priority transportation projects. The projects involved improvements to core transportation programs, such as light rail, rapid transit systems and enrichment of the region’s goods movement network.
“Southern California’s transportation system is the economic engine driving both the state and the national economies,” said O’Connor, who also is a Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority board member. “It delivers the largest proportion of goods and services that link the United States with its global markets. Our package was received positively by our congressional leaders, and we hope that our message will translate into real dollars coming back to Southern Cal if ornia.”
The Southern California delegation met with congressional leaders, to advocate funding of the priority projects contained in SCAG’s Consensus Program. Congress is currently in the process of reauthorizing TEA-21, the primary federal transportation legislation that will authorize funding for key transportation projects across the country.
The package of projects in the Consensus Program include funding requests for: n Metro Gold Line Eastside Exten sion: Light rail service in the eastside and Exposition Park areas of Los Angeles County. n Perris Valley Line: 19-mile extension to the Metrolink 91 line connecting Riverside and Los Angeles Counties. n Adding a multi-purpose lane to the 91 Freeway and a truck climbing lane to the 57 Freeway in Orange County. n I-215 widening the Colton Crossing grade separation in San Bernardino County. n Widening of the SR-23 and SR-118 Freeway in Ventura County. n Improvements to SR-78, SR-98 and I-8 in Imperial County.
“We are bringing to Congress a powerful message of consensus and unity on a series of mutually agreed upon transportation investments vital to our region and the nation,” said Temecula mayor pro tem and SCAG president Ron Roberts. “This unified approach will go a long way in helping us get these vital projects funded, from roads and mass transit service to critical goods movement improvements.”
In addition to O’Connor, the Southern California Consensus delegation was represented by: n Ron Roberts n Lee Ann Garcia, Grand Terrace city councilmember and SCAG Transpor tation and Communications Committee chair. n Kelly Chastain, Colton city councilmember and San Bernardino Assoc iated Governments vice president. n Art Brown, Buena Park mayor pro tem, Metrolink chair, Orange County Transportation Authority vice chair. n Robin Lowe, Hemet vice mayor and SCAG Riverside County Transportation Commission chair. n John Proctor, Santa Paula city councilmember and Ventura County Transpor tation Commission chair. n Victor Carrillo, Imperial County supervisor and Imperial Valley Assoc iation of Governments chair.
The group met with a number of the Southern California congressional delegation and other transportation leaders on Capitol Hill during their trip to Washington this week.
The regional delegation also presented its priorities to the Federal Highway Administration, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Undersecretary for Pol icy, and the State of California’s transportation counsel.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 19, 2005. Read the original PDF.