February 2014 - In This Issue:
       
Leaders Tour Ports of Long Beach/Los Angeles
Goods Movement Impact on San Bernardino County
 
  

On January 23, 2014, several Members of the SANBAG Board of Directors, along with business and community leaders from our region, participated in a tour of the Long Beach and Los Angeles Ports complex.  Together, the two ports receive approximately 40% of the containerized goods for the entire country.  Approximately 23% of these goods remain in the greater Los Angeles area, with the bulk of the remainder traversing our rails, highways and local streets as they head to destinations across our nation.  As part of this tour, the participants were given the opportunity to enter the Alameda Corridor trench just as a train was heading out of the port complex. The Alameda Corridor is a 20-mile project constructed to enhance the flow of goods into and out of the ports as well as to minimize at-grade crossings at more than 200 crossings along the route.

 

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2014 Update on Ten-Year Delivery Plan
Measure I (2010-2040)
  
  

The San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG) Board of Directors received a presentation on the status of the 2014 Update for the Measure I (2010-2040) Ten-Year Delivery Plan. The plan provides a 'road map' for Measure I revenue and expenditures, illustrating which projects will receive funding during this ten-year period.

 

 

  
  
  
Countywide Vision Remains Active 
The Work Behind the Scenes
  
   

When the Countywide Vision was adopted by the SANBAG Board of Directors and the County Board of Supervisors in 2011, several element groups were identified around functional areas and communities of interest.  These element groups comprise cross sections of stake holders from public, non-profit, and private sectors. These groups have been meeting and working behind the scenes on a variety of action items focused on furthering the Countywide Vision.   The various element groups include education, environment, housing, jobs/economy, public safety, wellness, and water.

 

 

  
  
SANBAG Visioning Awards
Nominate Local Leaders for Significant Achievement
  
 

The San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG) desires to bring recognition to leaders in our county by honoring local  achievements through the presentation of Visioning Awards. One award will be presented to an individual in the unincorporated areas of each of the five county districts and 24 jurisdictional cities within the County of San Bernardino. The finalists will then be considered for the top honor in each of SANBAG's five supervisorial districts and will receive special recognition during the 2014 SANBAG General Assembly on June 12, 2014.

 

  
  
  
San Bernardino Celebrates Opening of I-215 Widening Project
Making a Better Commute for County Residents
    
 

On Friday, January 24th, the San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG), the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), and the City of San Bernardino celebrated the opening of the Interstate 215 Widening Project. This four-phase, $647 million project through the heart of downtown San Bernardino serves as a vital part of the regional goods movement network and provides a north-south travel option for nearly 80,000 commuters daily..

 

  
  
  
Yucca Loma Bridge Starts Construction
Improving Accessibility for High Desert Communities
  
  

A large crowd of High Desert residents turned out on January 10, 2014, to celebrate the groundbreaking for the start of construction of the Yucca Loma Bridge over the Mojave River, which also includes improvements on Yates Road. The bridge will connect Apple Valley on the east side of the river to Victorville on the west side. Ultimately, this corridor will provide easier access to the Interstate 15/LaMesa-Nisqualli Interchange in Victorville.

 

 

  
  
Highway Trust Fund Cash Flow Projection 
Congressional Budget Office
  
   
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) updated its biannual projections of Highway Trust Fund cash flow this week.  This is important as Congress begins debating the form of the next generation transportation authorization.  The CBO anticipates that a six year bill will require $100 billion in additional tax receipts or a general fund transfer to simply maintain baseline spending levels set in the recently enacted FY 2014 omnibus appropriations bill.  A four-year bill would require $67 billion, and a two-year bill akin to MAP-21 would need $35 billion.  Even a one year extension of MAP-21 would require $19 billion in additional revenue. 
 
Thus, Congress has its work cut out to deliver a long-term viable transportation bill to "create jobs rebuilding our roads, upgrading our ports, unclogging our commutes - because in today's global economy, first-class jobs gravitate to first-class infrastructure."  This was the challenge levied by the President in his State of the Union Address last week.

 

    

  
California Freight Advisory Committee Coming to San Bernardino 
Committee Meets at Santa Fe Depot on March 19
     

The next California Freight Advisory Committee (CFAC) meeting will be at the Santa Fe Depot on March 19th.  The Committee meets quarterly throughout the state to develop the California Freight Mobility Plan (CFMP), and to serve as a forum for the discussion of freight-related topics.  Specifically, CFAC's focus is on developing the state freight plan and how to best integrate the plan into the development of the national freight strategy.

 

 

 

  
February Calendar
  
Committee Meetings:
  
February 12 - General Policy Committee               9:00 am   The Super Chief
February 13 - Metro Valley Study Session             9:00 am   The Super Chief
February 13 - Commuter Rail/Transit Committee  10:00 am   The Super Chief
February 21 - Mountain/Desert Committee            9:30 am   Apple Valley
  
Public Events:
 
February 18 - S. Milliken and N. Vineyard Grade Separation Projects
                     Groundbreaking Event
                     Location:  City of Ontario
February 25 - Downtown San Bernardino Passenger Rail Project and
                     San Bernardino Transit Center Project
                     Groundbreaking Event
                     Location:  City of San Bernardino
  
  
San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG) is the council of governments and transportation planning agency for San Bernardino County.

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