Leaders Embrace Transportation Investments

by Gary Toebben

More than 1,000 transportation, business and elected leaders are converging in Los Angeles today at Mobility 21's 10th Annual Southern California Transportation Summit to pledge their commitment to job creation for Southern California, by aggressively pursuing and delivering state and federal transportation investment to our region.

Leaders from seven counties will come together in support of the reauthorization of a long-overdue federal transportation bill and urge Congress to pass legislation to prevent the federal gas tax — 18 cents per gallon — from expiring at the end of September. The gasoline tax is the principle revenue source for federal transportation funding and if it vanishes, most of the federal funding for transportation will disappear.

Because of the importance of transportation funding to Southern California and the nation, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce initiated a national coalition of chambers of commerce this summer to urge Congress to reauthorize the federal transportation bill and extend the gasoline tax. These chambers of commerce are working collectively and individually in support of a robust federal transportation bill that gives cities and counties the flexibility to use innovative financing methods, and streamline the project delivery process without sacrificing the environment.

America Fast Forward, which had its genesis with Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa's 30/10 plan to speed up transportation projects funded by Measure R, is included in the preliminary proposals being discussed by the U.S. Senate and House. America Fast Forward could become the national template for transportation funding to accelerate the delivery of projects and get boots on the ground faster.

As part of the push to begin construction sooner, Mobility 21 is supporting the Breaking Down Barriers initiative that began in Orange County. This initiative would speed up projects by reducing red tape and streamlining the entire design and construction process.

Mobility 21 was created 10 years ago by the L.A. Area Chamber and the Los Angeles County Transportation Authority. It was initially a one-county effort, but always intended to become a regional organization because planning and funding for transportation improvements are best coordinated on a regional basis. It is now a seven-county, public-private organization.

Over the years, Mobility 21 has voiced strong support for design-build project delivery and the ability to use public-private partnerships to deliver key projects like the SR-91 in Riverside County, the Devore Interchange in San Bernardino and the Gerald Desmond Bridge at the Port of Long Beach. Mobility 21 has also been vocal in calling for a state bond sale this fall to prevent the delay of dozens of critical projects throughout the region.

Mobility 21 does not replace local efforts that are so important to improving the mobility of our region, it compliments them. It is a good example of how we all win when leaders from many political jurisdictions, business and labor come together for a common cause. 

And that's The Business Perspective.