Transportation group seeks money

Transportation group seeks money
By Melissa Murphy/ MMurphy@TheReporter.com
Posted: 04/24/2009

The daunting task of finding ways to finance transportation projects in Solano County is even harder during unyielding economic times.

Representatives of the Solano Transportation Authority, including Executive Director Daryl Halls, met with local economic leaders Thursday morning to share details on how the effort is faring.

Dubbing their report "the good, the bad and the daunting," transportation officials made their presentation at a breakfast gathering hosted by the Solano Economic Development Corporation.

Halls shared with the group that because of an ongoing relationship with the STA and city leaders, the county is often at the front end of receiving money for projects.

He attributes that to aggressively completing the preliminary work to make sure projects are shovel ready.

"Our overall goal is to get more transportation money into the county," Hall said. "Solano County stands out because we're speaking as one voice. We want to help everyone develop an overall transportation system."

The STA board members even traveled to the state capitol and Washington, D.C. to discuss the county's priority transportation funding needs.

Meanwhile, construction continues along Interstate 80 as part of the pavement rehabilitation project. The Fairfield portion will begin this summer and is the first project in California to receive American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) stimulus funding.

"It's a great time to be going out to bid," Halls added. "It's an exciting moment for Solano County."

The city of Vacaville will receive $4.1million in ARRA funds to be used for four projects in the city. Interim City Manager Laura Kuhn explained that although the money is great, it's replacing what the state already took away.

In truth, the state funds about 80 percent of the budgeted projects in Solano County. The STA also expects to receive enough money for only seven new projects in the next 25 years that help accommodate the increasing demand for "regional mobility" in Solano.

"The crisis does not seem to be going away," Halls admitted.

Receiving the stimulus money is good news, but at the state level transit assistance funds are suspended completely for fiscal year 2009-10. That means countywide paratransit services will not receive $287,000 and local Solano County transit service will not receive more than $1.3 million.

Solano County Supervisor Jim Spering, who also is the STA chairman, shared with the group that, "our future does not look bright," and at a time when ridership is up throughout the county, the lack of funds means services have to be cut from the very people who need it the most. "State funding is in absolute turmoil."

Spering added that unlike other Bay Area counties, Solano does not have a local revenue source for transportation so the STA, in partnership with cities, the county and regional partners, is exploring other funding options.

One creative concept is a High Occupancy Toll or HOT Lane in which excess High Occupany Vehicle lane capacity would be sold to single occupancy vehicles. Funds generated from the toll would be used to help maintain and manage the corridor.

Another idea is a Regional Transportation Impact Fee, which would charge developers a modest fee for impacts on the roads.

"Our biggest challenge isn't new projects, but the deterioration of our current infrastructure," Spering explained. "Keep in mind, that the money generated in Solano County stays in Solano County, where it is managed and controlled by the county. The state can't touch it."