CTC allocates $167 million to California rail projects

Written by Mischa Wanek-Libman, editor
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BART

The California Transportation Commission (CTC) allocated $359 million to 36 projects. The CTC says the funds represent an investment that will create jobs bolstering the state's economy, reduce traffic congestion, repair highways and bridges and improve rail service.

Of the funds, $167.15 million will fund five rail projects in San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Fairfield and San Joaquin.

San Francisco’s Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) received $140 million to purchase 46 new rail cars that will provide new service from the BART/Caltrain Millbrae Station directly to San Francisco International Airport. The funds will also help pay to lengthen all three rail storage tracks at the south end of the station, enabling the facility to handle BART’s maximum train length of 10 cars and make it possible to run longer trains from the East Bay to the airport.

The San Joaquin Council of Governments will receive $20.5 million for a double track project between Escalon and Stockton. This project will build 3.8 miles of double track and all related infrastructure on BNSF mainline and will improve the efficiency and on-time performance of the intercity rail passenger services on the San Joaquin Corridor, which operates from Bakersfield to Oakland and Bakersfield to Sacramento.

The city of Fairfield will receive $4.4 million for the Capitol Corridor Fairfield/Vacaville Train Station. The project will re-configure the mainline, siding and spur track geometry to improve both passenger and freight operations and improve access and safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and the handicapped for travel to either side of the tracks, as well as the passenger platform.

The $1.752 million in funds the Sacramento Regional Transit District received will advance and complete environmental documents associated with planned improvements to provide connectivity of Sacramento Regional Transit service to high-speed rail.

The Southern California Regional Rail Authority will receive $500,000 to perform Woodley Avenue grade crossing safety improvements.

The allocations included $44 million from Proposition 1B, a 2006 voter-approved transportation bond. To date, nearly $17 billion in Proposition 1B funds have been put to work statewide for transportation purposes. Additionally, $175 million in allocations came from various state and federal transportation accounts.

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