Issue Position: Transportation

Issue Position

Transportation is one of my top priorities in teh San Gabriel Valley. We need a transportation system that will improve the environment and create jobs. That's why I am fighting to quickly expand our transit options and turn our region into a model for the 21st century.

Residents of the San Gabriel Valley commute miles to work and sit for hours in traffic. Our region deserves the same transportation options as the rest of the county: a light rail system, a robust bus network, and freeways with smooth interchanges and carpool lanes.

Here's how I'm working to improve transportation and the most crucial projects benefitting the San Gabriel Valley:

Gold Line Foothill Extension
Gold Line Eastside Extension
Supporting the Alameda Corridor East (ACE) Project
Investing in Transportation Infrastructure

Gold Line Foothill Extension
I strongly believe we must complete the Gold Line Foothill Extension to connect Pasadena to Azusa through Arcadia, but also all the way to Glendora, Pomona, and Claremont - eventually ending at the Ontario Airport.

I knew I had to act when the Los Angeles County Transportation Board was going to pass a long-term plan to prevent the Gold Line from applying for federal funds or even completing the project early. In a move that MTA had not ever seen before, I helped convince 14 Congressmembers, both Democrats and Republicans, to sign a letter to urge MTA to permit the Gold Line to apply for federal funding. Afterwards, I wrote an editorial in the Los Angeles Times to raise awareness and convince board members to reconsider their position. Thanks to these actions, the board felt the pressure and finally voted to allow the Gold Line line to apply for federal funding and to complete the phase to Azusa early.

Later in June 2010, I proudly stood with a shovel in my hand to break ground on constructing the first Foothill Extension phase to Azusa will open up this year, in 2015.

But I am not giving up. More funding will be needed to complete the second phase to Montclair. I will continue fighting for state and federal funding until we complete this crucial project all the way to the Ontario International Airport.

Gold Line Eastside Extension
For years, East Los Angeles residents and beyond have had difficulty getting to work, visiting their friends and family, and running errands throughout the city. Even though East LA residents are three times more likely to take public transit than the rest of the County, they're forced to endure long walks to the bus stop only to board overcrowded buses that travel slowly through the streets, in addition to transfer delays and long travel times.

The Eastside Gold Line Extension has been a success since its completion in 2009, but we can't stop there. I am actively pushing to extend the line along the SR-60 all the way to El Monte and will fight to bring federal dollars to help build it.

Supporting the Alameda Corridor East (ACE) Project to make our streets safer and less congested.
I strongly support the Alameda Corridor East (ACE) Project. Sixty percent of our nation's shipping containers come through the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports, through the San Gabriel Valley, and then go out all across the country. To move those goods faster and safer, we need to separate the trains from the car traffic through grade separations, which redirect the traffic to go below or above the railroad crossing. This is exactly what ACE is doing. Tremendous progress has been made, most recently with the opening of the Baldwin Avenue overpass. I am truly looking forward to the San Gabriel Trench, near the San Gabriel Mission. The construction of this overpass will greatly improve the safety and traffic of the region.

I have fought to secure federal funding for the ACE project through the federal grants process, and to date, ACE has completed eight crossings and seven more are under construction. I will continue supporting transportation projects that make our commutes safer and easier.

I also testified at a House Transportation Committee hearing on how important it was to devote a section of a new transportation bill to a national freight infrastructure investment program. This program would prioritize nationally significant projects, like the Alameda Corridor East. I am a proud osponsor of legislation to establish these funding streams to invest in this necessary freigh infrastructure.

Investing in Transportation Infrastructure
In July 2012, I voted in favor of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) -- also known as the transportation reauthorization bill -- that invests billions in our nation's transportation infrastructure to create or save more than 2 million jobs. Building our transportation infrastructure is one of the best ways we can invest in our nation's future and create jobs today.

However, this legislation was set to expire in 2014, and since then Congress has only passed short-term extensions of the bill. Short-term extensions of transportation funding are hurtful because they do not provide the commitment and security that local and state governments need to plan transportation projects and hire workers. That is why I am a cosponsor of H.R. 2410, the GROW AMERICA Act, which would provide a total of $478 billion over six years. This would be a 45 percent increase for highways, bridges, public transportation, highway safety, and rail programs. The GROW AMERICA ACT is partially offset by preventing U.S. corporations from evading taxes. This legislation would give us the funding and certainty we need to improve our infrastructure and protect all the jobs these projects provide in the San Gabriel Valley. I am committed to working with my colleagues to finally bring about a viable and long term solution to this urgent issue.

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