Nearly $250 Million OKd for Road Work

Almost $250 million in local and federal funds were made available Monday to Orange County cities planning street improvements during the next five years.

Directors of the Orange County Transportation Authority approved the funds, which represent the last allocation for road construction and maintenance to come from Measure M, the county’s half-cent-on-the-dollar sales tax for transportation projects. Unless reinstated by voters, the initiative is scheduled to expire in 2011.

Since 1992, Measure M has provided about $1.3 billion for local street and road improvements through the Combined Transportation Funding Program. Funding has been provided to roughly 1,700 projects.

OCTA officials said this year’s allocation for street improvements was the largest in the history of Measure M. In the last round of funding, OCTA provided $117 million for 2003 to 2008 -- an amount that included no federal matching funds.

Of the $248 million in current funding, OCTA officials said $98 million would come from Measure M revenue and $150 million from federal matching funds. The money will be available from 2005 to 2010.

Cities may use the grants for road construction, street maintenance, traffic signals, intersections, interchanges and railroad crossings.

OCTA will accept applications for funding from cities and the county until Jan. 24. After a review by public works directors, Caltrans and local agencies, a final list of projects will be submitted to OCTA directors in May for approval.

In other action Monday, board members approved a $6,000 bonus for Arthur T. Leahy, the authority’s chief executive, and extended his contract another year to 2008.

Leahy worked for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in Los Angeles County and headed Metro Transit in Minneapolis before coming to OCTA. In Orange County, Leahy has pushed for the overhaul of the Garden Grove Freeway, the agency’s purchase of privately owned toll lanes on the Riverside Freeway, and the proposed CenterLine light-rail project.