Congresswoman Watson Applauds Passage of Transportation Bill

For Immediate Release
August 4, 2005

Congresswoman Watson Applauds Passage of Transportation Bill

(Washington, DC)- Congresswoman Diane E. Watson applauded the long-delayed passage of the SAFETEA-LU Transportation bill with the following statement:

SAFETEA-LU has finally arrived-and just in time. The 2004 Urban Mobility Study by the Texas Transportation Institute shows that the average American wastes 46 hours, almost two full days, a year in traffic. Measured in dollars, the cost of congestion is now sixty three billion dollars per year.

Los Angeles is again ranked as the most congested city in America, with congestion delays and costs twice the national average. Angelenos spend 93 hours per year in traffic. The cost to the region is over $11 billion/year.

Thankfully, Congress has finally acted to address our transportation crisis by passing SAFETEA-LU, a long overdue major funding bill for road and transit projects across the nation. I am pleased that I was able to secure funding for many critical projects in the 33rd district in SAFETEA-LU. Among them are:

- $7,129,408.00 for Bus Rapid Transit along Crenshaw Boulevard;
- $2,192,000.00 to Widen & Reconfigure Sepulveda & Culver Boulevards in Culver City;
- $1,600,000.00 to enhance the pedestrian environment and increase safety along Olympic Blvd between Vermont and Western Avenues;
- $3,093,200.00 for Culver City Bus Lines to switch to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses;
- $25,600.00 for First Responder Signal upgrades in Culver City.

In addition, this bill gives a vital boost to the Exposition Light Rail Line, the missing East-West link in LA's transit infrastructure. Anyone who has driven the 10 freeway knows what this project means for all the communities between Downtown and the Westside.

The Expo line will mean Shorter commutes for 76,000 Angelenos who work within one half mile of the stations; 20,000 cars off our roads during rush hour; and reductions in the amount of ozone, carbon monoxide, and smog in our air.

The Expo Line will connect Downtown and the Westside a number of local institutions; The Crenshaw Corridor; Downtown Culver City; The University of Southern California; Exposition Park and its museum campus; and The Staples Center. Eventually, we'll be able to extend the line all the way out to Santa Monica and the ocean.

Many people deserve thanks for bringing this bill to a long-awaited but successful conclusion. I want to thank Roger Snoble and his staff at the MTA for their leadership on this issue. I want to thank all my colleagues in our Congressional delegation, particularly Congressman Becerra, my partner on the Olympic Boulevard project; Representatives Waxman, Roybal-Allard, and Becerra, who all have been vocal advocates of the Expo Line; and my good friend Congresswoman Millender-McDonald, who, from her seat on the Transportation Committee, helped to guide this bill to completion and supported the rest of us in our efforts to serve Southern California. I want to thank Supervisor Yvonne Burke for her leadership on rail safety and on elevating the Crenshaw Corridor Bus Rapid Transit project. And I want to thank both Mayor Hahn for his support, and our new Mayor, Mayor Villaraigosa, who has so quickly demonstrated his passion for improving our city's transit infrastructure. I look forward to working with all of you to take further action to get LA moving.

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/ca33_watson/050804.html