Local Officials Put Squeeze on Congress for Transit Funds : Spending: House and state Legislature pressured for extra start-up money for proposed $9.4-billion regional system to be based in new Anaheim terminal.

Stung by Congress’ failure to provide more money for Orange County’s proposed $9.4-billion regional transportation system centered in Anaheim, local officials have begun a campaign to squeeze extra start-up funds out of Washington.

Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove), who represents much of Anaheim, has urged members of a House Appropriations subcommittee to add at least $5 million to the $14.8 million that Congress approved for the transportation project last year.

However, even that would leave Anaheim officials far short of the $85 million they need to put the project on track, Dornan told members of the Appropriations subcommittee on transportation last week.

“We’re looking for about $85 million,” said E. Del Smith, Anaheim’s Washington lobbyist who is attempting to persuade other members of the Appropriations Committee to support the city’s request.

Anaheim also is looking to Sacramento to help round up enough money to start the project, the lobbyist said.

“Very immediately,” Smith said, “we need about $25 million, right now” to pay for needed improvements, including widening along the Santa Ana Freeway and to begin property acquisition for a regional transportation terminal.

“We’re talking about what is essentially moving a train station that’s now adjacent to Anaheim Stadium and bringing in all sorts of transit,” Anaheim Mayor Fred Hunter said. “We’re talking about Santa Ana Freeway (car-pool) lanes near the station.”

The terminal, officially known as the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Complex, would be the centerpiece of the project, which is to be paid for with local, state and federal funds over a period of at least 10 years.

The hub would provide access to a planned Orange County monorail system, the proposed Anaheim “people mover,” Amtrak trains, the county bus system and local freeways.

The $9.4-billion estimate for the entire regional system includes about $5 billion in costs for the multi-city monorail alone. Officials say that the monorail by itself would take years to construct as funds become available.

Despite the renewed effort, congressional aides said it is unlikely that large amounts of new federal money will become available for the Anaheim project in the immediate future. The burgeoning federal budget deficit, which is expected to reach $400 million this year, and Congress’ refusal to use savings from defense cuts to finance domestic programs means a tight budget year ahead, the aides said. The federal government’s 1993 fiscal year begins Oct. 1.

Another problem that Dornan and Smith face as they try to raise money is the controversy that erupted on Capitol Hill last year when the Walt Disney Co. and the city of Anaheim mounted separate, uncoordinated campaigns to fund different pieces of the project.

The difficulties began when Disney officials began lobbying key House Democrats from California for $395 million that would have paid for, among other things, portions of the “people mover” that would have directly linked proposed, high-tech parking garages with Disneyland.

Anaheim, meanwhile, was working with Dornan and other local Republicans in its quest for $175 million for other portions of the project, including work on the regional transportation terminal.

Congress ultimately set aside only $14.8 million for the project in the major transportation bill approved last year, largely because lawmakers said they were concerned about spending public funds on a project that might be seen as significantly benefiting a private company.

Had the controversy over the Disney request not arisen, Smith said he is confident that he could have wrung much more money out of Congress.

“We lost $100 million. Absolute tragedy,” Smith said.

Added Anaheim Mayor Hunter: “We would have gotten more if Disney hadn’t gotten involved in screwing it up.”

This year, aides said, Congress almost certainly would refuse to approve any increases in funding unless the request is fully backed by local, county and state officials.

In addition to the money for the Anaheim project, Dornan last week asked House appropriators to approve standby authority that would allow the federal government to loan money to the Orange County Transportation Corridor Agencies.

The agencies, which are responsible for constructing three planned toll roads through the county, are seeking the federal loan authority in the event that toll revenues do not meet projections in the early years of the projects.