Congress to consider funding SC projects
Eshoo, Panetta lobby for inclusion of local infrastructure in INVEST Act
SANTA CRUZ >> Local infrastructure projects are eligible for federal funding if members of the House of Representatives follow the lead of their colleagues on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
H.R. 3684, also known as Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America or the “INVEST in America” Act, supports highway, transit and safety programs. Additionally, it works to reduce the climate change impacts created by the surface transportation system and emphasizes fixing existing roads and bridges.
The bill was introduced June 4 and referred to author Peter DeFazio and his committee, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The committee voted 38-26 to amend the bill and bring it back June 10. On Tuesday, the committee officially amended the bill and placed it on the House Union Calendar, one of the House’s four calendars that encompass legislation around raising, authorizing or spending money.
If the bill passes and moves onto the Senate, real hope will crop up that four projects in Santa Cruz County will be partially or totally funded by aid from the INVEST in America Act. Altogether, the projects could rake in $7.3 million in financing.
From Rep. Anna Eshoo’s district, the Boulder Creek Complete Streets Improvements Project, the Santa Cruz Paratransit Vans Replacement Project and the Scotts Creek Coastal Resiliency Project were selected out of thousands of entries submitted nationwide by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. From Rep. Jimmy Panetta’s district, the Santa Cruz METRO Bus Replacements Project was selected.
Eshoo issued a press release about her hand-picked projects sent to the committee, including six efforts outside Santa Cruz County, celebrating the chance to relieve traffic congestion, improve safety and make public transit more accessible.
“Investing in America’s infrastructure not only means large scale, nationwide projects like broadband and highways, it also means the local projects like road repairs and safety improvements that will
bring tangible benefits to
our communities. I look forward to the full House passing this important legislation in the coming weeks,” Eshoo said.
The projects in Santa Cruz County represent four of 1,473 projects listed in the version of the bill revised by the committee this week. If all projects are funded, $5.6 billion will be allocated to improving surface transportation over the next five years.
Spending the money
Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission, which sponsors
the Boulder Creek and Scotts Creek projects, provided more detail on what the INVEST in America Act funding would go toward if solidified.
“The Scotts Creek Coastal Resiliency Project would replace the Highway 1 bridge over the Scotts Creek Watershed and would restore the ecosystem to maximize the climate change resilience of the bridge and ecological function of the Scotts Creek marsh and lagoon ecosystem,” Shannon Munz, communications director for RTC, said in an email. “(The money) will
be used to develop the environmental clearance and a detailed design for this project, and would leverage additional funds from transportation and other state agencies to complete the project.”
The funds would be used in the Boulder Creek project to provide resources for the design and construction of improvements such as updated sidewalks and curb extensions on Highway 9 between Mountain Street and Bear Creek Road.
Santa Cruz METRO gave Panetta a tour of its administrative building and insight into why three diesel buses and seven paratransit vans need to be replaced in March, employees said Wednesday. Panetta said he was encouraged as he listened to how the money could strengthen service; for example, Chief Operations Officer Margo Ross added, new compressed natural gas buses and 10-passenger vans with lifts would guarantee that drivers would be there on time, operating a quiet, clean and safe vehicle for all.
“We showed them the importance of this funding … to stay in a state of good repair,” Grants and Legislative Analyst Wondimu Mengistu said.
Beyond the fact that most of the agency’s buses are nearing or passing 20 years old, the vehicle replacements will help METRO fulfill a personal goal.
“These CNG vehicles, powered by recycled methane from landfills, will provide a clean fuel bridge as METRO transitions to 100% zero-emission vehicles by 2040,” offered Danielle Glagola, communications director for the agency.
The proposal sent to Eshoo on the ParaCruz vans talked about equity in transportation, Mengistu said.
“The program is made for seniors and the disabled … almost all of our grant application addressed that factor,” he said of the doorto-door service offered inhouse since 2004.