Home > Resource Center > In the News Home > Greenbelt Alliance in the News

Greenbelt Alliance In the News

June 11, 2002

Advisory panel debates 'balanced' transit plan

Subheading

But Solano Transportation Authority Board President John Silva thinks both sides can live with it.

"We may be able to tweak this a little bit more," said Silva, who is also a county supervisor, "but I feel very good."

His remarks came Monday after highway advocates and transit advocates met on a citizens advisory group for the sales tax. This group has 63 members representing such interests as businesses, the environment and cities, though only about 30 attended the midday session.

Transportation planners must come up with a spending list before placing a half-cent sales tax measure on the November ballot.

They recommend what they called a "balanced" 20-year spending plan. It allots $465 million to highway projects, $228 million to transit, $120 million to commuter rail, $52 million to alternative modes such as bike trails and park-and-ride lots, $100 million to road maintenance and $35 million to local jurisdictions.

Highway advocates want to make certain the bond allots enough money toward major roads projects to get the job done and done right. They think roads need more money than the "balanced plan" gives.

"That's the bottom line to us," said Ethan Veneklasen of the California Jobs Alliance, which is helping with the campaign.

A major roads projects is fixing the Interstates 80 and 680 interchange, a rush hour bottleneck which backs up traffic for miles.

Employers can help pass the tax measure by urging their employees to vote for it, said Steve Lessler, who represents small businesses on the advisory group. And employers want projects such as fixing the interchange, he said.

The "balanced plan" gives $200 million for the I-80-680 interchange, a project that could cost at least $740 million. Solano County would use the sales tax money as matching funds for state and federal money.

But Veneklasen and others said putting more sales tax money into the interchange could get it fixed more quickly.

County Supervisor Duane Kromm disagreed that the bond should be weighted toward building and fixing roads.

"That is clearly yesterday's solution," Kromm said.

Every forecast shows significant numbers of people coming to the area, Kromm said. He sees transit as playing a bigger role as Solano County becomes bigger.

Kromm urged the group to think ahead 20 years and beyond.

Jeff Hobson of the Bay Area Transportation and Land Use Coalition said the amount of dollars going toward transit "has come a long way."

"I would really like to see some of those numbers improved, though I understand the balancing act going on here," Hobson said.

The Greenbelt Alliance would like to see more money going toward transit-friendly downtowns, said Natalie DuMont of the group. She didn't know Monday if her group will support the "balanced plan."

"We'll be looking at what they've offered and discussing it within the organization," DuMont said after the meeting.

The California Jobs Alliance can work to pass the "balanced plan," even if it's not exactly what the group wants, Veneklasen said. It still puts significant amounts of money into major highway projects, he said.

Silva said he felt apprehensive going into the advisory group session, but comfortable afterward.

The advisory group took no vote on endorsing the plan. The Solano Transportation Authority Board will discuss the plan when it meets Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Suisun City Council Chamber, 701 Civic Center Drive.

Barry Eberling can be contacted at beberling@dailyrepublic.net.

###