$28 Million in Transportation Funds Get OK : Transit: House passes legislation for county projects that include a massive garage for Disneyland Resort.

The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed legislation that authorizes up to $28 million for Orange County transportation projects, including a massive parking structure the Walt Disney Co. says it needs if it decides to build the Disneyland Resort.

The National Highway System Designation Act includes $15 million to construct on- and off-ramps to the San Diego Freeway and Costa Mesa Freeway connectors in Costa Mesa. It would also help build the garage that would be owned and operated by county officials but would be used to provide parking for Disneyland tourists while Westcot is under construction.

The bill includes $3 million for a Bristol Street improvement project in Santa Ana and a $10-million line of credit to support the Eastern Transportation Corridor, a planned tollway connecting the Riverside Freeway with the Santa Ana Freeway that would carry 52,000 cars on opening day and up to 117,000 cars per day in 15 years.

“Orange County communities have aggressively sought to solve some of the most overwhelming transportation problems in the country,” said Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove). “The legislation passed by the House supports their efforts to bring an end to gridlock and congestion that cost our region billions of dollars each year.”

While the three projects are considered vital to the county’s transportation future, the most talked about is by far the 12,000-space Disney garage that would allow Disneyland to remain open when--and if--the $3-billion expansion is built. The Walt Disney Co. has yet to commit to that project, which includes more than 5,000 hotel rooms, an amphitheater, a shopping district and a new theme park next to Disneyland called Westcot.

But the money is still far from delivered. The House authorization is only the first in a two-step process, and the money must still be appropriated in another bill, which could come up as early as today. If approved there, it goes to the Senate.

An additional $15.5 million was allocated last year for the same projects but has yet to be spent. If the new money is approved, it would mean that about 10% of the projects’ $318-million tab would be paid for by the federal government.