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Sunday, August 10,
2008: Report to Chapter Transportation Chairs committee
Bay Area Transportation Committee (BATC) report (http://www.clubhouse.sierraclub.org/ca/cnrcc/batc/)
Clearly the main project the BATC has worked on is California High Speed Rail (HSR).
Controversy within the committee (and Sierra Club CA) focuses on the corridor from the Central Valley (CV) to the Bay Area, with the HSR Authority having chosen a route (Pacheco) that has severe environmental impacts. The Club favors the Altamont corridor that would serve more northern CV cities as well as more East Bay cities, rather than the undeveloped Pacheco corridor that we believe would see sprawl development as a result of the Pacheco routing.
Environmentalists May Delay High Speed Rail in California
Our efforts are focused on a bill that meets many of our needs which we expect to pass the legislature on Monday. Because the $10 B bond that is the basis for HSR will be on the Nov. ballot, in order
for this bill to be effective it must be signed by the Governor on Monday (due to time deadline set by Secretary of State)!
However, the Gov. has vowed not to sign any legislation "until the budget is passed (it was due on June 15, I believe). Considering the budget is at least $15 B in the red, there is no possibility of a budget being passed any time soon.
So the question is: will the Gov make an exception for AB 3034????Bullet train bill backed by governor could derail his veto vow
Sacramento Bee
HOT Lanes & Congestion Pricing
The Bay Area has 3 separate projects that apply congestion pricing underway.
1. A federal DOT Urban Partnership Agreement grant of $158 M focused on the rebuilding of Doyle Dr., the SF gateway to the Golden Gate Bridge (GGB). It was thought the GGB District decision to convert the flat bridge toll to a variable, peak hour one , would enable MTC to retain the grant, but there appears to be serious concerns raised by DOT on the toll schedule selected.
Congestion Pricing Approved for Golden Gate Bridge
2. A London-style pricing program for downtown SF, studied by SF Transportation Authority (based on a separate, DOT grant of $1 M. They just completed regional workshops to do outreach from the City’s suburbs.(http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_10130726)
Planetizen: San Francisco's Two Attempts At Congestion Pricing
3. A regional HOT lane network just approved by MTC making it part of their Regional Transportation Program.
Bay Area Regional HOT Lane Plan Approved
BATC is more of a discussion forum than an ‘action committee’. However, we did vote on HSR resolutions that were forwarded to the Regional Conservation Committee, the acting conscom for Sierra Club CA.
For our resolutions to become policy in the Bay Area, all 3 affected Bay Area chapters must also approve them, so at best we can ‘initiate’ policies to the 3 chapters.