Executive Director Steve Heminger's Report to the Commission Meeting of January 23, 2013
Caltrain Stakeholders Meeting
Oakland, January 8
Randy Rentschler and I hosted a meeting of senior staff from the transportation agencies on the Peninsula with a stake in the forthcoming environmental review process for the Caltrain electrification and train control projects. Given the diverse interests at play, I expect these meetings to be a frequent occurrence as we pursue these long-awaited improvements to the Caltrain system.
Governor’s Proposed Budget
Sacramento, January 10
For the first time in a decade, the release of the governor’s budget proposal for FY 2013-14 was not accompanied by ritualistic gestures of despair such as gnashing of teeth or rending of garments. Thanks to the passage of Proposition 30 and years of cost-cutting, Governor Brown’s proposed budget is balanced and even includes a $1 billion reserve. His budget would increase General Fund expenditures to $98 billion, a five percent bump over the current year. There was both good and bad news (of the minor variety) in the transportation section of the budget.
Transportation Research Board (TRB)
Washington DC, January 12-16
The winter mob scene known as the TRB annual meeting featured some 12,000 participants this year spread over three hotels and a seemingly never-ending supply of workshops, committee meetings, major speeches, and visits to Capitol Hill. I did a little bit of each of those things, including chairing a board of trustees meeting for the Mineta Transportation Institute; attending my first meeting of the TRB Executive Committee; speaking on a panel about the importance of good movement to regional planning; participating in “merger talks” between the two professional associations that represent metropolitan planning organizations; and meeting with new and returning members of the Bay Area congressional delegation. My power point presentation on freight issues can be found at www.mtc.ca.gov/meetings/presentations/.
Map of the Month
This map shows carbon dioxide emissions in 2005 by countries around the world, with the circles proportional to their volume of emissions. This seven-year-old data shows the United States as the largest emitter and China in the #2 position. Those rankings have reversed in recent years as the U.S. economy has slowed and China’s has continued to expand apace. In terms of per capita emissions, the bar chart at lower right shows the U.S. in 9th position; China does not even make the top 20.
MTC Operational Statistics
The monthly report on the performance of MTC’s operating programs: