CSAC Housing, Land Use, and Transportation Policy Committee Meeting

The Housing, Land Use, and Transportation Policy Committee will be meeting on Wednesday, November 30th from 10:00 a.m. to noon during the CSAC Annual Meeting in San Francisco. On the agenda are a number of important policy issues to counties, including an update on federal and state Indian gaming, the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s new business plan, how California’s changing economy and demographics will shape future growth in the state, a discussion on federal and state transportation funding, and finally a 2011 budget and legislative wrap-up. The meeting will be held at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square Hotel, Imperial Ballroom A, Ballroom Level. CSAC staff looks forward to seeing you there and to a robust discussion on all of the agenda items before the committee.

Federal Surface Transportation Authorization – MAP-21

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) took up a two-year federal transportation authorization bill – MAP-21 – on Wednesday, November 9th. The measure has bi-partisan support and was passed by the Committee 18-0. 

While CSAC has some concerns over a few aspects of the measure – the elimination of the bridge program as a stand-alone program and the proposed elimination of MPO’s under 200,000 in population, to name two, overall, California’s counties strongly support the reauthorization of the program at the sustained funding level in the bill. This is not the time to drastically cut the nation’s surface transportation system and contribute to our unemployment rate, which is currently the 2nd highest in the nation. Additionally, we support the renewed commitment to system preservation, the consolidation of federal highway program categories, increased flexibility, and the creation of a freight mobility program. The new core programs would serve to focus the nation’s spending on maintaining the existing system and the most important functions of the transportation network. CSAC staff and our federal advocates continue to analyze the 600-page bill. Joe Krahn and Hasan Sarsour with Waterman and Associates will be at the Housing, Land Use, and Transportation Policy Committee meeting during the CSAC Annual Meeting to review more specifically the details of MAP-21.