Lake Elsinore Lawmaker: Rejection of Bill to Pay for Road Repairs 'Shameful'

By City News Service:

RIVERSIDE, CA - A Riverside County lawmaker's attempt to give voters an opportunity to prioritize the use of California High-Speed Rail funds was voted down, while another county lawmaker's bill seeking to increase public and alternative transportation opportunities in low-income communities is making its way through the Legislature.

In a party-line vote, the Assembly Transportation Committee on Monday put the kibosh on Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez's AB 2049, which sought to let voters decide whether to continue to use high-speed rail bond proceeds for rail construction, or for infrastructure.

"It is shameful the Democrat majority continues to block any responsible effort to fix our roads," Melendez said. "Our roads are crumbling. We are one natural disaster away from completely handicapping our economy, leaving us in a self-inflicted recession. We have the money to fix our roads now. It's time to stop wasting tax dollars on boondoggle pet projects that might provide relief in 20 years."

Melendez introduced the measure a month after the California Transportation Commission announced that $754 million in State Transportation Improvement Program appropriations would have to be cut over the next five years due to changes in the economy.

The total loss to Riverside County was estimated to be $84 million, threatening at least four area projects.

The rail system build-out is still in its infancy and is expected to cost more than double original estimates by the time it opens to carry travelers from Los Angeles to San Francisco in 2030, according to published reports.

On the other side of the aisle, Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia, D-Coachella, will seek the Assembly Transportation Committee's approval of his AB 2332 next Monday.

The bill would require the California Department of Transportation to increase the number of street surfacing and related road projects in so-called "disadvantaged communities." According to the proposal, areas that are part rural but part urban in particular have been neglected and need better roads with bike and pedestrian paths for people who lack their own cars for transit.

AB 2332 also calls for "prioritizing projects that recruit, hire or train low-income, formerly incarcerated, under-represented or disconnected youth and adults ... with barriers to employment."

"California's transportation system should truly serve all Californians," Garcia said. "For years, too many communities have been overlooked, suffering a lack of basic transportation infrastructure."

The California Bicycle Coalition has voiced its support for the bill.

Assemblywoman Melissa A. Melendez represents the 67th Assembly District, which includes the communities of Lake Elsinore, Canyon Lake, Murrieta, Menifee, Wildomar and a portion of Hemet. It also includes the Riverside County unincorporated areas of Lake Mathews, Good Hope, Nuevo, and Winchester.

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