Local officials pitch transportation projects in Washington

Local officials pitch transportation projects in Washington
By Barry Eberling | DAILY REPUBLIC | February 05, 2009

FAIRFIELD - Solano Transportation Authority officials made their annual lobbying trip to Washington, D.C., this week just as Congress was in the process of assembling a $900 billion economic stimulus package.

The timing was perfect. Not only is the stimulus package coming together, but it's also early in the year.

'I think it is fortuitous,' said Fairfield Mayor Harry Price, an STA Board member, in a phone interview Thursday. 'They aren't deluged yet with hordes like us coming through. We're among the first.'

Price made the call as the two-day trip came to a end. The STA group talked to lawmakers such as U.S. Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, and Rep. Mike Thompson.

Suisun City Mayor Pete Sanchez also made the trip. He noted some Washington officials are tiring of hearing that projects are good candidates for the stimulus package because they are 'shelf-ready.'

'We're saying, 'Ours are bulldozer-ready,' ' Sanchez said.

Local leaders have a list of items they want to get from the economic stimulus package. Among them are help renovating the interchange of interstates 80 and 680, and relocating the California Highway Patrol truck scales on westbound I-80.

Both of those projects would help relieve freeway congestion in Fairfield.

Local officials also pushed for projects that could be funded through normal federal budget appropriations. Among other things, they would like $2 million to design a larger Fairfield Transportation Center on Magellan Drive, $5 million to improve the north gate entrance to Travis Air Force Base and $2 million to help build a Vacaville Intermodal Station.

Sanchez is new to the STA lobbying group.

'I never thought of myself of being in this position,' Sanchez said. 'I never really liked this earmarking and the 'bridge-to-nowhere' kind of stuff, but everyone is doing it and my city needs it.'

Sanchez also noted he is asking for money to repave Sunset Avenue. He doesn't put that in the same category as the notorious Alaska earmark for a bridge to a sparsely populated island.

'We said, 'This may be in the classification of earmarks, but these are projects really needed in our community,' ' Sanchez said.

Also in the group were Solano County Supervisor Jim Spering, Vacaville Mayor Len Augustine, Vallejo City Councilman Tom Bartee, STA Executive Director Daryl Halls, STA Legislative Program Manager Jayne Bauer, STA legislative consultant Susan Lent and Solano Economic Development Corp. Executive Director Mike Ammann.

Reach Barry Eberling at 425-4646, ext. 232, or beberling@dailyrepublic.net.