| Mayor Johnston Named SJCOG Chair |
Stockton Mayor Ann Johnston took the
 gavel in July as SJCOG Board of Directors
chair for 2010-1011. Ripon Mayor Chuck Winn became vice-chair, in the annual leadership rotation that was approved
in June. |
Board members thanked outgoing chair Larry Hansen, a Lodi City Council member, with a special
plaque and list of SJCOG accomplishments under his leadership. Among them: securing funding for the improvements planned for Interstate
5 through Stockton, effectively targeting projects for federal Stimulus funding, developing the first Valley wide State Transportation
Improvement Project, and adoption of a San Joaquin County Blueprint - three years in the making. |
| Councilman Hansen’s leadership included the
recent kickoff of the Route 12 Corridor Study
Multi-Regional Committee. Mr. Hansen was named the committee’s first chair. |
| Finally, Mr. Hansen participated in the development of numerous projects, including the widening of Lodi Avenue
through east Lodi and plans to build high speed rail corridors over the Altamont and from Merced to Sacramento. |
| Thank you Councilman
Hansen and congratulations to Ms. Johnston and Mr. Winn! |
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| SJCOG Deputy Executive Director
Honored |
| The National Association of Regional Councils has honored SJCOG Deputy Executive
Director/CFO Steve Dial for a decade of leadership on its Financial Affairs Committee. |
Outgoing NARC President Steve Cassano presented Mr. Dial with the organization’s prestigious 2010
President’s Award at the national conference in June, noting the award represents Mr. Dial’s positive impact on national regional collaboration
throughout his career. |
| The NARC serves as a national voice for regionalism by advocating for regional cooperation as the most
effective way to address a variety of community planning and development opportunities and issues. |
| Membership includes regional councils, councils of governments, planning and development agencies and
metropolitan planning organizations. |
| Congratulations Steve Dial! |
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| Congratulations San Joaquin
RTD |
| SJRTD has announced a $5.2 million federal grant that will fund an east-west
express route along Hammer Lane, adding another bus rapid transit route to the city of Stockton. |
| The new route is expected to be similar to the existing north-south Metro Express line along Pacific
Avenue – which has fewer stops than other lines and offers faster trips. |
| Transit officials reported the federal grant is sufficient to get the newest route up and running
in early 2012. The line would connect Interstate 5 to State Route 99. |
Plans for the Hammer Lane Route include linking to park-and-ride lots at both freeways
with stops at the planned 7,000-home Sanctuary Development. Technology on the rapid transit route allows the district to work with the city to get
priority on signals. Passengers pre-purchase tickets and there are other techniques to speed up the trips. |
| SJRTD was awarded the grant from the Federal Transit Administration. Deputy Administrator
Therese McMillan presented the award in early July during a visit to Stockton.
Great job RTD! |
|
| I-205 Auxiliary Lanes Project Begins |
| The California Department of Transportation breaks ground on a new auxiliary lane
project along Interstate 205 later this fall. SJCOG is showcasing this project as the first highway project made possible under the Measure K
Renewal. |
| In November, San Joaquin County celebrates 20 years since voters approved Measure K, which provides a
half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements. The original measure ends and the Renewal of the measure, approved by voters in 2006,
officially launches next spring. |
| But careful planning and
a drop in construction costs enabled some Renewal projects, already
through the planning stages, to start construction early. |
This project includes construction of auxiliary lanes, including standard outside shoulders, acceleration and deceleration lanes
in both the westbound and eastbound directions along I-205 through Tracy. |
| This project was developed through a partnership among SJCOG, the City of Tracy and Caltrans. The project, estimated at $51 million,
includes funding from State Prop 1B. |
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| Amtrak has expanded Central Valley service due to a big increase in summer ridership demand.
Amtrak’s San Joaquin passenger train is adding a passenger car this month, increasing capacity by 25 percent. |
| Currently, all 12 of the daily San Joaquin trains operate with four cars. Now through Labor Day,
a fifth car will be added to at least six of the busiest trains that serve the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, and the San Joaquin
Valley. The additional cars will accommodate 88 more passengers. |
| The San Joaquin route has experienced steady ridership and is currently the fifth busiest Amtrak
train in the nation. In 2009, the San Joaquin served 977,000 passengers and according to Amtrak, the added cars could push annual
ridership to one million for the first time. |
| Source: The Central Valley Business Times and Amtrak |
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| August 2010: |
| 4 |
Thornton
Improvement Study, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m., New Hope Elementary
School, 26675 N. Sacramento Road, Thornton |
| 5 |
Sperry Road
Extension Project Open House, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m., French
Camp Elementary School, 241 E. 4th Street, French Camp |
| 9 |
Project Delivery
Sub-Committee, 7:15 a.m., SJCOG Executive Conference
Room |
| 12 |
Technical Advisory
Committee, 10:00 a.m., SJCOG Board Room |
| 18 |
Management &
Finance Committee, noon, Location to be Determined |
| 18 |
Citizens Advisory
Committee, 6:00 p.m., SJCOG Board Room |
| 20 |
Executive
Committee, noon, SJCOG Executive Conference
Room |
| 26 |
SJCOG Board of
Directors, 5:00 p.m., SJCOG Board Room |
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| Altamont Working Group Meeting |
| Upcoming Measure K Smart Growth Plan |
| The Measure K Smart Growth Working Group will meet August 10, 2010 at SJCOG to begin
work on the development of a new Regional Collaborative Plan aimed at helping communities meet blueprint sustainability goals. |
| The group will update the existing Smart Growth Incentive
program, which in 2008 resulted in grants for efforts
to provide walkable, bikeable, sustainable neighborhoods, create jobs and housing near transit, develop infill, and make other improvements. |
| SJCOG's Measure K Smart Growth Program is
funded by the Measure K Renewal and a Caltrans planning grant. Last year SJCOG
was awarded the grant to develop a “regional collaborative plan” to identify smart growth opportunities, such as connectivity
and emission reductions, that advance the goals of the Valley Blueprint. |
| Now the working group will be studying ways to use these funds to make improvements, such as pedestrian/bicycle and
streetscape enhancements, development of multi-modal and coordinated transportation/land use strategies and projects that address
sustainability. |
| The resulting plan will provide a roadmap for local and private investment, the Smart Growth funds, and state and federal
transportation dollars targeted for sustainable principles. The plan is expected to take two years. |
| For more information contact SJCOG
Associate Regional Planner
Sam Kaur. |
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| Valley Blueprint Call for Projects |
| The San Joaquin Valley Blueprint
is calling for projects for the annual Blueprint Awards Program, recognizing outstanding
efforts to promote Blueprint principles of smart growth. |
| The awards program is open to all San Joaquin Valley jurisdictions in Kern, Kings,
Tulare, Fresno, Madera, Merced, Stanislaus, and San Joaquin counties. |
| Categories include projects that exemplify the Blueprint principles for residential,
commercial, mixed use, historic district, and downtown revitalization development. There is also the Darrel
Hildebrand Blueprint Leadership Award for an individual who has shown enthusiasm in promoting the Blueprint. |
| Nomination requirements
and details for applicants can be downloaded
here. Applications are due August 27, 2010. |
| For more information contact
Barbara Steck, Deputy Director of the Council of
Fresno County Governments or Kim Anderson, SJCOG
Associate Regional Planner. |
|
| The San Joaquin Council of Governments (SJCOG) is a joint powers authority
made up of the area's seven incorporated cities and the county. SJCOG serves as the regional
transportation planning agency and a technical and informational resource for these jurisdictions.
While regional transportation planning is its primary role, SJCOG also takes a look at population
statistics, airport land use, habitat and open space planning, and other regional issues. |
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| Executive Director Andrew Chesley's most recent
update to the Board included information on the following: |
- SB 375 Draft Targets from ARB Staff
- Meetings with the Attorney General's Office
- Hammer/99 Interchange Project
- I-5 Baseline Agreement Signed
- SJRTD $5.2 Million Grant for Hammer Lane BRT
- SJCOG Intern
- SJCOG Budget Approved for 2010-11
- Regional Policy Council of the San Joaquin Valley
|
| Click
here for the full report. |
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| At their monthly meeting on Thursday, July 22,
2010, the Board of the San Joaquin Council of Governments (SJCOG)
took action or was briefed on the following items: |
- 2011 Regional Transportation Plan Environmental
Impact Report (EIR), 2011 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP),
2011 Federal Transportation Improvement Program (FTIP), 2011 Air
Quality (AQ) Documents
| The Board adopted the four documents which were
updated to reflect comments received during the 45 day
public comment period. |
- Measure K Renewal Policy Considerations: Revised
Cooperative Agreement and Cost Savings Policies
| The Board adopted a revised cooperative agreement and
cost savings policy to clarify the basis of project cost
sharing for competitive program categories. |
- Paying for Local Agencies to Participate in Highway
Project Development Activities with Measure K Funding
| The Board approved a policy which makes member
jurisdictions eligible to recieve Measure K Renewal
Congestion Relief funds as reimbursement for
participating in the general project development
activities of major highway project improvements with
the San Joaquin Region. |
- Congestion Management Program (CMP): Draft Regional
Deficiency and Travel Demand Management Plans
| The Board received the draft
plans with the anticipation that the final plans will be
brought forward in August for review and consideration. |
- Measure K Semi-Annual Program Project Delivery Report
| The Board approved the semi-annual report which is
to assist in the timely delivery of projects and provide
a status report of the projects. |
- Master Contract for Nursery Services
| The Board approved a contract with Cornflower Farms
to provide Nursery Services for the SJMSCP. |
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