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Old Posted Feb 28, 2007, 2:16 AM
dragonsky dragonsky is offline
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Tuesday, February 27, 2007
O.C. snubbed in transit fund boost
New funding recommendations add money for projects in surrounding counties.
By BRIAN JOSEPH and ELLYN PAK
The Orange County Register

SACRAMENTO – Orange County failed to garner any more transportation dollars after state officials appeared to cave to Los Angeles' demands to dole out $1.7 billion more in available state bond funds.

On Monday, the California Transportation Commission staff released an amended list recommending that the agency distribute all $4.5 billion in a state bond account this year, two days before the commission is expected to make a final decision Wednesday in Irvine.

Staff recommended no additional money for Orange County, while recommending $789 million more to Los Angeles, including $730 million for a proposed carpool lane on northbound Interstate 405.

That $789 million accounts for nearly half of the $1.7 billion added Monday. Among those recommended, the two projects from L.A. are the largest.

"We just don't understand why they would do that," said Carolyn Cavecche, chairwoman of Orange County Transportation Authority. "It is unthinkable that they're going to allocate that money and not include an Orange County project."

Under the recommendations, Los Angeles now receives 25 percent of the total funding, an increase of 13 percentage points. Orange County, meanwhile, saw its piece of the pie shrink to 8 percent, which is in line with its 8.3 percent share of the state population.

Two weeks ago, Orange County fared well under a California Transportation Commission staff report, which recommended that O.C. receive $361.5 million, or nearly 13 percent, of the $2.8 billion the commission originally intended to allocate this year.

Los Angeles officials, however, were miffed that the report recommended only $327.9 million, or roughly 12 percent, for L.A. when the county accounts for nearly 28 percent of the state's population. Prominent officials, including Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, lobbied heavily for the $730 million to build the 405 carpool lane.

Last week, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger joined Los Angeles officials in urging the CTC to allocate this year the entire $4.5 billion available for "mobility improvement" from the $19.9 billion transportation bond approved by voters in November. The agency initially planned to allocate the $4.5 billion over two years – $2.8 billion in 2007 and $1.7 billion in 2008.

"Unfortunately, what's happened is that politics seem to have been played," Cavecche said. "It's realistic but sad… It's really ridiculous."

State officials denied Monday that L.A.'s lobbying efforts had anything to do with the new recommendations. Orange County officials said they were disappointed that priority was not given to projects – including new lanes on the Riverside (91) Freeway from the Costa Mesa (55) Freeway to Gypsum Canyon Road – that are ready for construction.

"These projects are supposed to be the ones with biggest impact," said Art Leahy, OCTA's chief executive officer. "We still think the additional funding for the 91 ought to be approved."

OCTA officials had asked for about $48 million for the project, which was also endorsed by the California Department of Transportation.

Orange County officials said they would work hard to retain the $361.5 million the county is slated to receive for improvements for three freeways and lobby for funding of additional projects.
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