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.
