Issue Position: Transportation

Issue Position

"Transportation issues are critical to California's economy and its citizens' everyday lives. We must continue to improve roads and highways to reduce congestion and increase driver safety. It is equally important that we invest in transportation alternatives, such as light rail, which are increasingly necessary in our growing region and will help reduce pollution." -- Congressman Adam Schiff

Expanding Metro Gold Line:

Since serving in the California State legislature, Congressman Schiff has worked to promote and develop viable public transportation alternatives that will not only benefit riders, but also have a positive impact on congestion and our environmental problems. During his tenure in the California State Senate Schiff introduced legislation that created the Gold Line Construction Authority, which build the Gold Line on time and under budget. The Gold Line conserves energy and reduces pollution -- saving 1.5 million gallons of gasoline and preventing an estimated 4 tons of carbon monoxide emissions yearly.

In November 2008, residents in Los Angeles County overwhelmingly approved Measure R, a half-cent sales tax increase, to make significant infrastructure and transportation investments in the County. In the spring of 2010, Schiff worked to ensure that construction on Phase 2A of the Gold Line Foothill Extension from Pasadena to Azusa could begin as soon as possible. Through the hard work of many people working on that effort, the project broke ground on June 26. Extending the Gold Line to Azusa will create nearly 7,000 jobs in our communities, generate approximately in $1 billion in economic activity and help ease San Gabriel Valley residents' commute into Los Angeles.

Making our Railroads Safer:

Train safety has been one of Schiff's priorities for several years. Unfortunately, after the 2005 Glendale crash and the more recent Metrolink crash in Chatsworth, our community knows the tragedy of train collisions. The Railroad Safety Enhancement Act of 2008 included the Rail Collision Prevention Act, introduced by Schiff, which mandated the nationwide implantation of positive train control (PTC) by 2015, and authorized funds to help pay for the implantation. PTC helps bring a train to an automatic stop if engineers do not comply with a signal, or if a train has missed signals to stop or is slow to stop.

The Railroad Safety Enhancement Act (H.R. 2095), was signed into law by the president on October 16, 2008. Schiff continues to use his seat on the House Appropriations Committee to ensure strong funding for PTC implementation both locally and nationally.

Nighttime Curfew for Bob Hope Airport:

Schiff has long supported a mandatory nighttime curfew for Bob Hope Airport so that Burbank residents can sleep peacefully. In November 2009, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rejected the Bob Hope Airport Authority's application for a curfew for nighttime between 10 pm and 7 am at Bob Hope Airport. Earlier this year, Schiff and other Southern California Members introduced the Valley-Wide Noise Relief Act (H.R. 842) that would allow Bob Hope and Van Nuys Airports to implement nighttime curfews. Schiff offered the legislation as an amendment to the FAA Reauthorization and Reform Act (H.R. 658). Though the amendment did not secure enough votes to pass, it did achieve a strong level of support. In a subsequent meeting with the FAA Administrator, the Administrator expressed a willingness to work with Schiff on this important issue. He continues to work with the FAA, airports in our region and the affected communities to help achieve meaningful nighttime noise protection for the citizens of Burbank.

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