Executive Director Steve Heminger's Report to the Commission Meeting of November 28, 2012
Meeting with Senator DeSaulnier
Walnut Creek, November 2
I met with Senator Mark DeSaulnier to discuss ways to improve our agency’s relationship with his office and to compare notes on likely legislative issues in the upcoming 2013 session.
General Election Results
November 6
In Washington D.C., the overall partisan balance of power did not change, with the re-election of President Obama and the retention of Democratic party control of the U.S. Senate and Republican party control of the House of Representatives. There were two new members elected to the Bay Area Congressional delegation, where change seldom occurs. Eric Swalwell defeated long-time East Bay Congressman Pete Stark and Jared Huffman won the North Bay seat being vacated by the retiring Lynn Woolsey.
In Sacramento, the passage of Proposition 30 and the election of Democratic super-majorities in both houses of the Legislature should pave the way for fewer budget battles and perhaps consideration of some new revenue measures after a decade of cuts to a wide array of state programs. Finally, in the Bay Area, we went one for two in self-help sales tax campaigns, with the Napa local road measure winning handily and the Alameda sales tax extension losing by the heart-breaking margin of 0.13% of all ballots cast. To conclude on a more positive note, of the state and local transportation funding measures on the ballot across the country, 12 of 17 passed, for a 70% success rate. [More info]
MTC is Double Award Winner
Washington DC, November 13
We have been notified by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) that two MTC projects were selected as winners in TRB’s “Communicating Concepts with John and Jane Q. Public” competition. One is the animated video Transportation Priorities: How Would You Invest? and the other is a multimedia project promoting our regional parking initiative. The awards will be presented at TRB’s annual meeting in January. Congratulations to our excellent public information staff on these well-deserved awards. [More info]
Inaugural Cap & Trade Auction
Sacramento, November 14
The California Air Resources Board (ARB) recently conducted the state’s first-ever auction of greenhouse gas (GHG) allowances among both private and public entities that produce GHG emissions. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the auction was the relatively low price of $10.09 established per ton of carbon, which is only nine cents higher than the $10 minimum set by ARB. Some analysts attribute the relatively low price to the legal uncertainty clouding the program due to recent litigation filed by the California Chamber of Commerce.
Eno Foundation Policy Forum
Denver, November 14
I was invited to speak about the future of the federal surface transportation program and complementary local funding initiatives at this national forum sponsored by one of the leading transportation policy foundations. [Presentation (PDF)]
Bay Bridge “Lift Off”
Oakland, November 20
In my capacity as Chairman of the Toll Bridge Program Oversight Committee, I participated in a press conference to announce the completion of load transfer activities on the self-anchored suspension (SAS) portion of the new east span. As advertised in its name, the SAS is now supporting itself through the interconnected system of the main cable, suspender ropes, and anchorage at the eastern end of the span. The contractor already has moved on to the next series of activities, including cable wrapping, painting, and false work removal to prepare the bridge for traffic opening on Labor Day weekend in 2013. [More info]
Big 4 MPO Meeting
San Diego, November 27
Yesterday, I traveled to San Diego to join my colleagues from the four largest metropolitan planning organizations in California as we continue to compare notes on our efforts to comply with Senate Bill 375 (Steinberg). A major topic of the meeting was the recent tentative Superior Court ruling invalidating the environmental impact report adopted by the San Diego Association of Governments when they approved the state’s first Sustainable Communities Strategy in 2011. If you’d like further information about the case, please contact MTC General Counsel Adrienne Weil.
Map of the Month
While we are on the subject of elections, the “Popular Vote Density Map” attempts to convey a more nuanced view of the recent presidential contest than the ubiquitous red/blue state map. The typical statewide or county-wide red/blue map (shown at left) depicts presidential voting results on a winner-take-all basis, so they award an entire geographical area to the Republican or Democratic candidate no matter how close the actual vote tally.
The large map in the attachment factors in both the percentage of the popular vote won by each candidate as well as the population density of each county. So, the sparsely populated Great Plains and Rocky Mountain West are shown in a much lighter color than the Eastern Seaboard, and the map as a whole is more purple than either red or blue. Perhaps the United States is less divided than some maps would lead us to believe.
- Popular Vote Density Map (PDF)
MTC Operational Statistics
The monthly report on the performance of MTC’s operating programs: