State Outlines $892-Million Road Program to Ease Traffic Congestion

The Davis administration outlined plans Monday to spend $892 million from the federal government to ease traffic congestion across the state, including $260 million earmarked for Southern California projects.

The plans include $7 million for arterial improvements on the Long Beach Freeway in Pasadena and Los Angeles, $5 million for a Yorba Linda commuter rail station in Orange County, and $700,000 to replace rails from Moorpark to Simi Valley in Ventura County.

Gov. Gray Davis said the plan, which must be approved by the state Transportation Commission, will “relieve traffic congestion, enhance safety, create jobs and promote California business.”

The money is raised from truck weight fees and certain state and federal gasoline taxes, among other sources.

Davis’ proposal includes five projects on the Route 91 corridor, between the Inland Empire and Orange County, and improvements or expansions of 19 intercity rail projects, including the Pacific Surfliner corridor and the Metrolink rail lines.

Another eight projects would upgrade U.S. 101 from Los Angeles County to Sonoma County in the Bay Area.

Caltrans Director Jeff Morales said the plan would ease strained commuting and truck routes, including those to ports in Long Beach and Los Angeles.

Business, Transportation and Housing Secretary Maria Contreras-Sweet said the plan would help rural communities.

It includes $388 million for projects in the Central Valley and Northern California, not including the Bay Area.

The $892-million supplemental spending plan is in addition to Davis’ previously announced $5.3-billion Traffic Congestion Relief Program and $636 million in funding that the state earmarked in 2000 from gas tax revenues and truck fees.

A little less than half of the 109 projects tagged for funding in the 2002 plan are new; the rest are existing projects for which Davis has proposed additional money.

Davis submitted his plan to the Transportation Commission for approval, which is expected by April.

A list of the 109 projects is available at https://https://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/transprog/stip.htm.