Local elected officials, government staffers and other stakeholders will travel to Washington, D.C., in May to advocate and promote a dozen projects that are significant to San Joaquin County’s future.
The San Joaquin Council of Governments (SJCOG) Board of Directors at its latest meeting approved those projects and will lead the 2025 San Joaquin One Voice® delegation to meet with federal lawmakers and agency staff May 19-21 to make the best case possible for funding the projects.
“Having these face-to-face conversations with lawmakers and agency staff makes a real difference,” said Lathrop Mayor and SJCOG Chair Paul Akinjo. “They can see firsthand how deeply we care about these projects and understand their significance to everyone living, working, and traveling in San Joaquin County. Being there in person to make our case has consistently helped us secure critical federal funding for our community.”
One of the most recent successes came earlier this year when the City of Tracy received word it had secured $41.35 million in federal funds for the I-580/Corral Hollow Road project. The project had been on the previous year’s One Voice® slate of projects promoted to federal lawmakers and agency staffers. Other recent successes came when three projects promoted by the One Voice® advocacy effort each received funding: SJCOG’s State Route 99/120 Interchange Phase 1B, $5 million; San Joaquin County’s Grant Line Road Improvements, $2.5 million; and San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission’s The Rail Academy of Central California, $1.5 million.
“The SJCOG Board of Directors at its Feb. 27 meeting approved the 2025 slate of projects,” SJCOG Executive Director Diane Nguyen said. “Last year, the 70 One Voice® delegates spoke together with one voice and conveyed more strongly and clearly the projects’ benefits than could a lone voice.”
One Voice® delegates this year will advocate that the following receive funding:
- I-5/Louise Avenue Interchange, Lathrop.
- Energy Center Hydrogen Conversion, Lodi.
- SR 120/Airport Way Diverging Diamond Interchange, Manteca.
- Mountain House Regional Mobility Hub, Mountain House.
- Stockton Metropolitan Airport Taxiway D Connector, San Joaquin County.
- Grant Line Road Realignment, San Joaquin County.
- Megaregion Investment Strategy, including funding requests for I-205 Managed Lanes and the next phase of the State Route 99/120 Connector project, SJCOG.
- North Lathrop Transfer Station, San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission.
- Vehicle Replacements, San Joaquin Regional Transit District/United Cerebral Palsy.
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Rail & Roadway Reconstruction, Stockton.
- Bellota Weir Modifications, Stockton East Water District.
- I-205/Mountain House Parkway International Parkway Interchange, Tracy.
SJCOG Board members also approved the 2025 SJCOG Legislative Platform, which provides direction to the congressional delegation and agency officials on transportation, infrastructure and policy needs of San Joaquin County. The platform is organized by policy themes under which major projects and programs fall. They include transportation funding and finance; economic development; environment; Megaregion infrastructure.
Learn more about the SJCOG-led One Voice® advocacy effort.