STA Advocates for Solano Transportation Priorities in Washington DC

STA Advocates for Solano Transportation Priorities in Washington DC

Suisun City, CA – The Solano Transportation Authority (STA) Board of Directors sent a contingent to Washington, DC this week to advocate for Solano’s top transportation priority projects. Led by STA Board Chair Jim Spering (Solano County Supervisor and Solano County’s representative to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission), representing the STA Board were Pete Sanchez, Vice Chair (Suisun City Mayor); Harry Price (Fairfield Mayor); Len Augustine (Vacaville Mayor); and Tom Bartee, Board Alternate (Vallejo Councilmember).

The STA Board approved the 2009 Legislative Priorities and Platform which sets the guiding principles for the legislative discussions. Solano is submitting the following requests for the Fiscal Year 2010 Transportation Appropriations Program:

1. Travis Air Force Base North Gate Access Improvements - $5 million
2. Alternative Fuel SolanoExpress Bus Replacement - $2 million
3. State Route 12 Major Investment Study - $0.5 million
4. Fairfield Transportation Center - $2 million
5. Vacaville Intermodal Station, Phase 2 - $2 million

The STA also shared its policy on new federal authorization, a change the STA would like to see made to the current “earmark” SAFETEA-LU program (Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act – a Legacy for Users), and urged members to support increased funding levels in the Federal Economic Stimulus package currently moving
through Congress.

A full schedule of meetings with Solano’s Congressional members and staff also included discussions with neighboring representatives. Meetings were held with:

• Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Bridget Petruczok, Legislative Assistant
• Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Ryan Hunt, Legislative Assistant
• Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA)
• Congressman Gerald McNerney (D-CA)
• Office of Congressman George Miller (D-CA): Justin Hamilton, Deputy Chief of Staff
• Office of Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher (D-CA): Paul Schmid, Legislative Assistant
• Office of Congressman Dan Lungren (R-CA): Sandra Wiseman, Legislative Assistant
• Office of Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA): Gabe Horowitz, Legislative Director

“These are challenging times for the STA Board with California in the midst of a significant state budget crisis and the fiscal uncertainty for near term federal and state transportation funding,” said STA Board Chair Jim Spering. Solano County has worked hard in recent years to obtain limited federal funds for projects such as the I-80/680/SR 12 Interchange, the I-80 Truck Scales Relocation Project, Travis Air Force Base Access Improvements, the Jepson Parkway, I-80 High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lanes, SR 12 East Safety Improvements, Vallejo Baylink Ferry Facilities, and expanded express bus service along the I-80/680/780 corridors. “We have our work cut out for us advocating for federal economic stimulus funds and transportation appropriations this year, as well as urging our legislators to seriously consider reforming the nation’s infrastructure funding authorization process,” said Spering.

The STA was created in 1990 through a Joint Powers Agreement between the cities of Benicia, Dixon, Fairfield, Rio Vista, Suisun City, Vacaville, Vallejo and the County of Solano to serve as the Congestion Management Agency for Solano. The STA is responsible for countywide transportation planning, programming transportation funds, managing and providing transportation programs and services, delivering transportation projects, and setting transportation priorities.

The “STA’s Priority Projects” booklet can be downloaded from the STA website at http://www.solanolinks.com/programs.html#lp. The booklet contains the Fiscal Year 2010 Federal Appropriations Requests as well as the STA’s priorities for Federal Economic Stimulus and New Federal Authorization. For further information about the Solano Transportation Authority’s legislative program, contact STA Executive Director Daryl Halls or STA Marketing and Legislative Program Manager Jayne Bauer at (707) 424-6075.