WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Lois Capps today secured $600,000 in federal funding to improve traffic congestion on the critical Highway 101 corridor. The money will be used to implement the Highway 101 Implementation Plan that will identify, evaluate, and recommend funding for a range of long-term measures to reduce traffic gridlock.
"Clearly one of the most pressing transportation issues we must address is the traffic gridlock on Highway 101. That is why this funding to move forward with the Implementation Plan, which I obtained at the request of the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments, Caltrans, and numerous state and local transportation experts, is so critical," said Congresswoman Capps.
In addition to determining ways to reduce congestion, the Highway 101 Implementation Plan will assess potential improvements to the highway including road widening, mprovements to additional corridor roads, and projects that encourage use of alternative transportation modes such as bikes, transit and passenger rail, and changes to local land use policies.
The Implementation Plan represents the consensus request to the federal government from the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG), and will involve a partnership between SBCAG, the cities of Santa Barbara, Goleta, Carpinteria, the County of Santa Barbara, the Air Pollution Control District, the California Department of Transportation, and the Metropolitan Transit District.
Capps continued, "The Implementation Plan is not a study -- it will be the consensus document that gets us started on fixing the 101. We need to look at all the alternatives -- including widening -- and the myriad of long-term traffic and environmental considerations. But experts agree that if we are going to undergo a massive re-construction of the 101 the best way to do it is through this Implementation Plan. The Plan represents the quickest, most efficient, and cost effective way to widen the freeway in a way the builds community consensus and truly makes progress on the maddening situation on the 101. I will continue working to bring home the federal dollars needed to improve the quality of life for our commuters."
Gregg Albright, Director, Caltrans District 5, said, "By building consensus and exploring alternatives early, the 101 Implementation Plan will present a strong transportation vision that can actually deliver a project several years earlier than the normal environmental approval process. Once general consensus is reached, Caltrans can shave even more time off."
The funding is included in 2004 Appropriations Bill for the Department of Transportation that passed the House this evening. The Senate is expected to consider the bill later this month, and the funding will be final after it is signed by the President.
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