Transportation planners reviewed draft plans

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1 contact Issue 42 Dec 11/Jan East Weber Ave. Stockton, CA Lammers Road /I-205 Reports Available Transportation planners reviewed draft plans for the I-205/Lammers Road Improvements in Tracy during a public workshop last month. Caltrans and the City of Tracy are proposing a modified interchange, freeway auxiliary lanes, and connecting roadways near the junction of I-205 and Eleventh Street in Tracy. The build proposal would eliminate the existing Eleventh Street ramps on I-205, replacing them with a partial cloverleaf exchange at a realigned Eleventh Street, Phone: Fax: info@sjcog.org Website: December 2011: 14 Management & Finance Committee, noon, Isadore's, 680 N. Main St., Manteca 14 Citizens Advisory Committee, 6:00 p.m., 15 SJCOG Board of Directors, 5:00 p.m., 26 Office Closed for Christmas Holiday January 2012: 1 Office Closed for New Year's Day 9 Project Development Committee, 7:15 a.m., SJCOG Executive Conference Room

2 which is the old Highway 50. This alternative includes a westbound auxiliary lane on I-205 from Eleventh Street to Grant Line Road. An acceleration lane in the eastbound direction would also be included. The project is funded by federal and state sources and local Measure K tax dollars. 12 Technical Advisory Committee, 10:00 a.m., 18 Management & Finance Committee, noon, Isadore's, 680 N. Main St., Manteca 18 Citizens Advisory Committee, 6:00 p.m., 20 Executive Committee, noon, SJCOG Executive Conference Room 26 SJCOG Board of Directors, 5:00 p.m., The Draft Environmental Impact Report is available for public review at the Caltrans District 10 Office, 1976 E. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd, Stockton. Print copies are available at Tracy City Hall, 333 Civic Center Plaza, Tracy. For more information contact Scott Guidi, Caltrans District 10 Project Manager, at or by . The widening of Interstate 5 through Stockton continues. Construction photos are courtesy of Caltrans, Vali Cooper & Associates, and Terry Way Photography. Valley Voice Heads To Sacramento Representatives from all eight Central Valley head to the state Capitol in February to talk to elected officials and agency directors about area transportation needs and

3 The SJCOG family sends our warmest thoughts and best wishes for a wonderful holiday and a very Happy New Year. RTD Stuff the Bus Success! Congratulations to the San Joaquin Regional Transit District and its partners for another hugely successful food drive for nonprofit agencies throughout the county! This year's RTD Stuff the Bus was bigger and better than last year, with three local transit agencies, Lodi Grapeline, Manteca Transit, and Escalon etrans joining in. RTD led the countywide effort last month to hold simultaneous food drives in each city using staff and volunteers to collect food for the Emergency Food Bank of Stockton, Salvation Army of Lodi, Second Harvest Food Bank of Manteca, and Escalon CARE. The two-day drive netted 25,000 pounds of food that will allow the nonprofits to provide 20,000 meals! RTD partnered with The Record newspaper, concerns. The annual trip has proven beneficial to such key Central Valley projects as State Route 99, short haul rail, among others. Central to this year's California trip will be infrastructure funding for roadway projects that could face reductions under the new federal transportation bill, expected to be approved next year. Additionally, the Policy Council is looking for improved passenger rail, assistance with air quality conformity requirements and support for needed improvements along SR 99 and elsewhere. Representatives from the San Joaquin Regional Policy Council, representing San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Kings, Fresno, Tulare, and Kern counties, approve a legislative platform for both federal and state lawmakers every year. This upcoming Sacramento trip is planned for March The Washington, DC trip is scheduled for September 2012.

4 Cumulus Broadcasting, Food4Less, and Big Boy Market for this year's event. Planners Workshop Draws Local City and County Officials SJCOG hosted the latest in a series of Basic Planning 101 workshops last month, inviting planning commissioners, elected officials, and others for an overview on planning in California communities. The series is being sponsored by the Sacramento Valley Section of the American Planning Association, the Sacramento Area Council of Governments in association with SJCOG, and the City of Chico. The Basic Planning 101 workshop reviewed planning fundamentals, including roles and responsibilities, California planning law, the subdivision map act, the public hearing process, regional planning, and other related laws and industry SJCOG Board to Hold Growth Workshop Members of the SJCOG Board of Directors will hold a workshop on regional efforts to plan growth on January 13, 2012 from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. in the, 555 E. Weber Ave., Stockton. Under discussion will be a map of potential in-fill sites throughout the county, a greenhouse gas inventory report, and a report on the policy considerations that could be beneficial to advancing smart growth development plans. No January Horizons This edition of Horizons covers both December and January, as we take our January break. Happy New Year's to all!

5 processes. Janet Ruggiero, retired Community Development Director for the City of Citrus Heights, led the SJCOG workshop for two dozens area planning officials. Ms Ruggiero currently serves on the CCAPA Board of Directors and has received Distinguished Service Awards from the National APA and CCAPA. SJCOG Associate Regional Planner Kim Anderson briefed the group on local planning efforts. The workshop series, held in Stockton and the Sacramento area, has been a huge success among planning commissioners, elected officials, and others. Plans are now underway for a second round of workshops aimed at more specific topics, including CEQA, early next year. For more information, contact SJCOG Associate Regional Planner Kim Anderson at or by . One Voice Call for Projects Due Our annual Legislative Trip to Washington, D.C. is right around the corner. If you have a project you would like considered for the 2012 trip, please review the instruction materials and complete the project request form available HERE. The deadline to submit requests is January 13, For more information, contact Nicole Gorham at or by . San Joaquin Delta Initiative Meets More than two dozen members of the Mayor's Delta Initiative, formed on behalf of local Delta interests in light on the state's plans to build a Delta peripheral canal, met at SJCOG last week to strategize next steps for moving ahead. Assemblyman Bill Berryhill spoke on his office's efforts, working with the other area Assembly and Senate members, to galvanize support among state lawmakers. Other COG Directors Meet in Stockton The executive directors of all eight Central Valley transportation planning agencies met at SJCOG last month to discuss shared concerns over air quality, goods movement, and improved short haul rail. The group meets regularly to discuss transportation priorities that affect the entire San Joaquin Valley, including San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare,

6 participants included former Senator Michael Machado, San Joaquin County Supervisor Larry Rhustaller, and numerous local elected officials, planners, and water experts. The group plans to attend upcoming meetings of the Delta Stewardship Council and the Delta Protection Commission. To learn more about the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, visit the California Water Resources website HERE. Pulling Out the Cell at a Stoplight May Cost You! A state Appeals Court has confirmed rulings by a Bay Area traffic commissioner and Superior Court that it is in fact illegal to use a hand-held cell while waiting at a stop light. A Richmond driver earlier this year fought a ticket he received for using his cell phone while waiting at a red stop light. The driver argued that the state's Vehicle Code governing use of cell phones only applies when the car is in motion, not when it is stopped at a light. His attorney argued the drivers eat sandwiches and apply makeup at stop lights and that cell phone use should be treated similarly. VC Section 23123a reads: "A person shall not drive a motor vehicle while using a wireless telephone unless that telephone is specifically designed and configured to allow hands-free listening and talking, and is used in that manner while driving." The cited driver argued that being stopped at the light is not the same as driving as referenced in the code. The courts disagreed, determining that the Legislature wrote law intending the ban to apply Kings, Madera, Merced, Fresno, and Kern counties. All eight counties share the same air basin and are working together to meet reduced air emission goals set by the Air Resources Board. In addition, the directors are developing a legislative platform for the state and federal lawmakers that includes lowering the threshold for counties to pass self-help transportation sales taxes, protects funding for continued improvements on State Route 99, and promotes legislation to improve passenger rail. The COG directors work with the San Joaquin Valley Regional Policy Council, which is comprised of elected officials from all eight counties. 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

7 when drivers are operating a vehicle on the street - even if they are not moving. The law does allow cell phone use during emergencies. But be warned: Even if you are stopped at a light, cell phone use may cost you a ticket! 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. Executive Director Andrew Chesley's most recent update to the Board included information on the following: American Jobs Act Dana Cowell Update I-5 Groundbreaking Upcoming Conferences of Note Click HERE for the full report. At their monthly meeting on Thursday, November 17, 2011, the Board of the San Joaquin Council of Governments (SJCOG) took action or was briefed on the following items: Regional Transportation Impact Fee (RTIF) Technical Report The Board discussed the state statute that requires the impact fee program to undergo an update every five years. The technical report has been reviewed by SJCOG s legal counsel and it has been determined that it has meet all statutory requirements. This was an information item only. Final 2012 Regional Transportation Improvement Program (RTIP) Programming Recommendations The Board approved the final 2012 RTIP Programming recommendations;

8 (2) authorize the Executive Director to make administrative changes as needed prior to adoption by the California Transportation Commission; (3) authorize the Board Chair to sign Resolution R documenting Board adoption of the 2012 RTIP. Motion passed unanimously 7/0 by voice vote. Gold River Orchard Project The Board authorized the Gold River Orchard Project to participate in the SJMSCP with an alteration to the habitat type coverage. The motion passed unanimously. Mettler Winery Project The Board authorized the Mettler Winery Project to participate in the SJMSCP with an alteration to the habitat type coverage. The motion passed unanimously.