STATE GETS BILLIONS WITH HIGHWAY BILL 405 CAR-POOL LANE INCLUDED.Byline: Lisa Friedman Washington Bureau WASHINGTON - California will get more than $21.6 billion for its freeways, roads and mass-transit systems - projects expected to create 800,000 new jobs - under the $286.4 billion federal highway spending bill that Congress approved Friday after a two-year impasse. The six-year package is loaded with congestion-relieving projects for every part of the country, including $318 million for 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, . ``This is huge. There are people sitting on the freeway right now and not moving,'' said Rep. Gary Miller, R-Brea, the only California Republican on the transportation panel. ``This is an overall good bill for California.'' The House passed the measure, 412-8, followed by the Senate, 91-4. President George W. Bush has promised to sign the bill. Among the bill's guarantees is that by 2008, states will get back at least 92 percent of federal gasoline-tax contributions - up from 90.5 percent - translating into $1.2 billion more a year for California, according to Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. Keith Ashdown, spokesman for Taxpayers for Common Sense Taxpayers for Common Sense (TCS) is an nonpartisan federal budget watchdog organization based in Washington, D.C. in the United States. TCS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization; its 501(c)(4) affiliate is Taxpayers for Common Sense Action (TCS Action). , a Washington, D.C.-based watchdog group, spent a long night culling culling removal of inferior animals from a group of breeding stock. The removal is premature, i.e. before completion of its life span, disposal of an animal from a herd or other group. though the thousands of projects, and took issue with some of them. ``This is the most fiscally irresponsible highway bill in the history of our nation,'' said Ashdown, who cited $2.5 million for ferry boats in Long Beach and nearly $500,000 to convert a ranger station in Minnesota into a post office. ``This bill shows congressional gridlock Gridlock A government, business or institution's inability to function at a normal level due either to complex or conflicting procedures within the administrative framework or to impending change in the business. isn't such a bad thing. When lawmakers start scratching each other's backs and banging out bills, taxpayers need to hold on to their wallets.'' Overall, the legislation sets aside $6 billion for highway projects of ``national and regional significance.'' It includes $130 million for a northbound car-pool lane on the congested con·gest·ed adj. Affected with or characterized by congestion. congested ENT adjective Referring to a boggy blood-filled tissue. See Nasal congestion. 405 Freeway in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. and $155 million for the Alameda Corridor East freight-hauling project to be divided equally among Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and Ventura counties. It also includes an environmental streamlining provision fought by environmental groups that supporter Miller said will cut the waiting time to begin California projects in half. The bill also has a provision creating a fund specifically for ``goods movement'' projects. When that money comes, it is almost certain to go toward Los Angeles and Long Beach port regions. There's also a provision backed by Boxer and Reps. Linda Sanchez, D- Lakewood, and Grace Napolitano, D-Santa Fe Springs, that funds a study on the impact of railroad grade-crossing accidents. Sanchez said in a statement that the provision was a result of concerns sparked by the October derailment derailment /de·rail·ment/ (de-ral´ment) disordered thought or speech characteristic of schizophrenia and marked by constant jumping from one topic to another before the first is fully realized. of a Union Pacific freight train north of Whittier. Different pots of money for highways and transit funds has $231.3 million for Los Angeles County, $12.8 million for Ventura County and an additional $6.3 million for a handful of roads that straddle In the stock and commodity markets, a strategy in options contracts consisting of an equal number of put options and call options on the same underlying share, index, or commodity future. the two counties - such as the Ronald Reagan Freeway in Simi Valley, for which Rep. Elton Gallegly, R-Thousand Oaks, secured $2.3 million. There also is $68.6 million for various San Bernardino County projects. Democrats were allotted al·lot tr.v. al·lot·ted, al·lot·ting, al·lots 1. To parcel out; distribute or apportion: allotting land to homesteaders; allot blame. 2. an average of $12.9 million apiece for local roads and highways List of articles related to roads and highways around the world. International/World
Republicans tended to get far more money, but the amount per district and region also fluctuated based on lawmakers' seniority and whether they held a position on the funding committee. In the San Fernando Valley, projects range from $400,000 to improve Balboa Boulevard and San Fernando Road San Fernando Road is a major street in the city and county of Los Angeles. It starts off in Castaic as The Old Road, passing through Santa Clarita and the Newhall Pass, where upon its intersection with Sierra Highway near the junction of the Golden State (I-5) and the , to $100,000 for a new traffic signal in Canoga Park at the intersection of Independence Avenue and Sherman Way, to $960,000 to improve portions of Laurel Canyon Boulevard Laurel Canyon Boulevard is a major street in the city of Los Angeles, California. It starts off at Polk Street in Sylmar in the northern San Fernando Valley near the junction of the San Diego (Interstate 405) and the Golden State Freeways (Interstate 5). in North Hollywood. San Fernando city officials said they were thrilled to hear of $2.54 million that Rep. Howard Berman, D-Van Nuys, secured toward a trolley system they hope to have up and running next spring. The allocation covers the bulk of the costs for the $3 million system, which will operate like a bus system but with historic-looking trolleys - connecting to neighboring communities. ``This is the biggest step,'' said Councilwoman Maribel de la Torre. ``We're really excited. In the Santa Clarita Valley The Santa Clarita Valley is the valley of the Santa Clara River in Southern California. It stretches through Los Angeles County and Ventura County. Its main population center is the city of Santa Clarita. The valley was part of the 48,612-acre (19,672. , Rep. Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon announced $9 million for the Cross Valley Connector, linking I-5 and state Route 14; about $1.6 million for an additional car-pool and truck lane in the Newhall Pass; and $800,000 for a High Desert project to provide new freeway access from I-15 to U.S. 395. ``It's a large boost for California,'' said Tim Ransdell, director of the California Federal Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. Lisa Friedman, (202) 662-8731 lisa.friedman(at)langnews.com |
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