Caltrans director not a happy camper over state budget

Caltrans' media office called me Thursday afternoon and asked if I would like to chat with Will Kempton, the director of Caltrans. Sure, I said. I try never to pass up a chance to complain about traffic to public officials.

Kempton wanted to talk about the state budget, or the lack of one. He was steamed -- although polite -- about the fact that the Legislature may borrow gasoline tax revenues to help erase the $15-billion budget deficit, setting off a chain reaction of delays for Caltrans road and rail projects.

"I sure wish we'd get a budget, it's as bad as I've ever seen it and I've been in and around state government for 35 years," Kempton said. "And it's certainly not helping us with our transportation" plan.

The gist of the problem, Kempton said, is that the California Transportation Commission has approved about $500 million for a variety of projects, and the agency wants to go forward with construction. But they can't because the Legislature needs to budget the money.

And what if the Legislature decides to suspend Prop 42, the voter-approved initiative to ensure the state gas sales tax is used for transportation needs? A cascade of delays for those projects, Kempton said. In particular, he said that 20% of next year's projects would be delayed, 70% of the projects scheduled for 2009-10 would be pushed back and 90% of the 2010-11 projects would be started at a much later date.

Among the projects are carpool lanes for the 5 Freeway in the San Fernando Valley and adding tracks to the rail corridor between Commerce and Fullerton. That's part of the plan to speed up and offer more commuter rail service between Orange County and Los Angeles.

"The implications are literally catastrophic for the transportation program," Kempton added.

So I asked him this: It's hardly news that the Legislature gets stuck hammering out a budget every year, so what about doing something to raise revenues for transportation?

And I provided an example. Last weekend I drove to San Francisco on the 5 Freeway. It's a two-lane road in each direction through most of the San Joaquin Valley despite heavy car and truck traffic. Why not make it a toll road, I asked, as a way to pay to widen it? I'd pay $5 or $10 to not have to sit behind three trucks full of tomatoes.

"We have to look at a new way of doing business," Kempton said. "The bonds" -- Prop 1B, approved by voters in 2006 -- "were a significant down-payment on our transportation needs. We have been pressing for the authority for performance-based infrastructure and looking at private investment to get facilities that we need. Those would involve tolling...We've not proposed and we're not particularly interested in taking existing facilities and converting them to toll roads."

Fair enough. In the meantime, the Legislature is headed into Labor Day weekend and there's no end in sight for a budget. Whether or not the Legislature sees fit to preserve transportation funds for transportation projects remains to be seen.

-- Steve Hymon

Photo: Caltrans director Will Kempton. Credit: Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Shelli]

What an opportunity was afforded to you! The Director of the Nation's largest transportation agency calls and wants to talk to you ...? Man, where youcould've gone with that! Millions of dollars of badly needed money to improve our freeway infrastructure hangs in the balance because grown ups don't play well in the sand box together and this is what you come up with? I wish you had more time to really get down to brass tacks. New projects are jeopardized meaning commutes stagnate and frustration abounds...Maintenance coffers at Caltrans are empty meaning crews are keeping the roads open, but, grafitti, weed abatement, etc. no longer takes place because there are no dollars to fund it... Do Californians understand how badly THEY need Caltrans and regional transportation planning agencies to have that money!? Do Californians understand that the transportation fund cannot afford to be raided to pay for public assistance programs!! Get a clue! Our state will continue at a snail's pace unless transportaion gets the money it was promised! Cut the public welfare programs! One mother, two children, two years and then you're off public assitance! Stop paying illegals to be here! Come on.. I want MY tax money where it belongs, on the highway so as a WORKING mother, I can get home to my children!

[Frank]

That you decide to make the point of your article traffic is ridiculous and shallow. The director of perhaps the largest Dept of Transportation in this Nation would like to speak to you, and this is the only thing you can come up with? Get some perspective. Yes, traffic sucks, and it's never fun. I hate traffic too, but get over yourself. Extra lanes don't solve problems like you think they're going to. Do some research before just jumping in.