ECA Newsletter 1-30-18

There is a lot of news that is pertinent to your businesses right now so, for brevity, I will forsake my “editorial” comments to just bring you some of the issues that are in front of us:

SB-1 And the California Budget;

Last week Governor Brown unveiled his 16th, and last, proposed budget for California. Our good friends at ACEC have written a nice summary of what is included because of the historic passage last June of SB-1. Here is the ACEC summary-

Governor Brown has advised major spending on transportation projects with newly available SB 1 funding. The budget proposal includes $2.8 billion spending on “fix-it-first” investments to repair neighborhood roads state highways, and bridges. Additionally, $556 million are allocated for key trade and commute corridors to support economic growth and $200 million to match locally generated funds for high-priority transportation projects. There is also a $721 million investment in passenger rail and public transit modernization and improvement.

These projects are the direct result of last year’s historic transportation plan. ACEC California was a proud supporter of that plan and will continue to defend it from politically-charged repeal attempts. Our State’s transportation networks need maintenance and new capacity, and ACEC California members are ready to get to work!

SB-1 And Requesting Dollars from the California Transportation Commission;

Although most of what the ECA does for advocacy is at the County and City levels, occasionally the State level is appropriate for the ECA to voice our opinion. Now that Brown has proposed SB-1 expenditures, the time is right to request some local funding from the “effective keeper and distributor of those SB-1 funds- “The California Transportation Commission”. If you click on this link, you can read the letter I am sending on behalf of the ECA to request funds from SB-1 for the Marin-Sonoma Narrows Segment C2 HOV Lanes Gap Closure Project. As part of SB-1, there are funds allocated for “Solutions for Congested Corridors Program (SCCP)” that are available to solve regional congestion. Our Marin Narrows is estimated at $121 Million and we have local funds of $37 Million on hand. The ECA, as well as the SCTA and several other organizations, are requesting $85 Million from the SCCP and we are one of five projects that have requested funding from the SCCP. The timing is right, and the ECA is requesting that our Marin Narrows should be the best of the five projects submitted for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is, that our request is the only one for a “closure” project that would close out a much larger and proven record of projects that have widened Highway 101 since 2004’s Measure M Sales Tax was enacted. Wish us luck!

Regional Measure 3 Going To Voters On June 5;

If you attended the General Membership Meeting in November of 2017, you will recall Jake Mackenzie (Chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission) talking about the likelihood of putting a ballot measure to the voters in June of 2018 that could raise $4.45 Billion for traffic congestion relief in the Bay Area. Here is an update voted on January 24, 2018 by the MTC- On June 5, voters will decide on a $4.45B package of congestion relief projects that in the North Bay would include upgrades to improve Highway 37; complete widening of U.S. 101 to three lanes in each direction through the Narrows; and extend SMART to Windsor and Healdsburg. It would be paid for by a $1 increase in tolls on Bay Area state-owned toll bridges beginning Jan. 1, 2019, with a $1 increase in 2022 and another $1 increase in 2025.

If you would like to read more about this, please click on this link to the MTC-

City of Santa Rosa Active Measure M Projects;

Yesterday, I attended the Sonoma County Transportation Authority Citizens Advisory Committee meeting and was able to hear from the City of Santa Rosa about the status of several projects long discussed. More information can be found by going to the SRCITY.org website and going to the Measure M link.

*  Hearn Avenue Interchange Phase 3-this project would add a turn lane Southbound on Highway 101, construct a new bridge over Highway 101 to carry 2 lanes in each direction, and redo the off ramps and approaches to the interchange. The project is estimated to by $23.85 million and the timeline is to be “ready to list” for construction in September of 2019.

*  Fulton Road Improvements-this project would go to bid in Phases and the first phase is from Wood Road to Piner Road. No construction estimate is available yet, but the Project is scheduled to be constructed beginning in August of 2020.

That’s All Folks!

John

******************************************************************

Army Corps Of Engineers Crews have finished a milestone-Coffey Creek is completed-click here for the Press Democrat article.

ACOE last week announced there were currently 130 crews working in Napa, Sonoma and Mendo Counties on debris cleanup. The crews were expected to grow to 150 crews as of this week.

ECA Spec Committee-Rebuilding Houses-Coffey Park and other areas will need substantial regrading before contractors can start constructing the houses so needed. Last week at our ECA Specifications Committee meeting, we discussed the details of what is going to be needed to be ready for either a beam and pier construction or a post tensioned slab construction. Because of Code changes, slopes of 5% must be accomplished for pervious (earth) slopes away from the edge of the foundation, and a 2% slope from back to front must collect that runoff from the edge of foundation and carry it out to the front curb. Many of the homesites do not have the needed elevation to accomplish this so fill will have to be brought in. Other complications are the grading needs to cross over property lines or potentially some retaining walls need to be constructed. Also, fencing lines were discussed and there are complications for building fences on property lines that have two different elevations. ECA Spec Committee also discussed preliminary plans being submitted for underground utilities being run under sidewalks and in the streets of Coffey Park in the next year. Needless to say, the debris cleanup is not the end of our ECA Member’s work that needs to be done.