San Joaquin Cog's Chelsey to Testify at House Transportation Hearing, McNerney Announces

Press Release

Today, Congressman Jerry McNerney (CA-11) announced that, at his invitation, San Joaquin COG Executive Director Andy Chesley will testify tomorrow in front of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, on which Rep. McNerney serves. The subject of the hearing is "Transportation Planning".

The hearing is part of the subcommittee's effort to hear testimony and prepare for the reauthorization of federal surface transportation programs in September 2009. Topics discussed tomorrow will focus on all different types of transportation planning, including: freight rail, regional and national, land use and performance standards.

"I'm pleased that Andy will be able to testify at the hearing and I look forward to his testimony," Rep. McNerney said. "Andy has years of expertise in transportation planning and he understands the complexities of all the issues involved. As executive director of the COG, he understands particularly well how communities and agencies can cooperate to achieve rational, reasonable, long-term planning decisions."

"The next transportation bill will be a landmark effort and what's included in the reauthorization is going to be so important for San Joaquin County," said San Joaquin Council of Governments Executive Director Andy Chesley. "I appreciate the invitation from Congressman McNerney to testify so that we can make sure the county's input is heard."

The hearing will take place tomorrow, September 18, at 10 a.m. in 2167 Rayburn House Office Building. Chesley will be joined at the witness table tomorrow by local elected officials and planning experts from different parts of the country.

More information about the hearing can be found on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's web site at http://transportation.house.gov.

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