Transporation Daily News 1/10

The Walnut Creek City Council has agreed that an environmental study of the proposed transit village that would merge BART station with housing, should begin soon, based on a revised plan unveiled Tuesday. CC Time 1/10/08

 

Wednesday was the grand opening of Warm Planet Bikes, a shack on Townsend Street in San Francisco that offers free, secure bike parking to Caltrain commuters. The $800,000 facility was built with money from the San Francisco County Transportation Authority. Cyclists now account for about 7 percent of all riders. CC Times 1/10/08

 

The SF Chronicle feebly attempts to untangle the complex history of Propositions 91, 42, and 1a, all which deal with protecting funds generated by gas taxes for transportation projects. The California Alliance for Jobs and Transportation California originally supported 91 but are now urging voters NOT to pass it, claiming the passing of 1a last year makes it unnecessary. Prop. 91 would eliminate the Legislature's ability to spend gas tax money on non-transportation expenses, and would allow it to borrow gas tax money only within a budget year. 1/10/08

 

The California Transportation Commission has set Jan. 17 as the deadline to submit applications for $2 billion in Prop. 1B money allocated to improving the movement of goods by truck and train across the state. The funds are part of a $19.9 billion state transportation bond voters approved in November 2006. PE.com 1/09/08

 

Foreign cruise ships departing from California typically include a short, token stop in Ensenada, Mexico, to meet federal laws that require ships flying under foreign flags to dock in another country before going to other U.S. ports. A rule change proposed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection would force those ships to stay in a foreign port for at least 48 hours and allow passengers to go ashore. U.S.-flagged ships are at a competitive disadvantage because they have higher labor costs than foreign-flagged ones, must comply with environmental laws and are required to pay federal taxes. Proponents of the rule see this as a way to level the playing field.  AP 1/10/08

 

Upset over her recent votes on a Valley air-quality plan, state Sen. Dean Florez and environmental activists say they will seek to block Fresno County Supervisor Judy Case's confirmation to the California Air Resources Board when she comes before a state Senate committee this month. Fresno BEe 1/10/08