| Double Fines Continue on
Highway 12 |
The state Department of Transportation has extended
double fines for speeders caught on a stretch of Highway 12 between I-5 in Lodi and I-80. The hefty traffic fines are
believed to have acted as a deterrent along a stretch of highway that has drawn attention and safety legislation due to the
number of dangerous accidents reported there. |
| There were six fatalities along Highway 12 west
of I-5 in San Joaquin County
in 2006, a figure that dropped to one in 2009 after the fines
increased, according to the California Highway Patrol. |
Recent safety improvements include new guardrails, lane striping, and a
number of planned projects. SJCOG is involved in a comprehensive study of the highway and has co-sponsored,
with Caltrans, plans to realign the Tower Parkway beneath the Potato Slough Bridge and improve roadway and highway access
in that area and the rehabilitation of Highway 12 from the San Joaquin County Line to Potato Slough Bridge.
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| Sustainability Series Continues |
| Sponsors of a series of morning meetings addressing
growth sustainability in San Joaquin County launched the program in February at the SJCOG Board Room
with a standing-room only crowd. |
| The public forums, organized by A.G. Spanos Companies, the Sierra Club, the
Campaign for Common Ground, SJCOG, and the Stockton City Council are aimed at educating the community
about “smart growth” concepts, such as building “green” communities that include transit, housing, shopping, and reduce the need for individual car trips. |
| The initial meeting included presentations on Sustainability 101, smart growth, “green” development
and national and state efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. |
| Speakers included Laura Mamo and Jennifer Fosket, authors of a study looking at smart growth development,
and California Sierra Club President Bill Magavern. |
| The second meeting, titled “How Green is Stockton” drew another big crowd. Deputy California Attorney General
Cliff Rechtschaffen discussed state environmental regulations and the roles of local government were addressed. |
| The series continues with four more forums later this spring, “Managing Growth Sustainably”, “What Are Green Jobs and
Where Are They?”, “Leaving the Car Behind”, and “Growing Food and Eating Sustainably.” |
| Dates have been selected but sites are not confirmed.
Check the SJCOG or City of Stockton websites in mid-March. |
|
| Highway 4 Extension Second Public Hearing |
Neighbors and
civic leaders from the Boggs Tract
community met with Caltrans and SJCOG planners in February to review findings of the environmental impact study of the area
planned for the extension of State Route 4. |
The project is aimed at improving the connection between Interstate 5 and the Crosstown Freeway and the Port of Stockton along with adjacent neighborhoods and to reduce industrial truck traffic from
the Boggs Tract community, improving safety and air quality. |
| The hundreds of trucks that travel stop-and-go through the neighborhood daily
would travel to and from the port via an overpass designed to connect the Crosstown Freeway with port access. |
Boggs Tract neighbors and residents have been reviewing design plans that include
alternatives, both a walled overpass and an open structure. During the recent meeting they were asked to submit comments to a
court reporter, in English or Spanish, or in writing indicating their preferences for the type of overpass and other observations. |
| Residents unable to attend the open house can submit questions and concerns to Gail Miller,
Caltrans, 2015 Shields Ave., Suite 100, Fresno, Ca, 93726. Copies of the environmental document are available at SJCOG or at the Cesar Chavez
Public Library, 605 N. El Dorado Ave., Stockton. Please submit comments by March 22, 2010. |
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| Habitat Program Recognized By U.S. Fish and Wildlife |
| The Sacramento office for U.S. Fish and Wildlife have
recognized SJCOG Senior Planner Steve Mayo and Regional Planner Anne-Marie Poggio for their outstanding work with SJCOG’s
ten-year-old Habitat Protection Program. |
The SJCOG planners were presented plaques honoring a decade of achievement with the
Habitat Conservation Plan during the February SJCOG Board of Directors meeting. |
| “Today, San Joaquin County is a leader in providing necessary protection for imperiled
native species and doing so in a sensible way that works for the community,” said Fish and Wildlife’s Cay Goude. “The hard work of
Steve Mayo, Anne-Marie Poggio and the COG itself were instrumental in making the vision of the HCP a reality.” |
| Completed in 2000, the plan addresses conserving open space while enabling the community to meet economic
needs related to land use. The plan covers 97 special status plants, fish and wildlife in the County’s 1,400 square miles. |
Under the program, landowners can convert their land from open space by paying an established fee into
a mitigation fund which is used to purchase high value habitat land or easements. Steve Mayo and Anne-Marie Poggio work with landowners and
project developers who want to participate in the program as well as the county and cities. |
| For more information about the program, contact Senior Planner Steve Mayo at 235-0600,
or visit the
SJCOG website. |
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| One Voicesm is Ten Years Old! |
| San Joaquin County cities, the county and other organizations,
including the Regional Transit District, Altamont Commuter Express and the Port of Stockton, have
benefitted significantly over the past decade of One Voicesm legislative advocacy trips to the nation’s capitol. |
| Since SJCOG began organizing the trip in 2000 county, agencies and non-profit organizations have
received $64.2 million as a result of their requests. |
| SJCOG has been able to fund roadway improvements and major projects, including the Arch-Sperry Road
extension, cities such as Manteca, Lathrop and Tracy have received funding for special projects, including interstate and highway interchanges,
and the Port of Stockton has received millions of dollars towards ship channel maintenance. |
| This year, as a result of the 2009 trip and advocacy effort, RTD, the I-5/French Camp Interchange, Stockton
East Farmington Groundwater Recharge, and ACE received funding. |
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| March 2010: |
| 8 |
Project Delivery Committee, 7:30 a.m., SJCOG Executive Conference Room |
| 10 |
Lower Sacramento Road/UPRR Meeting,
5:30 p.m., Forest Lake Golf Course Clubhouse, 2450 E. Woodson Road, Acampo |
| 11 |
Technical Advisory
Committee, 10:00 a.m., SJCOG Board Room |
| 17 |
Level of Service
Forum, 7:30 a.m., SJCOG Board Room |
| 17 |
Management &
Finance Committee,
Noon, Commercial Exchange Club |
| 17 |
Citizens Advisory
Committee, 6:00 p.m., SJCOG Board Room |
| 19 |
Executive
Committee, Noon, SJCOG Executive Conference Room |
| 25 |
SJCOG Board of
Directors, 5:00 p.m., SJCOG Board Room |
| April 2010: |
| 5 |
One Voice Pre-Trip
Planning Session, 9:00 a.m., SJCOG Board Room |
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| Sustainability forums launched at SJCOG. |
| Draft Regional Transportation Plan Out to Public in April |
| The draft of San Joaquin County’s Regional Transportation
Plan is nearly complete and is expected to be made available to the public in April. The document will be
available in the public libraries and on the SJCOG website. |
| After a 45-day public comment period, the update to the county’s 25-year-transportation
plan will go the the SJCOG Board Directors in early summer. |
| The plan includes a list of hundreds of projects, from smaller roadway improvements to highway
widenings to transit projects for bus and rail. These projects are located all over the county in all of the cities and
in the rural, unincorporated areas. |
| The RTP must meet state and federal regulations addressing public outreach, air quality, financing,
congestion management, and environmental concerns, including the California Environmental Quality Act. |
| For more information, contact Tanisha
Taylor, senior regional planner, SJCOG, at 235-0600. |
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| One Voice 2010 Preparations |
| SJCOG is in the final stages of One Voice 2010 preparations. We are
completing scheduling, arranging guest speakers and special tours, updating biographies, and finalizing the all-important
participant binders for the April 18-21, 2010 trip to Washington, DC. |
| This year SJCOG is taking more than two dozen requests for projects for our community to Congress,
including requests for funding to widen Interstate 5 and to improve the Altamont rail corridor. |
| There are project requests from the cities, the county, Stockton East Water District, the San Joaquin
Regional Transit District, ACE, and three regional projects brought by the San Joaquin Council of Governments. Among those,
the interstate widening, the rail corridor improvement and the Natural Resources Institute at the University of the Pacific. |
| The SJCOG Board of Directors approved the project list in January and requests have now gone to the northern
California congressional delegation. |
| The pre-trip meeting at the SJCOG Board Room is April 5, 2010, starting at 9 a.m. SJCOG looks forward to another
successful trip to Washington, DC, to advocate for improvements for San Joaquin County. Wish us luck! |
| For more information call SJCOG Public Communications Planner Dianne Barth at 235-0451 or Communications Specialist Nicole Gorham at 235-0582. |
|
| Lower Sacramento Road/UP Railroad Hearing Slated |
| TA public feasibility study on the Lower Sacramento Road rail crossing near
Woodson Road is planned for Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at the Forest Lake Golf Course, 2450 E. Woodson Road, Acampo, CA, 95220. |
| The meeting is open to the public and runs from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Clubhouse. |
| The Lower Sacramento Road crossing at Union Pacific Railroad is part of a key route linking Galt and Lodi. The
two-lane underpass has a sharp S-curve for both north and south bound traffic in a narrow structure. |
| San Joaquin County Public Works and SJCOG are preparing a feasibility study of the grade separation to identify safety,
operational and capacity needs of the crossing, develop sound alternatives for improvements and identify funding sources for design and construction. |
| For more information call the project hotline at 464-4350,
ext. 103 or by
email.
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| 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: |
- CTC Meeting
- Budget Proposal Heading for Approval Today
|
| Click
here for the full report. |
 |
| At their monthly meeting on Thursday, February 25,
2010, the Board of the San Joaquin Council of Governments (SJCOG)
took action or was briefed on the following items: |
- Federal Transportation Improvement Program Amendment
#21 for Potential Federal Stimulus Funding
| The Board approved formal amendment #21 for the FTIP
program which adds $29,694,175 in funding for the
Jobs for Main Street Act of 2010. |
- Fiscal Year 2010-2011 Revenue Estimate of the Local Transportation Fund and Apportionment Schedule
| The Board approved the revenue estimate of
$18,300,000 for FY 2010-11 and the accompanying
apportionment schedule. |
- Draft Fiscal Year 2010-2011 Overall Work Program
| The Board adopted the draft FY 2010-11 OWP for
submittal to Federal and State agencies for review and
comment. |
- Overview of 2011 Regional Transportation Plan
| The Board received an update on
the activities relating to the 2011 RTP update. The
draft document is scheduled to be released in April
2010. |
- Forward Landfill Expression Project - Consistency
Determination
| The Board received information
on a consistency determination that was made regarding
the Forward Landfill Expansion project. |
- Public Hearing for the Lodi Energy Center Preserve
Dedication
| The Board held a public hearing for the Lodi Energy
Center Preserve Dedication. No action was taken
regarding this project. |
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