MTA SEEKS FUNDS MONEY WOULD HELP ADD CAR-POOL LANES.Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer LANCASTER - The Antelope Valley's MTA (1) (Message Transfer Agent or Mail Transfer Agent) The store and forward part of a messaging system. See messaging system. (2) See M Technology Association. 1. (messaging) MTA - Message Transfer Agent. representatives are seeking federal funds Federal Funds Funds deposited to regional Federal Reserve Banks by commercial banks, including funds in excess of reserve requirements. Notes: These non-interest bearing deposits are lent out at the Fed funds rate to other banks unable to meet overnight reserve and bond financing to pay for the region's two top transportation goals: widening both the Antelope Valley Freeway The Antelope Valley Freeway is a freeway in Los Angeles and Kern counties in southern California. It is signed as California State Highway 14 along its length. It connects Greater Los Angeles to the rapidly developing Antelope Valley. and Highway 138. At the urging of members Frank Roberts Frank Roberts may refer to:
``That project is our highest priority,'' said Roberts, who is Lancaster's mayor. Roberts and Antonovich are also seeking federal funding for widening both the Antelope Valley Freeway and Highway 138. The two wrote a letter to Sen. Richard Shelby Richard Craig Shelby (born May 6 1934), sometimes known as Dick Shelby, is an American politician. He currently is the senior U.S. Senator from Alabama. Originally elected to the Senate as a Democrat, Shelby switched to the Republican Party in 1994 when it gained the , R-Ala., chairman of the Senate's Appropriations Committee's transportation subcommittee, asking for consideration of north Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County transportation projects. ``Highway 138, known as 'Blood Alley' and designated a State safety route, is desperately in need of funding to accommodate the ever-growing truck population and accompanying safety issues,'' the two wrote Shelby. ``Route 14, with its notorious 'drop lanes' (three lanes to two lanes back to three lanes, etc.,) has been the subject of numerous articles on road rage See Web rage. and the resulting accidents.'' The two MTA board members asked for $510 million for the Antelope Valley Freeway and $253 million for Highway 138. The two also asked for funding for adding car-pool lanes through the Interstate 5-Antelope Valley Freeway interchange. With the state budget crisis, the prospects of getting state dollars are grim, Antonovich said. ``Locking in federal dollars would allow the project to go forward regardless of what happens with the state,'' Antonovich said. To pay for the freeway car-pool lanes, MTA staffers are proposing using bonds called Grant Anticipation Revenue Vehicle Bonds. The bonds are issued by the state and backed by the annual aid received from the federal government. In December, the California Transportation Commission approved $90 million in MTA projects throughout Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, under the bond financing, but did not include the freeway car-pool lane project. The commission's rejection was on procedural grounds, said David Yale, the MTA's director of regional programming. In order to be eligible for the bond financing, the car-pool lane project had to be included in the state transportation improvement plan, which it was not. The MTA is now proposing the project be included in the 2004 state transportation improvement plan. The bond proposal will go to the California Transportation Commission in April. The commission is expected to act on the proposal by September. The MTA board will also consider a proposal to shift $74.2 million to go forward with adding car-pool lanes through the Interstate 5-Antelope Valley Freeway interchange. The funds are being freed up from the state transportation improvement plan as the result of the bond financing for Los Angeles County highway projects approved by the state transportation commission in December. There is a question as to whether Los Angeles County will be able to retain that $74.2 million, or whether it could be used elsewhere in California. State transportation commission staff believe those funds can be shifted to any county. But MTA officials believe that, since Los Angeles County is paying the bond debt, the county should be entitled en·ti·tle tr.v. en·ti·tled, en·ti·tling, en·ti·tles 1. To give a name or title to. 2. To furnish with a right or claim to something: to those funds. ``We'll see if that argument carries the day,'' Yale said. Jim Skeen, (661) 267-5743 james.skeen(at)dailynews.com |
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