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TEA-21 Reauthorization (SAFETEA-LU)

In July 2005, Congress adopted the new federal Transportation Equity Act, which will run through September 30, 2009. The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century – A Legacy for Users will provide $286.5 billion nationwide for surface transportation projects, including highways, mass transit and road safety programs.

SAFETEA-LU replaces the Transportation Equity Act for the 21 st Century, which governed federal surface transportation programs from June 1998 to September 2003. TEA-21 was extended a total of 12 times between its expiration in September 2003 through the adoption of the new act in July 2005.

The new bill will ensure that states receive a minimum of 92 cents for every dollar that they contribute to the Highway Trust Fund by 2008. The rate of return will start t 90.5 cents per dollar in 2005 and grow to 92 cents over the next four years. The Highway Trust Fund is made up on the 18.4 cents per gallon in federal gasoline taxes paid at the pump. However, the purchasing power of gas taxes continues to decline, due to Californians driving more miles per year and operating more fuel efficient vehicles, so the value of both federal and state gas taxes is eroding.

SANBAG was a leader in California’s efforts to pursue increased funding to mitigate the effects of goods movement through the region. In December 2001, the SANBAG Board approved the TEA-21 Reauthorization Goods Movement Principles to launch discussion of the Inland Empire’s preferred goods movement policy. Staff members also took part in statewide discussions with the California Association of Councils of Governments (CalCOG), local transportation agencies, Caltrans, and the governor’s office with the goal of creating a uniform set of principles to reflect a statewide position. The consensus principles were approved by the SANBAG Board in April 2002. Combined with the SANBAG TEA-21 Reauthorization Goods Movement Principles, these statewide principles provided staff with guidance through the transportation act reauthorization proces.

Despite this effort, SANBAG and other Southern California transportation agencies were disappointed at the final allocation for goods movement mitigation in the new federal act. San Bernardino, Riverside, Los Angeles and Orange counties had expected to receive a combined $900 million for Alameda Corridor East grade separations. Each county would have received about $125 million to separate streets from train tracks, thereby eliminating traffic delays and improving safety and air quality. Instead, a total of $125 million was allocated for the combined four-county region, reducing the amount to about $31 million for each county.

Within individual categories of the funding act, the following amounts were allocated:

Projects of Regional and National Significance

• $125 million for Alameda Corridor East grade separation projects (to be split with three other counties along the goods movement route, equating to about $31 million per county).

• $55 million in roadway improvements near the former Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino, a project commonly referred to as Congressman Jerry Lewis’s Inland Empire Goods Movement Gateway. This project will include funding for improvements to the Interstate 10 Tippecanoe Avenue interchange, Third Street, Fifth Street and other connector routes.

Transportation Improvement Projects

• $30 million to the Alameda Corridor East Construction Authority, to be split between San Bernardino County and other counties along the ACE corridor.

High Priority Projects

• $1.6 million for Mt. Vernon grade separation and bridge expansion in Colton

• $1.2 million for the Inland Empire Transportation Management Center in Fontana

• $400,000 for Riverside Avenue railroad bridge improvements in Rialto

• $4 million for I-15 BaseLine Road interchange in Rancho Cucamonga

• $4 million for the High Desert Corridor and new interchange

• $1.6 million for I-10 Riverside Avenue interchange in Rialto

• $4 million for Ranchero Road grade separation in Hesperia

• $2.4 million for I-10 Grove Avenue interchange improvements in Ontario

• $1.6 million for Ramona Avenue grade separation in Montclair

• $6.8 million for Pine Avenue extension to Euclid Avenue in Chino

• $20 million for interstate and road improvements near the former Norton Air Force Base (in addition to the $55 million designated through the Projects of Regional and National Significance)

• $1.6 million for traffic and pedestrian safety improvements in Yucca Valley

• $1.6 million for Monte Vista Avenue grade separation in Montclair

• $400,000 for U.S. 395 realignment and widening

• $5.6 million for Peyton Avenue widening and construction of Eucalyptus Avenue in Chino Hills

• $1.2 million for I-15 interchange at La Mesa/Nisqualli Avenue in Victorville

• $1.6 million for State Street/University Parkway grade separation in San Bernardino (city and county)

• $1.2 million for Lenwood Road grade separation in Barstow

• $2.4 million for I-10 Cypress Avenue overpass in Fontana

• $400,000 for Washington Avenue grade separations in Colton

• $5 million for Hunts Lane grade separation in Colton and San Bernardino

Transit Projects

• $1.67 million, El Garces Intermodal Facility in Needles

• $836,000, Omnitrans Transcenter in Ontario

• $418,000, Santa Fe Depot in San Bernardino

• $12.5 million, Metro Gold Line extension from Pasadena to Montclair