Legislative Bulletin for November 23, 2009

  Legislative Bulletin  |  November 23, 2009

**SAVE THE DATE**

Assembly Transportation Committee to Hold
Transit Hearings on December 4 and December 8

We are pleased to announce that the Assembly Transportation Committee, chaired by Mike Eng, (D-Monterey Park), will be holding informational hearings on “The Status of Transit in California” on December 4 in Los Angeles and December 8 in Sacramento.

At the hearings, Association Executive Director Josh Shaw and selected public transit system representatives will discuss with members of the Legislature the funding challenges currently facing transit, and will urge legislative solutions for the restoration of state operating assistance to transit agencies. Assembly Transportation Committee staff has informed us that these hearings have a “looking forward” approach, and are an effort to address and understand how cuts to transit will affect not only our agencies’ ability to serve their communities, but also their ability to comply with and assist state efforts to reduce greenhouse gases as part of AB 32 and SB 375.

We strongly urge you to attend these hearings. These forums represent valuable opportunities to show your support for transit and to encourage the state Legislature to find ways to secure long-term funding for transit.

Assemblymember Eng has been a champion for public transit, and was the sponsor of the Association’s recently signed bill, AB 1072 [Chapter 271, Statues of 2009], which locks in a formula for the allocation of Prop 1B PTMISEA funds and allows agencies to “bank” these funds over multiple years to finance high-priority projects.

Los Angeles hearing—December 4:
Location: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Board Room, One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles (adjacent to Union Station).
Time: 9:30am

Sacramento hearing—December 8:
Location: Sacramento Regional Transit District Board Room, 1400 29th Street, Sacramento.
Time: 1:00pm

We will provide agendas for the hearings shortly. We expect there will be opportunities for public comment during the hearings.

Please contact Legislative and Regulatory Assistant Sabrina Means
at sabrina@caltransit.org if you have any questions.