All the presentations for today's meeting are also available on the Commission Meetings
page of our website under the View, Download Meeting Materials tab.
Any document the CTC creates can be translated into any language you need.
Simply email us at ctc at catc.ca.gov and we'll have them returned to you as quickly
as possible.
American Sign Language Translation is being provided on the webinar for this meeting.
You should see the translators on your screen.
that closed captioning is also available.
Please select the show captions tab
at the bottom of your screen.
There are a number of language options
available to choose from.
If you're on the agenda to make a presentation,
please do your best to be succinct.
Remember to speak at a steady pace
to allow our translating services adequate time
for accurate translation.
If you're presenting remotely,
we hope that you will turn on your camera
during your presentation if you have one.
Members of the public,
we welcome comments from the public
as a part of each item at this meeting.
For those attending in person,
please submit a speaker slip to the clerk
at the front of the room.
That's me.
Let us know that you want to comment on an item.
You do not need to put them in the slot in the back.
Go ahead and bring them up front.
Those attending via Zoom,
you should see the webinar control panel,
likely located on the bottom of your screen.
There you'll find the raise hand and Q&A tabs.
We encourage you to use the raise hand feature
as early into the item as you can
to give the system time to acknowledge you.
Commission staff will let you know
when it's your turn to make your comment.
Alternately, you may use the Q&A tab to submit your comment.
please be sure to include the agenda item number
you're commenting on.
Commission staff will read the comment on your behalf.
As a reminder, each registered attendees
provide a unique link and number to access the webinar,
and they should not be shared with other participants.
Please do best to be concise.
Be sure that your comments add new information.
If you agree with the comments of a previous speaker,
simply make that statement.
Remember to speak at a steady pace
to allow our translating services
adequate time for accurate translation.
Since we often have many speakers,
we actually make your point in two minutes or less.
And if for some reason we have many speakers
on any single topic,
we reserve the right to limit comments
to one minute if needed.
Thank you for joining us today.
We know your time is valuable
and we appreciate you sharing some of it with us.
Thanks so much, Justin.
We're now gonna move to the welcome to the region.
And I'd like to welcome up Matthew Serato
and Scott Silveria.
So happy to have you here with us today, welcome.
Two, thank you.
We wanna welcome everybody to the City of Merced.
My name's Matt Serato, I'm the mayor of the City of Merced.
Again, I want to thank everybody for being here.
Thank you for hosting your meeting here
in the city of Merced and the county of Merced as well.
We're very, very excited to have you.
As you could tell,
and anybody who took the tour with us this morning,
we're extremely excited about a lot of the work
and a lot of the projects we have going here
and transportation is so much a part of it.
You think, you know, back at the history of our state,
history of our county as well,
when the railroads first came to the city of Merced in 1872,
and then later on with all the other improvements
such as highway 99, how that transportation is so essential, how it provides the backbone
for everything else and the backbone for so much growth.
So as we look forward to, Merced is a very fast growing city.
We grew over the last five years by 16%, a lot of new housing, a lot of new growth.
We've taken a lot of pride in so many of the other projects in terms of revitalizing downtown.
We hope you've been able to enjoy our downtown, have made big efforts to make improvements
there last few years and also other significant regional and statewide transportation projects
coming in the near future with under state law and the current state rail plan Merced
being the plan or the place where both high speed rail, ACE and Amtrak is all supposed to join.
Also as well big projects too with UC Merced and building out our Merced loop project so a lot of
Very exciting projects here.
Again, I wanna thank you for being here.
We hope you enjoy your time and have a great meeting
and I'll turn it over to Supervisor Cervera.
Thank you, Mayor.
Good afternoon, Commission.
Welcome, welcome to Merced County.
We appreciate you being out here
and actually, as I shared with Commissioner Tiffany
on our tour earlier,
you guys get to vote on a lot of stuff
that affects the state,
but you don't always get to actually see
where the projects happen in it.
So hopefully we did a good job on our tour earlier today
of showing you some of those things
important to our region. I want to start by thanking you that for those of you that did spend
some time with us this morning here in Merced County transportation isn't just about from getting
point A to point B. It's about keeping the heart of California's economy beating.
Here in Merced County agriculture is what built us from cows to tomatoes to corn. Those are the
things that thrive and continue will continue to support us here in the San Joaquin Valley and I
and I don't want to forget about almonds, you know, if Merced County was a state, we
would be ranked 37 or 32nd country as far as agriculture production just right here
in Merced County.
But none of it moves without well-maintained roads, efficient corridors, and safe routes
to connect our fields and markets to the farm table.
At the same time, we're not just about trucks and tractors.
I'm so proud to be the gateway to Yosemite, where we've embarked on an endeavor called YARTS.
We actually rode on a YARTS bus this morning. It's the Yosemite area regional transportation system,
which is a five-county JPA that stretches from the western Sierras to the eastern Sierras
that gives year-round public transportation into the jewel that is Yosemite National Park.
We're proud to be a part of that, and I always like to say it's a local government solution to really a federal problem.
As we are very grateful for the support that we get from the state of California, we also
would like to have that same great support from not that we don't get any, but we could
always use a little bit more.
As a member of the YARTS board, I've seen us in a progress go from we're barely hanging
on to we had a plan with going to a green fleet.
Electric buses don't work in the topography that is Yosemite National Park.
If we could fly the plane or excuse me, fly the buses up there, they'll make it down the
The problem is they just can't get up the hill, so we're exploring alternative options when it comes to hydrogen to be able to meet those state goals.
So you've seen today that Merced County is growing, changing, and planning for the future, but we haven't lost who we are.
We're practical, we're proud, and yes, we're still proudly growing the food on your dinner tables.
So before I wrap up and hand it over to our assembly member, we'd like to show you a short video that captures the spirit of the region.
Again thank you for your partnership for your work that you do across California and making the trip to see what's happening here in Merced County. Thank you
Welcome to Merced County
Located in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley. This is a landscape that weaves both urban and rural into its varied tapestry
With cities that span from the steps of the Sierra Nevada in the east to the foot of the coastal range in the west
whose people are as diverse as their enterprises.
This county is home to farmers, researchers,
business owners, healthcare workers, teachers,
artists and dedicated public servants.
This is a gateway from where visitors
launch their adventure to one of the most iconic gems
in the national park system, Yosemite National Park,
and a place where blue devils and bobcats roam freely.
Known primarily for its rich agricultural lands,
Merced County has long thrived on the production
processing of milk, almonds, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and livestock. And while these industries
continue to play a fundamental role in our culture and livelihood, this place we call home has become
so much more. The city of Merced is home to the 10th campus of the University of California alongside
a community college with over 50 proud years of history and is set to become a premier hub for
passenger rail service in the San Joaquin Valley when high-speed rail, ACE, and the Amtrak San
Joaquin's all converge into one downtown station. This station offers a historic opportunity to
demonstrate the fundamental benefits of multimodal transportation connections to an entire region.
Key to this undertaking will be finishing State Route 99 in Merced County and throughout the
San Joaquin Valley. These last segments of four-lane highway are critical projects to improve safety
and efficiency along the corridor for the movement of goods and people. From
providing residents safe access to services and opportunities to connecting
goods to Merced County's inland port, finishing the 99 is the key to Merced
County's quality of life and prosperous future. Another priority transportation
project in Merced County is the Atwater Merced Expressway, which upon its
completion will connect the 99 to Castle Commerce Center. At Castle, the inland
allows agricultural producers and manufacturers the ability to quickly
ship and receive products via this hub that connects rail, freight and air cargo
to and from ports in California. While these developments are exciting, the heart
of Merced County lies in its cities and towns where investments in housing,
public transit, water infrastructure, art and recreation are enhancing the everyday
lives of local residents!
The City of Castine is known for its welcoming spirit and small-town charm.
The first roundabout on the state highway system in Merced County is here, as are many
new sidewalks, crosswalks and recreational paths, a testament to the City's investment
in alternative modes of transportation.
Also on the west side of the county, the City of Los Banos is tackling the region's housing
needs with a new development that will provide 50 permanent units to 95 local unhoused residents.
When paired with assistance at the county's navigation center, housing projects such as these help bolster the region's network of resources and provide real solutions to the ongoing fight against homelessness.
The City of Dust Palace has been busy reviving its public facilities.
From the construction of a new drinking water plant to the renovation of O'Banion Park with its county library branch, local residents are benefitting from these improvements to their local infrastructure every day.
Day. Measure V is also making a big impact in the small rural town with the completion
of the new Lorain Street Bridge and the complete Blossom Street project about to break ground.
History enthusiasts will love the City of Atwater. Here, individuals can explore a vast
collection of historic aircraft at Castle Air Museum and step back in time at the Bloss
House, a stunning historic landmark that offers a glimpse into the early days of the region.
The City of Livingston is a place where vibrant cultures meet a thriving agricultural economy.
Livingston is home to Foster Farms, and growers in both Livingston and Atwater are responsible
for 80% of California's sweet potatoes.
The community takes pride in hosting its annual Sweet Potato Festival that draws crowds from
around the valley.
Throughout Merced County, the arts and the environment also shine.
Seasonal wetlands provide vital habitats for wildlife, and our vast open spaces offer breath
taking views of landscapes. In our urban areas, community-driven art
initiatives, including sculptures, monuments, and
murals, bring color, creativity, and depth to our neighborhoods and public spaces.
The last 25 years have been a period of growth and transformation,
but the story of Merced County is far from over.
With bold investments in transportation, infrastructure,
and community development, we are well positioned for a thriving future,
one shaped by vision, innovation, and the spirit of its people.
What a great video highlights all the gems that exist here in Merced County.
Good morning to all the commissioners and all those folks in the audience.
I am Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria, representing District 27.
And Merced County is one of the three counties that I represent here
in the Central Valley.
So, I also want to echo the welcoming remarks from my two other, you know,
dear elected officials of this local community.
Welcome to the city of Merced.
Welcome to the Valley.
I believe it's a historic day in this county, because I think for the first time,
the CTC commission is here, and so I want to thank you guys for making the trip here,
wanting to not just learn about the things that are happening in our community,
but taking the time to really come and interact
with our local folks, learning what is important to us.
It's gonna allow us and our community to be able to thrive.
And I know that you guys all hold the keys
to the opportunities that can be created in our,
by the decisions that you guys all make
as being part of this commission.
So I also just wanna thank the local folks here
who very closely with the commission
to make sure that today was successful
and the next two days that you guys are gonna be here
is to Stacey Guzman and her entire team.
Thank you for organizing this.
I do wanna give a shout out to Commissioner Leanne Eger
who has deep roots here in the Central Valley
and I know that since her time on this commission,
she's made it a point to bring you guys back.
And so it's good to see you guys here in Merced County.
I know last year, you guys were out in Madera County,
another area that I represent.
And so you guys have had an opportunity to, again, to see,
to talk, to interact, and then to, I think at the end,
really see the votes that you guys take
when you guys make decisions on projects,
how that ends up having a ripple effect
here in our local community.
So thank you, Commissioner Eager, for, again,
your commitment, even though you don't live
in the Valley anymore, I know that you still have
a strong commitment to ensuring the Valley has a voice
in this very important commission.
So thank you for that.
I am thrilled that you guys all chose Merced County
as the destination for your meeting today,
because as mentioned, it is,
the San Joaquin Valley is truly the heart of California's,
not just economy, but also our transportation system.
It's what connects Northern California
to Southern California.
And as we heard in this area, around 92%
of our agricultural products moved by truck, primarily on the state round 99,
the interstate five on the west side, and our east and west corridors.
I would, I think, I'm brave to say that in this, that we wouldn't exist without the Central Valley
and that all of California and our nation should care about the Central Valley
because here in this area, we grow to the tunes
of over 400 commodities that you and I all get to enjoy
and partake in to sustenance as our ability to live.
And so I'm grateful that you guys are all here
and that you guys will see and hear.
And I know that I've shared it before.
The challenges that do exist today
when it comes to our transportation system
and the infrastructure that is so critical, I think beyond what beyond the infrastructure,
there's people involved people that are the end user and then people that actually get
to build these communities and through infrastructure.
That's what you do.
You build communities, you build neighborhoods.
And here in our area, State Route 99 continues continues to rank among the most dangerous
highways in the nation with multiple bottlenecks as you guys probably have seen and experience
and safety hazards that we hear about each and every day.
I know I see it, I drive it every single day,
not just when I'm going from one county to another,
but every week when I'm on the road to go to Sacramento,
I see every exit, I see the construction that's happening
or the future construction that needs to happen
to ensure that not only am I safe,
but that constituents that live in our community
and those that are passing by also have the benefit
of being safe while they're traveling through the 99.
I'm a big supporter of finishing the 99,
which includes some critical gaps in the south of here,
Avenue 7 through Avenue 12 in Madera,
and those including here in Merced County.
I know that there's some challenges
with the way that it was initially built,
but I think California is known to always tackle challenges
and be innovative in the way that we invest
and build things in our great state and so we must continue to invest in these lifeline
routes that serve also many disadvantaged communities in the state of California. I
know that in today's agenda you have item 77 which addresses some of the challenges on highway 41
where they we've seen average above average collisions and fatality in this route so I urge
you guys to support this project as it will address many of the concerns that folks experience
here in our local community.
Across the Valley, we're also working to build more livable communities by expanding mobility
options as you guys have seen in the video and reducing greenhouse gas emissions at the
same time.
A great example, you guys were all there last year, State Route 141, downtown Madera Main
Street plan, which will bring more bike lanes.
You guys all will see that hopefully in the next visit.
It'll be all completed crosswalks
and complete streets features encouraging greater
foot traffic and revitalizing downtown.
And right here in downtown Merced,
the city just recently rerouted Main Street.
If you guys had a chance to walk or will get later today
and the next day to see the investments
that are making in downtown Merced
and remodeling Bob Hart Square,
creating a safer, more walkable downtown core
that supports our small businesses
and really builds really a strong downtown
for not just the folks that live here,
but the folks that surround this great city.
So I encourage you all to take a walk, a stroll
and see what is happening downtown Merced.
I'm very proud to represent.
There's a lot of small new businesses coming in.
And so we're excited because it is these infrastructure
investments that attract the economic development that
ends up helping provide the opportunity for many
of these communities, especially those that have been overseen.
And I think many of us in the Central Valley for far too long
have been felt left behind.
And that's why it's important that the work and the investments
that you make level out the playing field for us.
And that's what you, by you being here today,
can do for the families that live in this community.
And so I just want to highlight several important projects that
have happened or are happening in my district and want to thank the
commission because you guys have played a role in that.
And I know I just want to speak on behalf of our
rural mayors and council members that I meet on a regular basis. They're
they're very excited about the projects that have happened like on highway 145
the roundabout in Kerman, highway 33 a roundabout in
in Mendota, we just had the ribbon cut earlier this week,
downtown Madera, the overlay project
that you guys also were able to be a part of.
John, the Eureka rest area improvements off the five
for those traveling across the state,
those rest areas are very, very critical,
making sure that they're safe.
And so those improvements are gonna be great.
Also the critical upgrades to state route 59,
State Route 140 and State Route 152.
Obviously the widening of Highway 99
from Merced to Outwater, very important.
And bridge and pedestrian path rebuilds
with new crosswalks and flashing lights,
especially near schools where children walk to class.
Obviously we're a mixed of urban and rural
and so these projects are very, very important.
And I will also just say that a lot of these projects
wouldn't happen if it wasn't for state investments.
We are talking about some of the poorest communities,
some of the smallest budgets.
You have cities that are 6,000, that are 4,000,
that you can imagine.
They have a very, very tiny budget.
They could never, ever build these types of projects.
So the investments that the state makes
and that the commission prioritize
are extremely, extremely critical.
And they're lifesaving projects at the end of the day.
And so again, I wanna thank all of you
for being here, for listening.
and for watching also what is happening
and for being part of change here in our community
by making investments in our area
that are truly deserving of more investment.
Thank you so much for being here.
Thank you so much.
We really appreciate your comments.
Pleasure to be here.
Next up, we're gonna move to TAPs.
Oh, I apologize.
Is there any public comment on this item?
There is no public comment, thank you.
All right, thank you.
Thanks for the reminder.
Oh, good.
Great, we're gonna move to tabs three through five, Justin.
Good afternoon commissioners.
Tabs three, four, and five are all action items.
They will be voted together.
Tab three is the approval of the meeting minutes
from the August 14th and 15th, 2025 CDC meeting.
Tab four is the commissioner meetings for compensation.
And tab five is committee member compensation,
and staff recommends your approval.
Thank you, is there any public comments on this item?
There is no public comment, thank you.
All right, anything from the dais?
I'll make a motion for approval.
So moved by commissioner, Tiffany, is there a second?
Seconded by commissioner, go ahead, brain dead here.
Brad Shaw, thank you.
Sorry, brother.
All those in favor?
Aye.
Opposed?
Abstentions?
Motion passes.
Thanks so much.
Now we're gonna move to a report
from our commission chief deputy director, Paul G.
Hi, good afternoon, everyone.
So I'm once again substituting for Tanisha,
our executive director who is continuing to recover
from surgery and will be returning
from medical leave shortly.
I'd like to thank mayor Serrato, supervisor Silvera
and assembly member Soria for welcoming the commission
to the region just now.
And also want to thank director Guzman and MCAG
for their hospitality in organizing this morning's tour.
It was really interesting seeing a lot
of the planned transportation improvements
for the inland port project.
As was mentioned, we also got to ride the Yark bus
and learn about some of the public transportation options
here in Merced County.
And we also traveled over a very narrow bridge as well.
Last month, several staff and commissioners
attended the 2025 Mobility 21
Southern California Transportation Summit.
This year's theme was the power of partnership.
We were pleased to join with many of our partner agencies
in Southern California to discuss the pressing transportation
challenges in the region and learn
how we might approach common solutions across the state.
In September, the commission also held a town hall meeting
in Chico.
I'd like to thank Yvonne Garcia and the Butte County Association
of Governments for hosting us for that town hall
and for bringing together many local and regional partners
to share with the commission the transportation
accomplishments you're delivering in Chico, Paradise,
Oroville and throughout the north state super region.
Many of the projects we visited during the town hall
were funded through the commission's
active transportation program
and local transportation climate adaptation program.
And some of the projects are featured here on the slide.
There was one that we went to the ribbon cutting,
which was a pedestrian and bike overcrossing project
over a very busy street that we got to be there
for its opening, which was wonderful.
These projects showcase the creative approaches
communities in the region are taking to be successful
in the commission's competitive funding programs.
And it's exciting to see how those programs
are supporting the rebuilding
and recovery of Paradise in particular.
Before we move into today's agenda,
I'd like to note that this week,
the commission will be asked to allocate a total
of nearly $4.9 billion to transportation projects
across the state.
This is a truly impressive level of investment
in our transportation system.
These allocations will continue our progress
towards building safe, equitable,
and multimodal transportation systems for all Californians.
Later in the agenda, we'll hear from members
of the Interagency Equity Advisory Committee
on their new vision, mission, and foundational principles
for transportation equity.
We look forward to the Equity Advisory Committee's
continued engagement in the commission's funding programs
as those foundational principles are implemented.
I'd like to mention a few upcoming events that we have.
First on October 22nd and 23rd, the commission and Caltrans will be hosting an in-person
active transportation program symposium in Davis.
This event will bring together local, regional, state and tribal governments to discuss active
transportation topics and share knowledge and best practices.
We'll have an update on the active transportation program on today's agenda and we hope to see
many of our partners at UC Davis for this symposium. On October 29th, Commission staff
will hold the next meeting of the vehicle weight safety study task force. The task force
is continuing to review research prepared by the University of California related to
vehicle trends, trends in safety outcomes for vulnerable road users and potential policy
responses. After the meeting on the 29th, the task force is expected to meet one additional
time on November 13th to finalize its findings.
Staff will present the task force findings to the Commission and to the Equity Advisory
Committee at the December meeting to gather additional feedback.
The task force findings and additional feedback will inform development of the Commission's
report to the Legislature, which will begin after the task force wraps up.
Both task force meetings are open to the public and we encourage anyone interested to participate.
And finally, on November 6th, the commission will participate in this year's second joint
meeting with the California Air Resources Board and the Department of Housing and Community
Development.
This meeting will be held in Sacramento.
Later this month, Executive Director Taylor will be receiving the Sisters of NIA Women
on Fire Flame Carrier Award.
This award recognizes the powerful leadership of Black women who continue to inspire, uplift,
pave the way for future generations. So congratulations, Tanisha. She's not
certain if she's listening, but hopefully not. I'd also like to announce
that the Commission was nominated as Partner of the Year by the Solano
Transportation Authority. We're pleased to be recognized in this way and I'd like
to acknowledge all the hard work on the part of Commission staff that makes that
partnership possible. Commissioners, this concludes my report and as a reminder
Our next regular commission meeting will be in Riverside
on December 4th and December 5th.
Thank you.
Thank you, Paul.
Any public comment on this item?
There is no public comment on this item.
Sure, we did give one written public comment
I'd like to read.
Thank you.
It's from Yvonne Garcia who hosted us
for the town hall meeting.
I'd like to sincerely thank everyone
who took the time to come from their busy schedules
to Chico for our town hall.
Thanks to CTC staff for working with me
to hopefully have delivered a memorable event highlighting
just a few of the accomplished projects
and what is coming up for our region.
Thanks to commission staff and Caltrans
who also participated in the North State Super Region.
As a small region, we wear many hats
and it's difficult to stay fully engaged
with all the state and federal planning
and programming requirements.
Your presence truly means a lot to us.
Commissioner Eager, seriously,
sharing with the family history
and the ties to the North State was great.
Commissioner Mann,
thank you for sharing your experience
walking Esplanade ATP project.
We agree it's beautiful and functional.
Vice Chair Falcone, thank you for your kind words
and we didn't mean to put you on the spot.
And to Commissioner Tiffany,
thank you for driving all the way from San Benito,
not San Bernardino, Yvonne.
I'm kidding, from San Benito.
I hope you were able to visit the Oroville Dam
on your way back.
We hope you learned a little bit about our region,
our needs and direction,
and our ability to deliver projects
that the commission would be proud to invest in.
Chico has made a tremendous effort
advancing ATP and safety projects.
Or if it was on the verge of securing ATP,
the Town of Paradise is rebuilding as fast as possible.
There's one thing I learned
from the Town of Paradise, recovery requires flexibility.
None of this would have been possible without your support
and the excellent staff you have.
Well, that and all of our sponsors too.
If Vince Momano's in the crowd,
I'm sorry you missed the bus tour.
I hope to invite you all to our next major ribbon cutting.
Thank you from everyone in Butte County.
Thank you for sharing that, that's very sweet.
Thank you.
Any other public comment on this item?
There's no other public comment, thank you.
All right, thank you.
So we're gonna move on to item seven,
commissioner and ex officio reports.
Is there any commissioners
that would like to, commissioner Tiffany?
Thank you, chair.
And I did visit Oroville Dam.
So if you're listening, but to piggyback on that,
on that very kind letter, part of the,
the great part of being a commissioner
is we get around the entire state and visit areas
that maybe we don't always think about
when we're thinking about more of the urban areas.
But I come from a rural area in adjacent County,
San Benito County.
And I really appreciate coming to counties
like Merced, Madera counties.
And as was stated with my fellow commissioners,
Falcone, Eager and Mann, we visited Chico and Butte County.
And as is always the case,
these town hall meetings are really inspiring.
And so we got a chance to see what was happening
Chico's are exciting. An amazing, I did not see it prior to the fire, but it's amazing
to see the recovery of Paradise. Just it's unbelievable work that they've done in a few
short years to recover from that devastating fire. And then also, I just want to comment
on a handful of us, got an opportunity to get a tour yesterday in Madera County and
and see the downtown Madera and the revitalization
of the street diet project that's coming.
It's very exciting.
And again, this morning we got a great tour of your county
and it was just a pleasure to see all the hard work
that you're working on.
And we look forward to seeing it come before us.
So I just wanted to thank you for your hospitality
and just say that we really enjoy being here.
Thank you.
Thank you, commissioner Tiffany.
Any other commissioners?
Commissioner Eger?
Well, commissioner Tiffany took everything I was gonna say.
So I'll say ditto to all of that
since we got to tour all of those things together.
And when we were in Chico,
seeing what a small community can do
when they all come together and say,
okay, we have this common goal, we see that.
And even though they're a little bit North,
we see that in the Valley all the time, right?
We come together and say, oh man,
we got to finish this 99.
We have to do what we've promised for the last 30 years.
And we see that as we travel around the state.
And today, thank you Stacey for showing us
as you're driving out towards
the economic development region that you're building.
Going through a small town and passing school
is not the answer.
We have done that for years and years and years
in this state, and we're certainly looking
at how do we fix that.
We did that yesterday when we were in Madera
and we saw the state route going right through the downtown
and people trying to run across the street.
transportation 7,500 years ago, we did it wrong.
And now we have to look at ourselves and say,
what do we need to do about that?
Cutting communities in half,
ensuring that people can all come together
and have that sense of community,
that's our responsibility
and certainly take that seriously.
Thank you to all of those who put this on today.
I know Stacy, we racing around at the last minute
trying to make sure that we got everything in.
We appreciate you stepping up and putting this all together.
And we know you have like 10,000 things on your plate.
So if her board is here, take some of those things off
so she can just really focus on transportation.
She didn't pay me to say that, but it's so important.
And as we look at transportation and housing
and economic development and climate change
and workforce development.
These are huge issues that we all have to come together
and say, how do we fix this as a state?
How do we fix this as a group?
When we were in paradise and we saw what happened
when transportation failed,
because people had no way to get from the side streets
to the main street to get out of town
and 85 people died there in 12 hours.
We can't keep letting that happen.
If you haven't seen the movie,
the Lost Bus with Matthew McConaughey,
it's the true story of Paradise.
And the city manager did tell us that even though
usually Hollywood, you know, they add things to it,
they pretend in the stories, he said this one was
a true story of what happened in Paradise.
So if you haven't had a chance to see it,
it's gut wrenching, but I would suggest.
But that tells us what we need to do.
That reminds us as these are real people's lives
that we have in our hands.
So thank you for taking us on that tour today.
Thank you for hosting us here.
Thank you for reminding us that it is about the people.
Thank you.
Thank you, Commissioner Eger.
Vice Chair, welcome.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Just to piggyback on my colleagues' comments,
you know, we have traveled together
and have visited these communities
and appreciate the warm comments from our friends
from Butte County, it is impactful.
My colleague, Commissioner Tiffany often says,
one size doesn't fit all.
And so when we visit these communities,
we get to see how we write size projects
that fit the needs of the communities that we serve.
And so when we tour Merced and neighboring communities
in Butte County, there's that saying,
a picture is worth a thousand words.
Well, when you're actually touring these places,
it impacts us Forex, I would say,
because you meet the people,
you meet what the needs are of the communities.
And so I really appreciate when we are invited
to visit all the wonderful things that communities
are doing to help their quality of life,
their economic development, their people,
their children that travel to schools,
improving their mobility, that's not always vehicle centered.
These are really important for us to see and to hear
and to understand as we are here in the Dias
making these decisions.
And so thank you.
Finally, I wanted to, on behalf of my friend
and sort of mutual brother, Assemblymember David Alvarez,
say hello, he says, to Assemblymember Soria.
This is twice that I have been to your community.
So I'm hoping that you will come to San Diego and visit us.
He does say that he looks forward to seeing you
at the next session.
So with that, thank you for your welcoming words,
Mayor and Supervisor, Assembly Member, thank you.
Thanks, Vice Chair, any other commissioners?
Like to make a point, anyone online?
All right, cool.
I'm gonna do my statement here.
Just wanna thank Merced for hosting us.
For years, I've been a fan of your efforts
to leverage rail investments.
I worked in DC for 10 years
often use your story as an example, the power of rail and supporting economic development
in small towns. It's a pleasure to be here. I love your main street. Congratulations on
all the work that you clearly put into this. I've had a great deal of fun traveling around
the state, meeting with stakeholders and partners. A few examples, I delivered a $90 million
check to the transportation agency for Monterey County in support of a project that provides
of multimodal benefits for all road users
while enhancing freight access.
I chaired our toll hearing for the 24191 corridor
in Southern California.
Proponents believe this project will support commuters
experiencing long commutes due to a spatial mismatch
of jobs and affordable housing.
A story that we hear across our great state.
I represented the CTC at a major ribbon cutting
in the North Bay of our great Bay area,
by our state's great Bay area.
The project is multimodal and will enhance the livability
of for residents in the entire Bay region.
There's a pledge to reconnect with all the officials there
and the stakeholders,
including our Senate pro tem Mike McGeary.
I also attended as a CTC rep,
the latest meeting of the green empowerment zone,
which seeks to protect labor, the environment,
and the economy in the Contra Costa and Solano waterfront.
This region is historically important
when it comes to industry and is by great pleasure
to work alongside them as they seek to continue
to provide a leader, a ladder to the middle class
for the working class as the region experiences
major economic change.
Yesterday, as was mentioned, I attended a tour
of downtown Madera with commissioners, Eager and Tiffany,
folks who have deep rural background and experience.
This tour was particularly important to me
as I have a great interest in the effort
to revitalize rural Main Street across our great state.
The story of this downtown is particularly compelling.
Our investment is being leveraged by the community
and Caltrans to provide a sense of place
for the folks that live there.
This community effort has led to local business owners
planning to open an additional three restaurants
along the route.
The work of city manager, Arnoldo Rodriguez,
is providing multifamily housing and community upgrades
around the corridor,
which supports small business in the great downtown.
I applaud the efforts of Caltrans District Six director,
Michael Navarro.
He is of this community and has worked with this community
to implement third grade vision.
This project is an example of a working class community
fighting for a come-up that supports all of their neighbors.
This is a great American story
and exemplary of the soul of our state.
I would like to publicly congratulate
and thank commissioner Eager
for connecting me to this great story.
The work of this commission and our partners
support community efforts to grow the economy,
support the working class and the environment.
We should be proud of our collective efforts.
Even during tough times, we still say,
si se puede, thank you.
All right, now we're gonna move on to item eight,
CalSTA Deputy Secretary, Christine Casey.
Welcome, thank you for joining us.
Good afternoon, I'm Christine Casey,
Deputy Secretary for Freight Policy
at the California State Transportation Agency.
I'm glad to be here with you today to share remarks
on behalf of Secretary Omashakan
and provide CalSTA report covering our core four priorities.
First, we have an exciting staff update.
Next slide, please.
Congratulations and welcome to Tony Tinoco.
Tony joined CalSTA last month
as assistant deputy secretary of communications.
In this role, she oversees public communications
across our departments, boards, and authorities.
This ensures consistent and effective messaging statewide.
She's been a key part of the CalSTA family
for quite some time.
She served 10 years with the California High Speed Rail Authority as Central Valley Deputy
Regional Director and Acting Chief of Strategic Communications and External Affairs.
She also managed the Authority's Central Valley Training Center, a pre-apprenticeship
program aimed at providing workforce training in partnership with the building trades.
Earlier in her career, Tony was a radio reporter and news video editor in the Central Valley.
She earned a Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications
with an emphasis in broadcast journalism
from California State University Fresno.
We are thrilled to have her on board.
Next slide please.
This is a photo from Climate Action New York Climate Week
MOU signing with Kenya for those that are unable to see that.
We have quite a few climate updates today.
First on our Sustainable Communities Task Force or SCTF
held its inaugural meeting on September 10th.
This 30 member task force focuses
on urgent coordinated strategies to deliver
on the promise of sustainable thriving communities.
This task force will produce a final report
in November, 2026 with recommendations for legislative,
regulatory and budgetary actions to support implementation
of sustainable community strategies
and meet statewide greenhouse gas and VMT reduction goals.
The next meeting is October 29th in Davis,
though virtual attendance is also an option.
In other task force news, nearly two years flew by as we held our final transit transformation
task force meeting on September 30th.
In its final topics, the task force discussed transit funding along with service and fare
coordination recommendations.
The task force adopted five principles to transform transit in California, all aligned
with the core four.
CalSTA will complete and return the final report to the legislature by October 31st.
In KAPTAI News, Caltrans executive leadership provided a briefing on the development and
prospective work plan for the Director's Policy on Displacement as outlined in KAPTAI 2.0
Action S 3.3.
CalSTA will coordinate additional check-ins with Caltrans to discuss draft policy development
and stakeholder engagement through the end of 2026.
Late last month, Secretary Omashakan attended Climate Week in New York City.
For those who are unfamiliar, Climate Week NYC is an annual global event that coincides
the United Nations General Assembly. It's an opportunity to showcase California's climate
leadership while engaging with partners from around the world. It was a very productive week
for CALSTA, which is code for – apologies for the very long report ahead. One of the highlights
from the week was an MOU signing with Kenya, which is the photo on the screen. This is work
that our team at CALSTA has been driving for the last year. On behalf of the state of California,
Secretary signed this climate and trade agreement with Lee Kenyonju,
Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade, and Industry. This MOU represents a
key milestone and outcome of our recent travel to Kenya with the California-Africa climate and
economic delegation. And this MOU is historic. It's the state's first climate and economic
agreement with an African national government. Secretary Omashakan also had the privilege of
joining a meeting and MOU signing between California and Brazil. Alongside Governor
Newsom and leadership from Cal EPA and the California Air Resources Board, they met with
Brazilian Minister of Environment Marina Silva and her team to strengthen partnership aimed at
reducing harmful pollution, protecting critical ecosystems, and building economies that work for
people and our planet. In addition to these high-level and other closed-door meetings and
bilateral discussions, the Secretary was also able to share California's leadership on key issues
during participation in official events, including the Climate Registry's second annual
California Climate Leadership Forum, the Under-Two Coalition's 2025 America's Ministerial,
the Electric Innovation Award and Forum, and the C40 City's closed-door discussion focused on
port cities as clean energy hubs. Lastly, on Climate Week, also while in New York,
the secretary had the honor of attending the signing of an MOU between Autodesk's chief
marketing officer Dara Truseder, one of the delegates from our August visit to Africa,
and Bosun Tajani, the Nigerian minister of communications, innovation, and digital economy.
This collaboration with the Federal Republic of Nigeria represents a key tangible outcome of our
August California Africa climate and economic delegation visit, which I mentioned earlier.
From New York, the Secretary continued on to Italy to join leaders for the 9th Edition
See Future Conference to discuss high-speed rail, sustainable mobility, and transportation safety.
This conference was hosted by Italy's Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport,
Eduardo Ricci. The visit was an opportunity for California under Governor's leadership to
exchange ideas and build connections that move us forward. Thank you to the Minister
and the Italian consulate in San Francisco for making this visit possible. Next slide please.
This is a photo of a recent CHP graduation. We have very exciting news on the safety front.
Yesterday, October 15th, was a particularly big day. We held a signing of the first ever
Joint Secretary's policy on road safety. This was signed by both CalSTA and California Health
Health and Human Services Agency secretaries.
The policy establishes an interim goal to reduce fatal and serious injury crashes by
30% on California's roads by 2035 on our way to Vision Zero.
It commits to institutionalizing the safe system approach across departments through
a public health prevention first investment mindset that targets the root causes of traffic
crashes.
aims to align planning, design, operations, and evaluation with the three key crash risk factors.
Exposure, likelihood, and severity. Part two of the big day was the unveiling of the state priority
safety corridor initiative, a data-driven prevention-first effort to reduce fatal and
serious crashes on the state's roads. Led by CalSTA and CalHHS in partnership with local
governments, the initiative begins with targeted improvements on Avalon Boulevard in Los Angeles,
State Route 91 in southeastern LA County and more to come on Varner Road and Thousand Palms
in Riverside County. Guided by the Secretary's policy on road safety that I just mentioned,
the program integrates infrastructure upgrades, public engagement and enforcement to embed safety
into transportation planning statewide. Together, these actions mark a new era for safety on
California's roads, forging a promising path toward addressing the state's biggest traffic
safety challenges with immediacy and meaningful results.
The SAFE task force, statewide action for facilitation on encampments is established
by the governor in August 2025 to clear encampments and connect people with the care they need,
working alongside local partners to address encampments on state right of way.
The task force aggressively prioritizes and deploys California's comprehensive network
of services to quickly remove encampments and help connect people with wraparound supportive
services and shelter.
The task force partners include the California Office of Emergency Services, Business Consumer
Services and Housing Agency, California Interagency Council on Homelessness, the California Health
and Human Services Agency, and CalSTA.
CalSTA is represented on the task force by CHP, CalTrans, and DMV, with each of their
own individual roles.
The safe task force will focus on areas with large encampments and high priority encampments
on state right of way in California's 10 most populous cities, Los Angeles, San Francisco,
Oakland, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Long Beach, Anaheim, Bakersfield, and Fresno.
The task force has already conducted successful operations in San Francisco, LA, Anaheim,
and San Diego.
Related to the picture on the screen, congratulations to CHP's largest graduating class in nearly
16 years.
On Friday, October 3rd, 146 cadets were sworn in as officers.
They completed 26 weeks of rigorous training and are now ready to provide the highest level
of safety, service, and security throughout California.
As of three days ago, these officers are now reporting to one of CHP's 102 area offices
around the state.
Next slide, please.
continues to support activities that support equity in our transportation
decisions, policies, and investments. Yesterday the Interagency Equity
Advisory Committee met here in Merced. We will hear updates from committee chair
Martha Armist Kelly later in the agenda, however we wanted to amplify the
leadership of this interagency group during these agency remarks.
We are looking to the EAC to not just advise our agencies but to champion
Californians who depend on our transportation networks for their
livelihoods and the work of the committee and work of the committee to
day-to-day activities. CalSTA is appreciative of the diverse voices of our
committee leadership supporting the interagency EAC at the CTC, Caltrans and
CalSTA. We recognize also that for every committee meeting there are many hands
that make these meetings go off without a hitch. We'd like to acknowledge these
four in particular who are helping to shape the conversation statewide in ways
that highlight the values of CalSTA, Chair Martha Armis Kelly, Vice Chair Anna Gonzalez,
Naomi Iwasaki, and Randy Torres Van Vleck, the latter two are subcommittee chairs of
the EAC.
I'd also like to thank Chair Armis Kelly and committee member Carrie Hernandez-Achemi
for their efforts in shepherding the EAC's mission and vision statement.
It's foundational for our work ahead.
We continue to encourage and promote the recruitment of new EAC members to the group and please
note the application period for the next cohort of EAC members closes on Sunday, October 19th.
In California integrated travel project news, the Bay Area Rapid Transit,
BART is now accepting payment by debit credit cards. This program is showing signs of early
success. Ticket vending machine sales at SFO were down by 40% after a week, and 5% of BART payments
at the gates were already by debit and or credit card within just four business days of the kickoff.
We've seen that the highest number of entries and exits made by bank cards were recorded
at San Francisco airport, followed by downtown San Francisco stations.
Next slide, please.
I think this is our last of the core for those who are counting.
Progress does not slow down for high speed rail.
In September 19th, Governor Newsom signed legislation approving reauthorization of the
cap and invest program, securing a historic commitment of $1 billion for the high speed
Rail Program annually through 2045. This action represents the largest guaranteed
infusion of funding to date. It resolves all identified funding gaps for the 171
mile Merced to Bakersfield Line and opens the door for meaningful public
private engagement with the program. The authority looks forward to working with
the legislature to advance several several opportunities for the state to
support the project going forward. On July 31st, the authority, local, and state
leader celebrated the completion of the Tulare Street grade separation project
with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Fresno's historic Chinatown. The Tulare
Street underpass and grade separation project is located between G and H
streets between downtown and Fresno's Chinatown. This grade separation now
takes vehicular traffic more than 20 feet below the Union Pacific and future
high-speed rail tracks. It serves as a two-lane roadway spanning more than 1,000
feet and 60 feet wide with pedestrian access and bike lanes for residents and
bicyclists. The authority supplemental project update report issued in August
puts forth a clear path contingent on dedicated funding to connect the high
speed rail system to northern and southern California via the Central
Valley by 2039 to achieve commercial success at the earliest possible stage.
In the report the authority lays out three high-speed rail business case
scenarios. These scenarios include preliminary cost estimates, ridership and
revenue projections, and funding requirements. And these three business
cases are Merced to Bakersfield, San Francisco Gilroy to Bakersfield, and San
Francisco Gilroy to Palmdale. In addition, we have provided options for
consideration that include variable sequence for the build-out of the Merced
extension. That is the end of my report, and I'm happy to take any questions.
Thanks, Christine. Is there any public comment on this item? There's no public
comment, thank you. Thanks. Any questions from the dais? Right. Well, we appreciate
you being here. Thanks for their oh oh yes Commissioner Cruz. Thank you Mr. Chair.
I just want to thank Christine in her report but also want to reiterate the
governor's commitment to high-speed rail through cap infest. That was a very
important decision that was made in the legislature to continue that project and
continue funding that project in Central Valley. Not just for the quality of life
benefits and the environmental stewardship that project will create at
at some point, but also the economic value
that it brings to the central Valley.
And we're seeing firsthand the progress being made
with that project.
But also want to thank you and your commitment to safety.
Safety is obviously very important to this commission
and the governor recently signed AB 289,
which has establishes automated speed enforcement
pilot program in active construction zones,
which I think, most of us think will be a game changer
and it will build that program out
to not just protect the traveling public
but also protect the construction workers who,
and maintenance workers who are on those systems
every single day.
So thank you.
Thanks, Commissioner Cruz, plus one and all that.
Any other comments, questions?
Thank you.
Thank you.
So we're gonna move on to item nine,
Caltrans director Dina L. Tawansi.
Good afternoon Chair Grisby, Vice Chair Falcone, Commissioners and Commissioner Saab.
I'm Dean Althonsi, Caltrans Director and thank you for the opportunity to provide the department's update.
Next slide, please.
Unfortunately, today's update starts on a somber note, a recent tragedy that occurred within our Caltrans family.
On September 18, Caltrans engineer Matty Quiram was struck and killed while working in a construction zone on highway 4 in Contra Costa County.
Matty was working out of our Concord Construction Office, and he had joined our team in Caltrans in 2023.
He was a valued member of our construction office, and he had just earned his professional engineering license and was ready to become a resident engineer.
Mahdi was known for his dedication to safety and the professionalism that he brought to every
project. He leaves behind a loving wife and a three-year-old daughter. This loss is heartbreaking
for all of us, especially the District 4 team members who have known him and worked along his
side. This tragic incident is yet just another painful reminder of the importance of the work's
zone safety and the shared responsibility that all of us have to provide protection
to all those who built, operate and maintain our state transportation system.
In support of Mahdi's family, the California Transportation Foundation has established
a memorial fund and a QR code is shown here for those of you that wish to learn more.
Please keep his family, friends and coworkers in your thoughts and prayers.
turning now to some of our regional efforts. I want to highlight an important
initiative that brings together several western states to strengthen emergency
coordination across shared transportation corridors. Last month,
representatives from California and Nevada, Arizona and Utah gathered in
Nevada for a multi-state transportation emergency coordination workshop. This was
hosted by the Nevada Department of Transportation. The workshop brought
together leaders and technical experts from each State's Department of Transportation,
Emergency Management, Law Enforcement, and Fire Services. It included various participants from
Caltrans leadership, Caltrans Maintenance and Public Affairs team. The shared vision was one
of improving coordination, communication, and operational synchronization during a large-scale
incident that impact travel between states.
The idea of this partnership came after a July 2024 incident in District 8 on Interstate
15 near Baker.
This is located right by the California Nevada state line.
A truck carrying lithium-ion batteries caught fire, halting travel and traffic during sweltering
heat and promoting a massive incident response effort from Caltrans and our state partners.
By developing a multi-state partnership that goes beyond traditional mutual aid agreements
and that emphasizes cross-state coordination resource sharing, we can reduce incident response
time, minimize secondary impacts, and keep vital freight and passenger corridors moving
safely. This collaboration is critical not only for safety of the traveling public, but also for
the economic health of the western region, as those interstate routes serve as major arteries
for good movements, tourism and regional commerce. Next slide, please. Caltrans is more than just,
I'm sorry, next slide, please. Caltrans is more than a transportation department. We are also
on employer, bringing jobs to many communities throughout this state.
It is with that mindset that we strive to make progress in areas like workforce development,
business partnerships, and innovations that provide both operational community improvements.
One area of recent success is our Heavy Equipment Operator Academy, which continues to strengthen
California's construction workforce.
In July and August the North region held its first HEO academy, graduating another 20 participants
in a new statewide program.
Across all four academies that we've held so far, we have achieved a 99% graduation
rate and nearly 60% of graduates now working in heavy highway construction.
The next Academy begins later this month in Fresno County, bringing together local education
and industry partners to prepare another diverse group of Californians for skilled careers
in transportation.
Also this summer, Caltrans hosted the National Summer Transportation Institute at Cal Poly
Pomona and Cal State LA, giving 74 high school students an insight look on transportation
careers such as engineering and aviation.
The goal is to inspire the next generation of transportation professionals, especially
from underserved communities.
Finally, Caltrans recently launched the Caltrans Contracting Opportunities Portal, a one-stop
platform that brings together construction contract opportunities from across the department
and the status e-procure system. The portal enhances transparency, simplifies navigation
of contracts, and supports equitable access to California's multi-billion dollar infrastructure
industry. Future enhancement will include AI-powered support and integration with additional procurement
resources. Each of these efforts reflect Caltrans commitment to invest not just in project,
but in people, partnership and opportunities. Next slide. I just want to also highlight
a couple of leadership additions to our team. Caltrans has recently welcomed two new leaders
in key roles supporting the department's mission and statewide priorities. Governor Gavin Newsom
has appointed Hafsa Kekka as a special advisor on homelessness and encampment at Keltrenz.
Hafsa brings extensive experience in homelessness policy and inner governmental coordination,
most recently serving as a senior advisor on homelessness in the governor's office.
She previously led homelessness strategies in cities of San Diego and city of Riverside and
and City of Santa Ana and held leadership positions
with the Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority
and several nonprofit organizations.
We're very excited to have Hafsa on board.
In addition, Ryan Dormity has been appointed
as an acting chief deputy director
for the department following the retirement of Mike Kever.
Ryan has served as a district nine director since 2020
and bring more than two decades of experience
in planning, environmental analysis
and leadership development.
We also recently served as a special advisors
to the director in May and June of this year.
Please join me in welcoming Hafsa and Ryan
to their new roles.
Next slide please.
I wanna thank you for the time
and I'm happy to answer any questions.
Thank you, Director.
Is there any public comment on this item?
There's no public comment, thank you.
Thank you.
Any questions, comments from the dais?
Vice Chair Falcon.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you, Deana, for your update.
And please accept our deepest condolences
for the loss of your worker engineer, Madi Cora.
And if we may, Mr. Chair, if we can adjourn in memory,
his memory.
That would be highly appropriate.
Wonderful.
And then congratulations to Ryan Dermody.
Good to see him elevated to acting chief, as well as Hopsa.
Kaka, I know her and have worked with her
when she was working for the City of San Diego
under the office of Mayor Todd Gloria,
and great to see her with the state family
and look forward to working with her.
Hopefully she's listening and we'll reach out.
It's not easy work that she's doing,
and we know that there are a lot of jurisdictions
that are trying to really address this
And inevitably, you know, we have to work together
with Caltrans on these shared challenges
as it relates to our unhoused
and where we can house them.
So congratulations to her
and thank you again for your update.
Thanks Vice Chair.
Thank you, Dina.
I always appreciate your reports.
Moving on to actually item 10 has been withdrawn.
I'll state that for the record.
Next up is item 11, regional agencies moderator.
Lewis Pfau.
Good morning Chair Grisby, Vice Chair Falcone,
Chief Deputy Executive Director.
I'm gonna try to pronounce your last name, sorry.
Gola Zuski, and commissioners,
my name is Lewis Jow with OCTA,
and I'm this year's RTPA moderator.
The RTPA is met yesterday and we're graciously hosted
by the Merced County Association of Governments.
We had a productive meeting with a number of topics
but I wanna highlight a few for all of you.
The regions continue to monitor the revocation
of California's vehicle emissions waiver,
which may significantly impact
the federal transmission improvement program
and regional transmission plans.
This situation could result in project delays
and challenges accessing critical funding
needed to support essential transmission projects
including shop-funded projects.
The RTPAs do wish to thank CTC, Caltrans, CARB, and CalCog
for their ongoing work in trying to resolve this issue.
In particular, I do want to thank the leadership
of Laura Pennebaker, Jerry Zamora,
Ben DeAlba from Caltrans,
Nesimana Calendure from CARB,
and Sabrina Bradbury from CalCog
in collaborating with the RTPAs
and state partners to identify solutions.
Caltrans also provide an update
to the director's transit policy,
which outlines the department's commitment
to supporting transit projects
on the state highway system.
The RTPAs wish to express support for advancing strategies
that can enhance transit services
and look forward to continuing engagement
with Caltrans and the transit operators.
We do want to emphasize the importance
of co-developing strategies with the regions,
transit partners, and local agencies,
ensuring consistency with the regional transmission plans
and the sustainable community strategies
and tailoring approaches to a local context
as there's no one size fits all approach.
Finally, we also received an update from Caltrans
on the disadvantaged businesses interim final rule.
The RTPA has received an update from Caltrans on this,
which introduces substantial changes to the DBA policy
and the certification requirements
and compliance requirements.
The updated guidance requires previously certified firms
to undergo recertification or new rules.
While contracts awarded are not affected,
federally funded projects currently in the procurement
that met prior DB requirements may need to be readvertised.
This could affect timely delivery
of existing CTC funded federal projects
and cause project delays.
RTPA's appreciate the CTC and Caltrans staff
and are proactively collaborating with project partners
to minimize scheduled impacts
and explore schedule extension options
were necessary and feasible.
That concludes my presentation
to be happy to answer any questions.
Thank you. Just want to thank you for bringing up the conformity issue and the DBE issues.
Very important. Any public comment? There is no public comment. Thank you.
Thank you. Any questions, comments from the dice? I hear none. I appreciate your time. Thank you.
Next up is Item 12, Aaron Hoyt, Rural Counties Task Force Chair.
Morning. Actually, I should say afternoon, I should say. Yes, definitely a good afternoon.
Chair Grisby, Vice Chair Falcone, commissioners, and Chief Deputy Director Gee.
I'm going to stop there with that one, although I think I could pronounce it. I'll save it for later.
My name is Aaron Hoyt. I'm the Deputy Executive Director for the Nevada County Transportation
Commission and Chair for the Rural Counties Task Force representing the 26 rural regional
transportation planning agencies and local transportation commissions in the state.
I'm not sure if this is a fun fact or not, but I thought I'd share it. I grew up less than 10 miles
from here. Right near the inland port that you guys visited earlier today was a former Blue
Devil at Merced College and spent a lot of time in here a lot of time here in Merced. I'm proud to
see the investments that have gone into downtown Merced and for the great opportunity the counties
had to offer to host the CTC today. The last time our CTF met with Caltrans and CTC staff was on
September 19th and we heard a number of informative updates. I want to thank Alison Jo from CalSTA
for the presentation on the Sustainable Communities Task Force. I know that many of the
rural RTPAs are not part of the task force or even required to participate
in developing sustainable community strategy, but we felt it was a great opportunity to understand
where the state's going with the task force and whether or not there's any strategies that may
filter down or, you know, what can we do to help? I'd also like to thank Minoxi
Raval from Caltrans for sharing an update on the revised CSIS CAPTI metrics.
I think there's still some concerns from partners about how they'll compete
under the metrics, and I think it's really because it was such a highly
technical presentation that we had and concepts to understand. So with, you know,
some additional conversations, I think we can better understand it, but what's
really important here is that the partnerships and support letters that we can receive from
Caltrans is highly important for competing with these funds within the various SB1 programs.
And a final thank you I just want to say to Jesse Downing from Caltrans for sharing a
status update also on the director's policy on transit.
The RCTF members look forward to the implementation phase of the policy and to elevate our partnerships
that we already have with our districts and our transit providers, but be able to streamline
improvements on the state highway system that runs through our communities.
One upcoming item that I'll be following is a draft ITIP in public hearing.
The ITIP has served as an important funding source to be able to fully fund improvements
on the state highway system and our rural communities that connect the urban and the
rural regions together.
The partnerships again with our districts and the ITIP funding are extremely important
due to the limited STIP shares that rural RTPAs receive.
So in closing, I just wanna say we're always thankful
and appreciative of CTC staff and Caltrans staff
for the presentations to the Rural Communities Task Force.
So that will be my closing today.
And again, I thank you for the opportunity to present.
Thank you.
Any public comment?
There is no public comment, thank you.
All right, thank you.
Any questions, comments from the guys?
All right, thank you, appreciate it.
Next up, Self-Help Counties Coalition
Executive Director, Keith Dunn.
Good afternoon.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, commissioners, and directors.
Keith Dunn, Executive Director
of Self-Help Counties Coalition.
I'm pleased to be here today.
It's been a while since I've had the pleasure
of addressing you in person.
I am happy to report that we have our annual focus
on the future conference coming up
in the second week of November.
Hopefully you all and members of the audience
will be able to join us to have some important discussions.
I wanna highlight a couple of successes
that have taken place this year
and thank the administration, the Governor Newsom
and the legislature specifically for their leadership
and extending the cap and what we're calling now
cap and extend program beyond the high speed rail program
that is going to be a major part of lifting up this valley.
It also has other components
that are gonna help our regional transit
as well as other disadvantaged communities
and programs that go beyond just transportation.
but to really uplift the impacted folks
in communities within our state.
I wanna bring that up, it's been mentioned before,
but I also wanna mention the fact
that that program didn't happen with great ease.
That program took a lot of lift and a lot of effort,
not only from elected officials,
but from many of you on the dais
and some folks in the audience, myself as well.
And I say that with the backdrop of,
we have a federal government at the moment
who is actively trying to make our jobs more difficult.
That is what it is,
and we're all working to find those solutions.
But I wanna remind folks as we have those discussions
locally, the self-help counties which go to our citizens
and ask them for their faith and good credit
to go out and build and partner with the state.
And we hope someday again with the federal government
to deliver these infrastructure projects
that we're all talking about.
Those discussions are more important now
than they ever have been before.
we're gonna have a number of opportunities
to have those civil discourses
within our state, region, cities, and counties.
And I would encourage all of you
that as you get those opportunities to speak,
if you have questions, concerns,
or would like to make some comments, reach out to myself.
I know some of the commissioners here today
are actively engaged in those discussions as well.
But I will tell you in my 25 years of experience,
there's not a more important time than now
to be actively engaged in your communities,
to talk about the need, the generational impact
of not only, you know, the funding's great and important,
but what we see as it comes and delivers those changes.
And again, we're at a pivotal point in our state's history.
And I just really want to take a time to highlight that
because being silent is no longer an option.
And there are those that have different agendas
that I think will make all of our lives less convenient,
less safe, and more challenging.
So I want to take the time to publicly state
that I appreciate all of your hard work.
I know many of you spend time in the legislature,
making sure that the policies that you have the opportunity
to participate on here today are implemented correctly.
The self-help counties, all 25, stand as your partners.
Again, I'll say the CTC staff,
all of you are the best staff in the state.
You are always responsive, you know your material
and are great to work with Caltrans as well.
We look forward to continuing those partnerships,
but it doesn't happen by accident.
So as you get those calls, challenges to action,
meet the moment and we will be right there with you.
So with that, I would just say thank you
for the opportunity and look forward
to working with you all moving forward.
Thank you, appreciate your remarks.
This is in fact a critical time.
Any public comment?
No public comment, thank you.
Commissioner Cruz.
I'll be brief, thanks Keith.
And appreciate your hard work on cap infest,
but also want to point out that we are in a county
that is self-help, Merced.
and I know it wasn't easy.
I was here in 2006 with Measure C,
and then subsequently in 2016, they passed Measure V.
It's a testament to the Central Valley folks
who are resilient and understand that they have
to generate their own local sales tax measure
to match state and federal dollars, especially now.
But Merced did it.
We're hopeful that other Central Valley counties
can be up their sales tax measures as well
in the near future, but this is a good example
of what you have to do to move big projects
this intro, though. Thanks. Thank you, Mr. Josh, one for the record state for such an
older man who's been here since six. Commissioner Cruz looks pretty okay. So thank you so much.
For the chair. Oh, yes, Commissioner. I need me no offense to the rural counties uplift
them too. But I want to throw some flowers, my friend Keith and give you a little was
thanks applause for your mobilizations and the teamwork, Keith, honestly, you know, sincerely.
So mission driven and at the spear point, often, and speaking from working class organization
perspective it is crucial that we tighten those bonds and keep working.
Well, I would just say that we have a wonderful team led here by the commissioners and commission
staff but also some of our other organizations that bring up the blue collar workers, the
blue collar workers, the ones who are out delivering those programs really are the mission
and the citizens that use those facilities.
So thank you for your kind words.
Thank you. Thank you. Commissioner Bradshaw. Very important to support the working class.
Any other comments, questions? So next up is item 14. This is an action item. I would
like to have Sequoia, Lisa, Martha, Terri. Hi. Good afternoon. Chair Armiscale, I'm gonna
introduce the item and then I'll pass it to you. Okay. Thank you. So commissioners tab
Item 14 is an action item that includes three parts.
A welcoming and introductory remarks
from our Interagency Equity Advisory Committee Chair,
Armistice Kelly, followed by member Lisa Marie Alvarado.
Number two, updates from staff on activities and outcomes
related to committee advisory opportunities.
And finally, number three,
a brief presentation and recommendation
for the commission to approve
the Interagency Equity Advisory Committees mission, vision,
and foundational principles for transportation equity
with whom I will share with Chair Armist Kelly
and member Kiri Akimi Hernandez.
So I'll pass it to you,
Equity Advisory Committee Chair Martha Armist Kelly.
Good afternoon, commissioners, city officials, dignitaries,
and beloved members of the Merced community.
It is a profound privilege to stand before you today,
not only as the chair of the Equity Advisory Committee,
but as a proud daughter of Merced, California.
Today marks a special moment.
I am thrilled to present our equity advisory's
vision and mission statement
along with the progress we have made.
This is not your average two sentence declaration.
It is a living document,
one that includes guiding principles
and a visual component that reflects the heart of the work
that our communities, which we serve.
Transportation for many is the pathway
to economic development, sustainability, health,
and vitality.
But here in Merced, transportation
has been more than just a system.
It has shaped our very existence.
It has defined how we connect, how we grow, and how we survive.
We are honored by your presence.
Our small but mighty community of 98,000 residents
has had the opportunity to host you this week.
Your visit has brought economic energy
to our hotels, restaurants, and local businesses.
But more importantly, you've brought something
that cannot be measured in dollars, validation.
Your presence tells us that the state sees us,
that it cares about our roads,
our infrastructure, and our wellbeing.
That governance does not only happen in Sacramento,
it happens here in the streets
and the neighborhoods of Merced County.
And by coming here, you allow us to show you firsthand
the importance of infrastructure,
of our growth, and equitable transportation.
Merced is a vibrant, biodiverse community.
We are the home of Hispanics,
mongs, lau, mien, and sea cultures.
We are indigenous people, we are immigrants,
we are transplants, we are from all over the world.
We hear our families, workers, elders, and youth
all bound together by shared hopes and the love of this land.
Safety is paramount.
Safe roads and causeways are essential for moving goods,
reaching our homes, accessing healthcare,
or just simply living with dignity.
It is my hope and my commitment
that as the Equity Advisory continues
to make bold recommendations,
we will continue to uplift communities like Merced
and others along the 99 corridor.
Transportation is more than just movement.
It is a connection.
It intersects health, housing, economic development,
and environmental justice.
But we know that without intention,
it can also divide, harm, and exclude.
That's why our Equity Advisory Committee exists
through your efforts to ensure that we grow,
that we do so with safety, sustainability,
and healthy living as our guiding tenets.
The work we put into the equity mission
reflects these principles.
We are not just making recommendations
for best practices, we are setting a precedent.
A precedent where inclusion and equity
are not just aspirations,
but they are the very class of our influence.
Through our collaboration with Caltrans, CalSTA and the CTC,
we aim to prove and provide real contributions
to projects yet to come.
This past year as your chair has been deeply meaningful.
We have brought finally a document that reflects
revision that we hold for transportation in California.
A vision rooted in equity, inclusion and sustainability.
This month, you will be having the opportunity
to adopt this formally and that is today.
And we hope that if we leave a legacy,
a blueprint for future members to follow.
One that honors the voices of our community
and the promise of more than just California,
that this will extend to further areas across the regions.
Before I close, I want to offer you a heartfelt thank you
and to the staff and supporting teams
that have worked alongside of us throughout this journey.
We didn't know what it was going to look like three years ago
and it's just vibrant and as alive as it was the first day.
Your countless recommendations,
your generous advice have shaped me and others
in ways that we could not have imagined.
What you offered was not just expertise but mentorship.
And your willingness to share rather than to silo
speaks volumes about the kind of leadership
we need in this work.
Succession is vital.
And I hope that through my role in the EAC,
someone in my little community
or for another community, maybe small, but mighty
along the 99 corridor will see that they too have a voice,
that they belong in these rooms, in this space,
and that they can shape the future of California.
As my term is coming to an end soon,
I look forward to our next meeting,
where we will share the accomplishments
that we have achieved together.
But for now, I welcome you to Merced.
I welcome you to Merced.
This is my hometown,
and I'm so honored that you guys came here.
And I hope you enjoy your evening here.
I hope you feel the spirit of our community
as deeply as I do, because I will always remember this day
when the state came to Merced.
Thank you.
Thank you, Chair Armans-Kelley.
Next, we'll hear from equity advisory committee member,
Elisa Marie Alvarado, thank you.
Hi, hello, thank you so much.
I'm gonna talk a little bit about me,
a little bit about we, and a little bit about what I see.
As you can tell, we're polished
and we've got great leadership.
A little bit about me, I'm Lisa Alvarado,
located down south in Visalia, California.
I ride a bike in Exeter, California.
So when we talk about liquidity
and putting everyday folks in positions of power,
you're looking at it within the IEAC.
What do we work on?
Recently, we worked on SB1.
What does that mean in terms of political progress?
What does that mean in terms of building democracy
for folks like us?
I heard from Beverly Mitchell.
I asked her, what did we contribute as IEAC members
as we're critiquing some of these proposals?
What she shared, and I quote,
We're encouraging exploration, how beautiful we,
this elected body, with the help of the IAC,
are encouraging exploration.
That is a seat of innovation.
We are doing that.
I'd also feel like I'd be remiss if I didn't say
we're holding the line.
I have 18 years in community organizing,
and as somebody who's constantly advocating for justice,
I feel like those of us reading those proposals
are able to say, we love this, but we're not cutting it.
So be proud that you have people that are holding
that boundary, a lot of the hard conversations that we talk about in policy include naming
that we're holding that boundary. What do I see? I see a culture of care. You heard
from our chair, we really do care. We are making difficult decisions with intention
to hold the line. So thank you so much for investing in the selected body. Thank you
so much for giving us the time to speak back to you, the work that we're collectively doing
together. And thank you so much to the team behind the scenes that are giving us power
to give words. Thanks. All right we have four minutes because my computer just told me it's
going to restart. So thank you to both of you for those thought belt remarks. I'll now move into my
equity updates, followed by the mission and vision portion of the presentation. Excuse me. I'll start
by providing a quick overview of the recent advisory opportunities that the committee has been
involved in. So the application period for the 2026-2028, as we heard, term of the Interagency
Equity Advisory Committee will close on Sunday, October 19, 2025 at 11.59 p.m. Three seats
are open for individuals interested in serving a two-year term as a member of the committee,
New terms begin in February, 2026.
Interested individuals can apply online
and find the form on the Commission's website
or as part of the meeting materials for this item.
As part of the Commission related activities,
members have supported SB1 competitive programs.
Committee members who reviewed
the community engagement narratives
as mentioned in project applications
for the Commission's Senate Bill 1
competitive program's fourth cycle
held debriefs this month with SB1 program managers.
This dialogue will improve how the committee engages
with program guidelines and application review
in the future.
Additionally, beginning this fall,
an EAC member will serve as a liaison
and subject matter expert
with the Active Transportation Program
Technical Advisory Committee,
which that placement was approved at yesterday's meeting
of the Equity Advisory Committee.
Additionally, the Active Transportation Program
has started updating guidelines for the 2027 ATP
or cycle eight of the program
and commission staff will hold briefings in November
with EAC members to discuss feedback on the guidelines
with committee members.
Additionally, regarding the comprehensive multimodal
corridor plan guidelines.
Program staff held briefings for committee members
on the multimodal corridor plan guidelines.
Members were asked to provide written comments
with their feedback on the guidelines
and staff shared the feedback received
with the transportation planning
and program guidance subcommittee.
Draft guidelines that include committee member feedback
are being presented today at the meeting
with final adoption anticipated in December, 2025.
EAC members have also been actively involved
in advisory opportunities presented
by our interagency colleagues at Caltrans,
including with the statewide community engagement playbook.
This playbook will document best practices
for Caltrans planning and project development
to support institutionalizing
meaningful community engagement practices
with the department.
The Community Engagement, Policies, and Practices Subcommittee received two presentations on
the playbook and members were asked to provide feedback that will inform the final version
with anticipated completion in spring 2026.
Additionally, members continued to be involved in equity index use case development.
The Data Implementation Subcommittee has been engaged on the equity index, also known as
EQI. The EQI is a spatial screening tool designed to identify transportation-based priority
populations at the Census block level. Subcommittee members will inform the implementation of
the EQI, including the development and review of both internal and external use cases. The
EQI is expected to improve Caltrans analysis of project impacts and improve project planning
development and design as well as for other transportation agencies and community partners.
Caltrans staff will engage with the data implementation subcommittee in November
with opportunities to inform use case development and collaboration with the subcommittee will
continue through 2026. Additional opportunities for engagement with Caltrans include engagement
with the director's policy on public transit, which was brought to the transportation planning
and program guidance subcommittee, and the transit policy will provide high-level, long-range
traction to Caltrans on transit-related activities, including improvements to transit facilities
on that state highway system, enhanced state collaboration in transit planning, and modernization
of transit data and technology.
And finally, members have been involved with the Federal Transit Administration 5310 Enhanced
Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities, also known as FDA 5310.
This program improves the mobility of seniors and individuals with disabilities by removing
barriers to transportation services and expanding the transportation options available to meet
the specialized transportation need.
Caltrans assembled a state review committee consisting of advocates, users of 5310 services,
and other interested parties to review project applications and Caltrans extended an invitation
to committee members to participate in the review committee for the 2025 grant cycle.
And we're pleased to have five committee members who signed up to serve on that committee.
The scoring took place in late September.
We are grateful for their work on that.
That includes my updates on advisory opportunities
and outcomes that the committee has participated in.
I'll now move on to the action portion of this item.
Focus on commission approval of the committee's vision,
mission and foundational principles
for transportation equity.
And I have a few slides to share.
Great, thank you.
So I share the podium with our members Armis Kelly
and Carrie Eking Hernandez,
who served as a very important
and influential subject matter experts on this process,
and again, just really appreciate their commitment
to helping us get over the finish line.
So next slide, please.
On September 5th, 2025,
the committee officially approved these guiding statements.
They represent a shared purpose
and will help steer the committee's work
across all three agencies moving forward.
Next slide, please.
Between April and August, 2025,
Chair Armas-Kelly and Member Kemi Hernandez
led a collaborative drafting process
with input from committee members, agency leadership,
and commissioners.
Through workshops, surveys, and robust discussion,
The group refined the language to reflect the committee's
collective values and principles.
Next slide please.
The final framework emphasizes safety for people
of all ages and abilities, economic opportunity,
including local job creation and living wages,
disability access and rural infrastructure,
acknowledgement of historical harms
and systemic disinvestment, clean transportation,
shared mobility, and responsible resource use,
and finally, equity in land use,
housing, and community wellbeing.
Next slide, please.
These statements were finalized by the committee
and approved by executive leadership
from all three agencies.
Commissioners, this is an action item,
and we recommend the commission approve
the equity advisory committee's vision, mission,
and foundational principles for transportation equity.
Approval will establish a unified framework
to guide the committee's advisory role
to the commission, Caltrans, and CalSTA,
ensuring that our work moves forward
with a clear and consistent foundation.
That concludes my presentation,
and we'll take any comments or questions as needed.
Thank you.
Thanks so much, Sequoia.
And congrats to all the great work that you put in
and the effort that you're putting in
is so important these days.
So thank you.
Any questions, comments from the dais?
I see Commissioner Gardeno raising his mic.
I'm happy to wait for the public comment,
but thank you for recognizing the movement of my mind.
All good, okay.
So I know we have some public comment.
Let's go online first.
To start online comment, I'd like to call on Ana Gonzalez.
Please unmute yourself to begin your comment.
Yes, hi, good afternoon, everyone.
Ana Gonzalez, Vice Chair of the EAC.
I just wanted to congratulate my fellow colleagues
and the CTC for getting us to this step.
Finally, after so much work,
I wanna thank the staff for having so much patience with us
and the two expert subject matter,
you know, colleagues Martha and Akimi.
I'm so proud of both of you
and I just wanted to support this item
and hope that you all support this item unanimously.
So thank you all for this opportunity.
It's been a great, great journey at the EAC, thank you.
There's no other online public comment.
Thank you so much.
Since we're on public comment,
I'm gonna go ahead and call up the Carth that I have here.
Karthik Prasad from Congressman Adam Gray's office.
Pleasure to have you here.
Well, good afternoon, Chair and Commissioners.
My name's Karthik Prasad here
on behalf of Congressman Adam Gray.
And I'm actually here to present certificates
to two members of the Interagency Equity Advisory Committee.
One of the main reasons we all get together
and present certificates in the first place
is to honor members of our community
and shine a light on the work they do.
It's for that very reason I'm here to present to Martha Armist Kelly and Carrie Akemi Hernandez
these Certificates of Special Congressional Recognition highlighting their work, developing
the vision, guiding principles and mission statement of the Interagency Equity Advisory
Committee.
On behalf of Congressman Adam Gray and the United States House of Representatives, thank
you for your invaluable service to our community.
No, you're good. This is us. This is a 17. So I've got here you go. One, two, three, one more. One, two, three, good. Great. Thank you.
I just wanted to take a moment. Chair wanted to allow me to say a few words. So, chair,
Vice Chair, those in the audience, rest of commission staff, my EAC colleagues.
I just wanted to take a moment to say that on Monday, October 13th was Indigenous People's Day.
So I was born in 1978. That year was the year that was granted our freedom to be recognized
and community safely as Native Americans.
1924 was the year that we were granted citizenship here.
I'm Haudenosaunee.
If you all aren't familiar with that,
we helped inspire the Constitution.
So knowing that I collaborated to words
that are going to be providing equity across the state
to the three agencies is vitally important.
So thank you for this time and space
and for the leaders that have already paved the way for me
to have space.
And I'd like to dedicate this to my grandma
and my children and grandchildren and community.
Thank you all so much.
Hi.
Well, I too, I wanna thank my community
and this beautiful body that exists here around us
for all of what you've done, you've shaped.
I've been in this journey for about three years,
starting as a member, then vice chair and now chair.
And I know that the leadership that follows
is going to be extraordinary.
But these are the things that build faith
and integrity in what we do,
to be able to have that space,
to be able to speak our truth
and be intentional about what we believe in.
And in this city hall right here,
We had our first native people's acknowledgement,
and in the work that I've been able to accomplish,
we've had our native indigenous people
acknowledgement, our land acknowledgement,
and we are sitting right now on Yaukuts and Miigwaks
territories, and I honor that space.
I honor this people that came before me,
and the people that are to come.
California is rich, and we may be facing some strange
And what we're doing, but I have such faith in the resiliency of this state and the people that I've encountered and
It isn't until you actually get to stand side by side a person that's in the institution
So to speak as a community leader
Man you guys have such heart and to be able to navigate and vacillate in the spaces and the confined
Rules that you do and still have heart and integrity for the people that you serve
I'm honored to receive this from all of us
And we hope that we just do justice for what you've allowed us to participate in. So, thank you
So now we can turn to questions from the dais
Anyone like to make a comment Vice Chair focal. Thank You mr. Chair and
Bravo to all of you
Chair Amos Kelly, I have really observed all the work
that you have all done through the years
with your colleagues, some that have continued on
and some that have stepped out of the AC
but they contributed a lot and folks coming in
and you're right, it is a work of heart.
Listening to your draft framework back in May,
I was amazed at how you distill all of the needs
of the state and try to bring more equity
and thoughtful and honest conversation
about how we invest in mobility in this state
and how we invest in our people.
It's probably taken quite a bit to get here,
but it's for good reason because it's a lot of work, right?
And so congratulations to you all
and to staff for really guiding this process.
I know you had countless number of meetings,
subcommittee meetings, and it's a lot of work.
And we really appreciate the work that you do.
You have cultivated this document,
But you've already been doing the work through the years and really helping guide us in our
decision making and guideline crafting.
And so we really appreciate, like really you have all rolled up your sleeves and have done
some hard work.
So kudos to all of you.
very much appreciated by this body.
And we look forward to your continued work
and implementation of this framework.
And so well done.
All right.
I do have a quick comment.
I have an order here.
So I'm gonna go to commissioner Lugo first
and then commissioner Gardeno and then commissioner Lugo.
All right, thank you chair.
I'm gonna assume my voice is coming through.
Maybe you can confirm for me.
I haven't gone off mute in this meeting space yet.
Yes, I can be heard.
Yes, yes.
Thank you, okay.
Well, just echoing everybody else's comments
and I really regret that I had to join remotely this month
because missing out on the opportunity to spend time
in Merced with Martha and see it through her lens
something really special. And I am so glad that you all get to be there to do that. Congratulations
on the award to both of you. That is so cool. And yeah, just I so appreciate the love and the warmth
and the heart that you all are bringing to this space that we get to be part of. So thank you.
And one comment really appreciate the principles. I really just love the obvious, very thoughtful,
good work that went into creating them. And I also really appreciate that there is a definition
section. And I wanted to suggest that another definition that could be included is for
or mobility justice, because I know that that's a term
that we find useful and valuable,
but it can also be sort of left undefined and less clear.
So that might be a good one to include
in the definitions as well.
Thank you all for your hard work from the EAC on this.
Thank you.
And it's a living document.
So yes, I'm sure that we can probably adopt that as well.
Great, all right.
Thank you, Commissioner Lugo.
Now I'm gonna go to commissioner Gardeno
and then commissioner Eager.
Chair Grisby, thank you.
I really just wanted to take a moment
not to make the motion.
I think that would be better done by others
because so many of you worked so closely
with our EAC leadership and with Sequoia on this document.
But I wanted to just take the opportunity to thank Sequoia
for all the work she has done to make this possible.
If you don't mind also our colleagues at Caltrans,
Carolyn Abrams, can we all be involved?
Sasha Lindger from the commission.
Very critical in this.
Thank you.
And Martha Nakimi, thank you so much for your leadership
and the passion and professionalism and persistence
and patience all combined that you've put into this document
similar to my colleague, Adonia.
I loved the way you called out different key areas
of focus like partnership and collaboration
and community practices and safety.
It just, it, for me, as I read this,
it made it such a more substantive and rich
and inspiring document that you have put together.
And I just wanted to recognize and thank you for that.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Oh, thank you for your comments.
Next up is Commissioner Eger, then Commissioner Bradshaw.
Yeah, just very quickly.
Congratulations to all of you.
I know the time and effort and heart
that it went in to put this document together.
And Martha, you have been a breath of fresh air
and in this committee and making sure
that people are keep on track and keep focused.
So I wanna say a special thank you to you.
And I don't know if she's listening,
but I do wanna acknowledge a really heartfelt thank you
to prior commissioner, Hillary Norton.
When she was chair, you know, getting this committee
on track, we were able to approve it after she left,
but it was really a lot of her effort.
So Hillary, if you're out there, we want to thank you.
And it came to fruition and the work
that everybody put in together, we can see it now.
And I can see it in this document.
And, and as you said, a living document
that we can keep building on.
So thank you all so much.
Appreciate it.
Excellent. Next up is commissioner Bradshaw.
Then commissioner man.
Good afternoon.
Great job members.
I'm honored to be with you today.
I agree with what's already been said
with laying out the vision,
but I would see also call it an organizing lens,
trying to build unity lens, a foundation to build upon
and keep evolving and pivot and move.
Equity is so crucial,
maybe a little bit of a different perspective.
You know, I've spent most of my life as an organizer,
proud to come up with a working class
and as people are talking about their experiences
with the 99 corridor, I live for a time in a,
This is not a complaint, I'm not ashamed of it,
I'm not overly proud of it.
But going to Early Mart Elementary School
and living in a trailer there,
and actually a real community there when I was young.
But in my day job, I'm honored to serve 36,000 corps
openers in Northern California.
And we are mission driven to do whatever we can
to build unity.
And I try to bring some of that to this commission as well.
And maybe to point out the obvious,
there are forces that I believe want to import hate
and division into our state and into our communities.
And I believe it's up to all of us wherever we can
to find partnership and collaboration,
to pull each other up, find ways through differences
find the common ground and unite. When I left a meeting in Las Vegas, we have a
very large center out there, and the purpose of that meeting was to build
unity and break down divisions across all identification, race, background, sex,
and something that come out of that is if you take five workers or five
communities and you pull them together tends to be a stronger bond so keep
pulling together keep helping us pull together and we'll all rise together for
our state and leave none out thank you for your hard work thank you
Commissioner Bradshaw commissioner man thank you and I'll echo the comments of
my fellow commissioners you know this is a really congratulations to you it's
This is an exciting moment.
I know a lot of time and energy went into all of this,
a great deal of collaboration,
back and forth conversations.
And so thank you for persevering.
And I just wanted to appreciate the level of heart focus,
grace, expertise, and compassion
that has gone into this work.
So thank you for all of your dedication to it,
to Chair Armist Kelly, to Member Kimi Hernandez,
and everyone else who's been part of this.
And thank you Sequoia for ushering all of this work through
and to helping to facilitate
such great wonderful conversations and efforts,
and really also appreciate the partnership
and the dedication of all of the other agencies
that have worked on this and the time that's gone into it.
This type of work is really challenging.
It's hard to kind of come together,
especially when you're trying to reach agreement
on levels of shared understanding,
but it also is an example of what we just need more of.
So thank you for all being wonderful models and examples
of what we wanna see more of in the world.
So thank you.
Thank you, Commissioner Mann.
Any other comments or questions from DICE?
And I just wanted to echo everything that everyone said and you can hear feel the heart in the room and and from those online as well and it's across racial and economic background equity means everyone and, you know, love the work that you've done.
Thank you so much. We appreciate you.
to say that everyone here should give themselves an applause
because we would not have been able to do what we do had you
not taken us in a corner and said,
this is what a sharrow is, or this is what a rumble strip is,
or this is what this means.
And you guys have all been very welcoming.
Matthew, just coffee times.
I want to thank you with all my heart for all the things
that you have done because it's been a learning process,
and I'm grateful to all of you for that, thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you, yes, we are one state.
And we're still looking for a motion,
but I just feel worthy to do it.
Who would like to make a motion on this great item?
I'll move for approval.
Commissioner Bradshaw, thank you, is there a second?
Seconded by Commissioner Eger.
Yeah.
All those in favor?
Aye.
Opposed?
Abstentions, mission passes.
Thank you all so much.
And we have one more item before we take a break.
Item 15, Vincent, state and federal legislative affairs.
It's kind of hard to follow that one.
Commissioners tab 15 is an update
for state and federal legislative matters.
The legislature adjourned for its interim recess
on September 13th.
And then the governor had until October 13th
to sign or veto any bills.
The commission had previously taken a support position
on SB 470, which extends the alternative
teleconferencing provisions of the Bagley-Keene Act
until January 2030.
This bill was signed by the governor.
The governor also signed SB 840,
which appropriates the cap and invest proceeds
from the greenhouse gas reduction fund or GGRF
starting next year.
This will include $400 million annually
for the Transit and Inner City Rail Capital Program,
or TRSIP.
A summary of bills tracked by commission staff,
including the final actions taken by the governor
on Monday was distributed as a pink item.
And that concludes my remarks.
Happy to answer any questions.
Thank you, Vincent.
Any public comment?
We do have one online attendee with their hand raised.
I'd like to call on Tim Iveson.
please unmute yourself to begin your comment.
Tim Ivison, please unmute yourself to begin your comment.
There is no other public comment, thank you.
Thank you.
Any questions or comments from the dais?
If I believe this is an action item, is that correct?
Yeah.
Okay, no, it's on A.
All right, great.
So we're going to adjourn for,
we're gonna do a 15 minute break.
We will see you back soon, thank you.
All right, we're gonna get started here.
Commissioners, please return.
We're gonna start with item 18, Destiny.
Can I have order, please?
All right.
Item 16, Vince, budget allocation capacity.
Let's please have order.
Commissioners, tab 16 is an informational item
for budget and allocation capacity.
Keith Duncan from Caltrans Budgets will present this item.
Thank you, Vince.
Chair, commissioners, good afternoon, happy Thursday.
Thursday everybody and happy Bosses Day for those bosses in the room. As mentioned Keith Duncan,
Caltrans Budgets and I'll be presenting tab 16, the budget and allocation capacity update. Oh,
go slow just in case. There is a presentation, the usual stuff. I'll kind of talk through it a little
bit. Next slide please. Thank you. Right on. As noted in your agenda and your meeting material,
Through the August meeting, the commission allocated $2.7 billion onto 208 projects
across all programs within the CTC's purview. That represents just under 25% allocated.
We're about a quarter through the year, quarter allocated. Great progress.
Next slide, please. As we have started this new federal fiscal year, we do want to highlight the
end of last federal fiscal year as we normally do, as we normally know about. Federal Highway
administration did do their annual August redistribution. California was once again
quite successful. We received 611 million dollars through that August redistribution process.
Those funds were quickly obligated on both state and local projects as required by the end of the
federal fiscal year so none of the federal funds were lost. We do want to acknowledge that it did
come up in about 111 million dollars higher than we were anticipating so that 111 million dollars
does get added to the shop capacity so we can allocate additional funds on the shop project
for this current year. Next slide please. Here just wanted to show the the history at least
over the last several years the amount of August redistribution. You can see the bars on the left,
the six bars on the left, that represents the funding level that we got from August redistribution
from the fast act and then the four bars there on the far right. Those represent you can see the
I'll say sizable increase and that's the August redistribution we've received through the IIJA,
the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and you can see the sizable increase in the
amount of funds and again successful August redistribution once again for California.
Next slide please. October is usually pretty light so as we're looking ahead October we
have started the federal fiscal year. Yes there's no federal budget in place. The good thing is the
The IIJA was enacted with a five-year apportionment,
so we did FHWA California division.
And FHWA have released the apportionments
for this new federal fiscal year,
and we continue to work with,
especially with our friends in the California division.
But we are looking forward to seeing what happens
with the federal budget.
And then as we look ahead to January,
the release of the proposed governor's budget
for the 26-27 fiscal year.
And then also we do plan to present the draft
2027 active transportation program fund estimate.
Next slide, please.
And with that, I know I say it every time,
but it can never be understated.
I want to thank CTC staff,
Caltrans Financial Programming
and our Caltrans Budgets team.
It always takes a team to manage
when we're talking about billions,
but I'm available for any questions you may have.
Thank you, Keith.
Is there any public comment?
There is no public comment.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Any questions or comments for the Dias?
That is the Ferguson Rock Shed project,
and you know, recognize that quite well.
Vice Chair Fulk on.
Hi, thanks Keith.
And thank you for always updating us on our capacity,
and so we are paying attention.
And so as we're looking at allocations after our hearing,
what's the capacity that you anticipate,
you know, from August through the rest of the year?
Well, the goal is always trying to get to a hundred percent,
As we've seen,
I think at the latter half of the fiscal year,
we typically provide you the trends
on the overall allocation.
I think at most over the last three to four years,
we've been able to allocate 80% across all programs,
and that's an aggregate, of course.
So, I mean, the goal is always to put every tax dollar
to work, so we would like to see 100%,
but if we're hitting about the 75 to 80%,
that seems to be the historical level combined.
Oh yes, the second half of the year,
We definitely will show you the trends there.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thanks and thanks for you delving in on that vice chair.
I know you've been looking deeply.
Any other questions, comments?
Thank you, Keith.
Ronald, thank you.
Really appreciate it.
Next up, item 17, Tim.
And before we start, just wanna make a comment
that we should all avoid ad hominem's.
I meant to mention that at the beginning of the meeting,
but just wanted to restate that.
Thanks.
Add hominins.
Commissioners, tab 17 is an information item.
During the August CTC meeting, Caltrans was requested
to provide the commission with an update
on the State Route 710 sales program.
Carolyn Dabney from the Caltrans Division of Right of Way
and Land Surveys is here to provide the update.
Good afternoon, can you hear me?
More?
There we go, okay.
I just wanna say thank you for coming.
Welcome to you.
Thank you.
Good afternoon Chair Grisby and commissioners.
My name is Carolyn Dabney and I'm the program manager
for the State Route 710 Sales Program.
And today I am providing an update
on the 710 Sales Program,
including key provisions of the Roberti Act,
program challenges, and sales progress.
There we go.
The State Route 710 Sales Program
is a result of a now defunct transportation project
that proposed to close a four and a half mile gap
on the 710 freeway, connecting the 10
and the 210 freeways as shown in the purple shaded area.
The Closure Gap Project impacted 460 properties
in Pasadena, South Pasadena
and the El Sereno community in Los Angeles.
Properties were purchased by the department
beginning in the 1960s and continuing through the 1990s.
Next slide.
I want to begin with addressing the many public comments
at the last commission meeting,
claiming that Caltrans is managing
the 710 sales program illegally.
Caltrans is administering the program
in accordance with law.
The state route 710 sales program regulations
which implement the Roberti Act
reviewed by the Office of Administrative Law and were found to be clear, necessary, legally
valid, and compliant with the standards set forth in California's Administrative Procedure
Act.
Next slide.
The next few slides outline key provisions of the Roberti Act.
The intent of the Roberti Act is to expand the supply of housing available to persons
and families of low or moderate income.
While the Roberti Act requires Caltrans to offer properties for sale, the Act does not
guarantee homeownership. Rather, it provides tenants an opportunity to
purchase upon meeting specific eligibility requirements including
occupancy, no prior real estate ownership, meeting the definition of persons or
families of low to moderate income, and housing expenses not to exceed 25 or 30%
of household income. The department is to hold the offer open for a reasonable
time, which shall not be in more than one year, however Caltrans does have
discretion to extend that. The Roberta Act recognized that not all tenants would meet
the requirements for purchasing and therefore establish a specific order of priority for
offering properties and also included a provision for relocation benefits for tenants who are
displaced as a direct result of the disposal of the property. Section 54236E of the Roberta Act
defines displacement as persons who will have to move from the property they occupy
when it is sold because they are unable to afford to pay the price that the state agency is asking
for the property. Next slide. The Roberti Act requires the Department to complete lender
required repairs for properties being purchased at affordable prices. The act established the
State Route 710 Rehabilitation Account, whereby all sales proceeds generated from residential
properties are deposited into the rehab account and are utilized to complete lender required repairs.
The rehab account is capped at 1.2 million and is swept quarterly.
Funds that are swept are then transferred to the state route 710 lay tip for allocation by the
commission to fund transportation projects in the state route 710 communities pursuant to section
54237 of the Roberti Act. The remaining three bullets point to the specific section in the
Roberti Act that outlined the sales process and priorities for each city, El Sereno, Pasadena,
and South Pasadena. Next slide. This graphic illustrates the sales priorities for each city.
Due to time constraints, I won't go over each priority, but I would like to focus on the purple
shaded area, which represents the only properties in the corridor that are offered at affordable
prices, and that is single-family residences. The Robertiac defines a single-family residence
as a dwelling unit for one family. A property with a single-family residence that also contains an
and accessory dwelling unit is not considered
a single-family residence under Warbirdy.
Rather, it is classified as a surplus residential property.
Warbirdy defines a surplus residential property
as a property developed as a single-family
or multi-family residence,
and these properties are offered to current tenants
at fair market value.
Next slide.
As an example of a surplus residential property,
this is a single-family residence.
However, in the back is a detached accessory dwelling unit
capable of providing affordable housing
to a person or family of low to moderate income.
Under Roberti, this property will be offered
as a surplus residential property
at fair market value to the current tenant.
Offering the property as a single family residence
would violate the Roberti Act.
Again, the intent of the Roberti Act
is to expand the supply of affordable housing.
Selling as a single family residence
will remove the requirement for the ADU
to be used for affordable housing.
If the current tenant does not purchase that fair market value, the property is offered to the city who is required to provide the existing tenant with the opportunity to rent at affordable rent if income eligible or fair market rent.
The HRE must utilize the property for affordable rental housing for 55 years or affordable home ownership for 45 years.
Next slide.
Now this is key.
Perhaps the greatest misconception
surrounding the Roberti Act is the notion
that there is no bottom limit to affordability.
That is false.
While the Roberti Act doesn't specifically identify
a minimum income, it is implied by the limitation
imposed on housing expenses.
Pursuant to government code section 54236B,
a purchaser's monthly payments shall not exceed
a portion of the purchasing household's income,
which is further defined in the regulations
as 25% of gross household income
for lower income households
and 30% for moderate income households.
The department did not create the affordable housing
guidelines, but follows regulations implemented
by the Department of Housing and Community Development.
Next slide.
Okay, with the next few slides,
I want to walk through the three potential outcomes
for determining eligibility of an affordable buyer.
For example, this household earns 58,000 a year,
Taking 25% of the household income
for lower income households
allows a maximum monthly housing expense of $1,113.
After deducting housing expenses for property taxes,
insurance, maintenance and utilities,
there's a positive balance remaining of $565.
This amount is then plugged into a formula
to determine the maximum amount for a mortgage.
In this case, the affordable purchase price is $87,155
and the tenant is determined eligible.
Next slide.
Here's another example of a tenant who is eligible
to purchase at an affordable price.
After deducting for housing expenses,
the remaining funds of $93
results in an affordable price of $15,137.
However, the Roberti Act doesn't allow Caltrans
to sell properties for less than what Caltrans paid
for the property.
Therefore, the tenant must bridge the gap
between the minimum sales price of 32,600
and the affordable sales price of $15,137
and bring in a $17,000 deposit.
This is an example of a tenant
that has been determined ineligible
to purchase at an affordable price.
After deducting for housing expenses,
this household does not have sufficient funds
to pay all housing expenses.
There's a negative of $195.
Because housing expenses exceed 25% of household income,
the tenant is ineligible to purchase at an affordable price
pursuant to the Roberti Act.
So these are the three scenarios occurring in the corridor
and because neighbors share information,
there's confusion as to why some tenants
are allowed to bridge the gap
and bring in funds to remain eligible
and other tenants are given in eligibility notices.
Because of the negative number in this situation,
an affordable price cannot be calculated
and the tenant is determined ineligible pursuant to law.
There are approximately 250 occupied
single family residences in the corridor.
To date, less than 10% of the tenants
have been determined ineligible to purchase
at an affordable price,
due to exceeding the 25 to 30% limit set by law.
I mentioned earlier the State Route 710 Rehab Account.
The lack of funding to complete lender required repairs
is one of the greater challenges of the program.
Over $3.3 million has been swept from the rehab account.
Currently, there are approximately 100
affordable transactions in escrow
with the average repair costs exceeding $100,000.
Caltrans is preparing to close
on three affordable transactions this fall,
a process that has taken nearly two years
due to contracting process, scheduling constraints,
and unforeseen conditions,
which also makes it difficult to expend funds
prior to the funds being swept.
The rehab account is at risk of being depleted
prior to all properties being repaired.
This process will take several years
to cycle through all the escrows.
Next slide.
I want to shift now to the progress being made.
All residents, tenants in the corridor have received
notice of solicitation, which begins the sales process.
While only one property has sold to a current tenant
during the past year, 96 transactions are in escrow
for affordable buyers and 27 tenants have pre-qualified
to purchase at fair market value.
As I mentioned earlier, Caltrans will be closing
on three affordable sales of this fall
with another three in early 2026.
Next slide.
This graphic shows where real progress is being made.
During the past two fiscal years,
Caltrans sold 58 properties to housing-related entities.
All the sold properties were unoccupied properties,
which were a priority for Caltrans to dispose of
due to several other vacant properties
being illegally occupied back in 2020.
South Pasadena purchased five properties
at original acquisition prices.
The city flipped the properties,
generating over $5 million for affordable housing.
Both the cities of South Pasadena and Pasadena
can purchase unoccupied properties
at original acquisition prices
and then sell on the open market at fair market value.
For each property sold,
the cities must develop free affordable housing units.
The city of Pasadena purchased 17 properties
and will be selling 13 other properties at fair market value
and will then develop 39 affordable housing units
with the sales proceeds.
The remaining four properties will be utilized
affordable home ownership. The City of Los Angeles purchased 11 properties and were using the
properties for affordable rental housing. Another 25 properties were sold to private housing related
entities. To date, 58 properties have been sold to HREs with another 18 properties pending. Caltrans
will be offering another 20 properties this fall to HREs and another 20 properties early next year.
Despite the negative complaints about the program, there is good news coming out of the corridor.
San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity purchased 16 properties in El Cerino
and recently hosted a celebration to turn over keys to six properties
that were rehabilitated and sold to affordable buyers.
San Gabriel Valley Habitat has a blind application process
and for these properties they required applicants to be from the El Cerino
community. San Gabriel continues to rehab the
remaining properties and will eventually sell to affordable buyers.
Next month Caltrans is excited to celebrate with another HRE who will be
hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a 12-unit apartment complex in South Pasadena.
Next slide. I want to close by saying despite the negative public comments you are likely to
hear today, Caltrans is administering the program in accordance with law.
Caltrans has implemented policy to assist tenants in purchasing the homes they rent that extends
beyond the Roberti Act. For example, under emergency regulations, Caltrans implemented
a policy to allow tenants with rent delinquency to defer payment of delinquent rent until
such time the property is subsequently sold at fair market value, sort of a silent second.
Caltrans also delays processing sales for those tenants who are delinquent in rent and
do not meet the CalTIPA loan requirement to have 12 consecutive months of on-time rent
payments. Caltrans sets those properties aside to allow tenants sufficient time to meet the
12-month requirement. Further, in estimating housing expenses, Caltrans offers the tenants
the opportunity to provide their own utility bills and obtain their own insurance quotes
rather than rely on the formulas used to estimate housing costs. Caltrans has also granted several
tenant requested time extensions. As a result of issuing ineligible notices, notices that are
issued due to non-compliance with the law, Caltrans has been accused of intentionally finding tenants
ineligible as an act of retribution or to avoid the cost of completing lender required repairs
and has been accused of discrimination including discriminating against the elderly.
Caltrans takes no pleasure in telling a household they are not eligible to purchase at an affordable
price and we agree that it is nonsensical to send out a notice of ineligibility to purchase
at an affordable price based upon insufficient income but then turn around and offer the tenants
the opportunity to purchase at fair market value. However this is required by the Roberti Act.
While most tenants are grateful for the opportunity to become homeowners and are being very patient
with the process, a small handful of tenants frequently threaten a forthcoming lawsuit. Back
in 2018 Caltrans was sued by five tenants which resulted in sales being halted for over two years
followed by the COVID shutdown. Sales were delayed for years which ushered in skyrocketing
real estate values and increased interest rates. Overall, that lawsuit was detrimental to the
State Route 710 tenants. If another lawsuit is filed, sales will potentially be delayed again.
That's the end of my presentation and I'm happy to take questions.
Thank you. First, we will move to public comment.
To start public comment, I'd like to call on Sean. Please unmute yourself to begin your comment.
Yes, hello. Can you guys hear me?
Yes, we can hear you. Yes. Hi. My name is Shawn Salazar. I am one of the tenants that Carolyn Dabney
is referring to as the disqualified tenants for not having enough income.
So, there are so many matters that she just described that are that go hand in hand with
the Roberta Act. The way they are determining housing expenses is not governed by the Roberta
Act and I have brought to their attention so many viable options that will put my family in the
positive because we are short of an astonishing $40 a month to qualify for this program. I have
brought to their attention the way they determine maintenance costs which I feel is excessive.
There is also utility bills that they have accepted that I feel were inaccurate because
of the fact that Caltrans has recently hired a plumber who discovered that my toilet is running
water constantly therefore raising my utility bills therefore the audit they performed by a
710 right-of-way agent a few months back is inaccurate and they refuse to take current utility
bills that are accurate now that the toilet is no longer running and running up our utility
bills and that is just one of the situations. There's also so many viable options that could
lower housing expenses that they refuse to do. I'm talking, I have a chart from Carolyn Dabney
and Hedy Berto Salazar that proves that my family is short $40 to qualify for this program.
it's unacceptable and we need change and we need it now. We deserve to purchase these homes under
the Roberta Act despite what you've heard from her. Next I would like to call on Kelly Brinkman.
Please unmute yourself to begin your comment. Kelly I see you are unmuted but we cannot hear you.
Kelly I still see you're unmuted but we cannot hear you. We will come back to you. I'd like to
move on to Roberto Flores. Please unmute yourself to begin your comment. Can you hear me now?
Yes, we can hear you.
Good.
Yes, Justin, I am a member of the Caltrans Tenants Associate,
United Caltrans Tenants.
Thank you for your service.
Your statement and practice particularly on DEI
is an antidote to the current attacks
and the anti-democratic ethos and practice.
so that we're suffering from at the federal level.
You cannot say this about the accolades to CTC, about every other state agency,
particularly Caltrans. It's not secret that Caltrans always thought that the
Robert E. Bill was unconstitutional. According to Caltrans, the Robert E. Bill is a giveaway
of public funds and unconstitutional. The OAL has been operating hand in hand with Caltrans as a
stamping regulations that are violating the liberty bill. Regulations like putting to the test
people of low income is one of them and and barring them from the sales process.
One more thing. Some of the folks that have been disqualified have savings and family
that could help them purchase the house and they would be left with a bill that's less than what
they're paying right now. Many of them can afford it, contrary to the report.
So we're pretty long. Two main things was to mitigate for the harm done by people and
community sacrificing their homes and for the sake of building a freeway.
Thank you, sir. Your time's up. Next, I'd like to call on Carlos Cordon.
Please unmute yourself to begin your comment. Carlos Cordon, please unmute yourself to begin
your comment. Next, I'd like to call on Kelly Brinkman. Please unmute yourself to begin your
Kelly Brinkman, please unmute yourself
to begin your comment.
Kelly, I see you're unmuted, but we still cannot hear you.
I also see you're logged in twice.
We will move on to the next comment
and we always come back to you.
Next, I'd like to call on Sean.
Sean, I believe you already gave a comment.
Kelly, we will try you one last time.
Please unmute yourself to begin your comment.
That is it for online comment, thank you.
All right, thank you.
I appreciate that.
Any questions or comments from the DICE?
Hearing none, thank you, Deb.
Thank you.
Next up is item 18, innovations in transportation, Bridget.
Thank you.
Good afternoon, commissioners.
Tab 18 is an information item.
As part of our innovations in transportation series,
I'm pleased to introduce Dara Wheeler,
the acting chief of the newly established data
and artificial intelligence office at Caltrans.
Dara will provide a presentation on Caltrans's
key AI initiatives.
And with that, let's turn it over to Dara.
Thanks Bridget.
Good afternoon Chair and Commissioners.
My name is Dara Wheeler and I am the acting chief data
and AI officer for Caltrans.
Today I'm going to be presenting
on the artificial intelligence efforts
and activities at Caltrans.
I plan to spend around seven minutes
giving you a high level overview.
and then I'm happy to address any questions.
So originally my presentation was going to be
on innovation and AI.
But we decided to scale that back
and just focus on AI at this time
because there's no way that I could get through
both topics in seven minutes.
And I'm waiting for my friend to join me.
Oh yes.
Okay, and so I share this because I'm joined today
by the Caltrans robotic dog Spot.
Spot is a four legged robot made by Boston Dynamics.
Spot was going to be a featured component
of the innovation at Caltrans Summary,
and he wanted to join us here today to check things out.
Perhaps we can share more innovations like Spot
at future CTC meetings.
This robotic dog represents
where artificial intelligence meets the physical world.
We often think of AI as software or algorithms,
models and data but increasingly AI is becoming embodied applied in devices and sensors and
systems that learn and adapt in the real time and that's what's coming for transportation too.
At Caltrans we've been using this robotic dog to assist our workers by keeping them out of
dangerous situations like in culvert inspections and inspecting bridges but they could be used
to assist in search and rescue, in hazardous environments, and rock scaling operations if the
terrain isn't too high. We piloted, on another case, we piloted a spot at one of the Southern
California maintenance stations that was continuing to be hit with copper wire theft.
His role there was to provide after-hours security, and I'm happy to announce that that
research project was a huge success. He actually caught somebody. Alright, next slide, please.
Are we got the slides? Next, second slide, please. Okay, so our journey into AI really
started in 2023 when Governor Newsom signed Executive Order N1223 on generative artificial
intelligence. This is also when my introduction to AI began. I like to tell people I'm not
an engineer, I'm not a technologist.
I have a background in policy and politics
and I live on the business side of the house.
So we've accomplished a lot in two short years.
One of the first things that we did related
to the executive order was to nominate two Gen AI projects
when there was a call to all state agencies
to submit ideas.
Caltrans was awarded two of the first five Gen AI proof
of concept projects for the state of California.
In addition to the two use cases,
CalSTA and CalTrans leadership
really understood the strategic importance
of dedicating a position to lead and drive data and AI efforts.
So the role that I currently sit in was also created.
And then lastly, we also understood early on
that in order to make responsible
and transformative decisions,
we needed to focus on the development
of data and AI strategy and governance.
Next slide, please.
So I wanted to spend a moment
and just talk about the importance of data.
So when this position was created,
it was created under the pretense
that AI is less powerful and less trustworthy
if the data that it uses and consumes
is not good, clean, or authoritative.
So Caltrans has been working
on our data governance efforts for many years,
but elevating data and pairing it with AI
seems like an important step
to expedite the delivery of both.
Next slide, please.
Like I mentioned earlier,
we've done a lot in two short years.
We've dedicated a position to lead the strategic
implementation and the adoption of data in AI efforts
to ensure that Caltrans is a future ready organization.
We've developed AI policy that set the rules for the road
on how AI is adopted, governed,
and aligned with our goals and values.
We've established a small amount of initial funding
to support our efforts.
We've started a journey with two Gen AI use cases.
We're developing strategic documents
like a Data and AI Readiness Assessment,
a Data and AI Strategic Plan, an Implementation Roadmap,
and a Use Case Repository.
And I'm happy to say that all of those documents
will be completed by the end of this year.
And we're almost ready to roll out our training,
Gen AI Training Plan to provide that education
that is critical for our workforce.
And it's also important here to mention
that we've been talking with the unions
during this entire journey so that they are aware,
so that we hear any concerns
and that they're not caught off guard on any of our efforts.
We're also very aware of workforce's concerns
that AI might take over our jobs.
And it's a very common concern.
So we don't want to dismiss that concern.
When I hear something like that,
I like to say that AI is here to enhance or aid how we work,
like an intern, not eliminate what we do.
It can help us process information faster,
improve accuracy and handle repetitive
or time consuming tasks.
So our workers can focus on the higher value,
the judgment based and the creative work
that only people can do.
But honestly, we still need to provide a lot
communications, training, and to be open to all of the concerns that our workforce has.
And lastly, we're working on a strong communications plan and a change management component that
is necessary for a major shift like this in an organization.
Next slide, please.
All right.
So I mentioned earlier we have two Gen. AI proof of concept projects stood up during
the executive order.
This is the first one.
We call it the Traffic Mobility Insights Project, and Accenture and Microsoft are our two key
partners for this project. This project will benefit our traffic engineers by turning hours
into minutes for insights and decision making when it comes to analyzing traffic patterns
and impacts, as well as improving work zone safety. This project alone has already ingested
five terabytes of data and over 33 billion records and it's still going. I just learned
that this week. Next slide, please. And this is the second project in which we call enhancing
vulnerable road user safety. For this project, Deloitte and Google are our two key partners.
This project could proactively help identify locations needing safety improvements before
there are collisions and crashes and fatalities. It could generate potential countermeasures
and help with data-driven investment decisions.
Next slide, please.
I wanted to highlight a few partnerships on this slide.
We know that we can't do this all by ourselves.
The companies on this slide
are just a fraction of our partners.
There are many more, which include Academic,
Esri, Big Data Companies, and Technology Companies.
But I wanted to call out
one particular partnership on this slide,
the Office of Traffic Safety.
So, JetAI is not cheap.
So we applied for a grant from the Office of Traffic Safety
and with the grant's help,
we were able to maintain the progress that we've made to date
with the hopes that the work that we're doing
on these tools can and will potentially save lives.
Next slide, please.
All right, in addition to the two use, next slide.
There's a, there we go.
So in addition to the two use cases I just mentioned,
we also completed a pilot project testing Microsoft Pilots
value, co-pilots value and benefit
to improve our efficiency and,
yeah, to improve our efficiency for our workforce.
If you're not familiar with Microsoft co-pilot,
it's a Gen AI tool, similar to Chat GPT, Gemini Cloud,
or my favorite Gen AI tool, Hugging Face.
I just like that name.
During the pilot, we had 168 users
that generated more than 17,000 interactions.
The project yielded an estimated 1300 hours saved
and that translates to an average
of 2.3 hours per user weekly.
And so the next step will be to roll out Copilot
to the entire organization within the next several months.
Next slide please.
I also wanted to highlight some of the efficiencies
that using Copilot generated.
So Gen.AI is great at summarizing documents,
long documents, reports, and manuals.
It can also generate summaries in different languages.
It can help draft emails and images,
and it can help us learn new skills
and get answers to specific and complex questions.
I like to view AI as an intern,
and interns are great,
but someone needs to review their work,
and only a human can determine
if the content is accurate and free of bias.
Next slide. So I wanted to wrap up by sharing
some potential future use cases.
As I mentioned earlier,
we've been collecting use cases from
our business areas and are very
excited about what the future holds.
I'm not going to go through all of these use cases,
but I will call out the first one as an example.
AI can and has been used by other state DOTs to
improve bid prediction and estimation by analyzing historical data, market trends,
and project variables. I am excited to think about the possibilities of using AI to help
with this type of workflow. But with all of these use cases that we are collecting,
and because of the high cost of technology, we're going to need to prioritize and determine which
use cases have the biggest ROI so that we can prove the worthiness of using this new technology
before we scale up. And this is my last slide, next one. Okay, so when I put this PowerPoint deck
together about a month ago, I wanted a powerful quote to leave you with. Looking back, I might
have chosen a different quote. Because when we think about AI, it's not necessarily about how
much money we will save. It could be a signal that those savings must intentionally be reinvested
or applied in ways that close, not widen transportation gaps.
The real question is will we use those efficiencies
to just do things faster or to do them fairer?
And finally, to bring this conversation full circle back
to our robot dog spot, if AI can learn to walk, balance,
and adapt, imagine what it can do for our roads, bridges,
and transit systems.
The question isn't if AI will transform transportation,
but how thoughtfully will lead that transformation.
Thank you.
Thank you, Dara.
Congrats on your appointment.
We're so happy to have you here.
Thank you.
We're going to go to public comment first.
I see there might be someone from the last one there.
We'll just skip that one.
OK, I'd like to call on Kelly Brinkman.
Please unmute yourself to begin your comment.
Kelly Brinkman, please unmute yourself
to begin your comment.
There's no other public comment.
Thank you.
Great, thank you.
Let's go to the dais.
Any questions, comments?
I see commissioner Tiffany.
Thank you for your presentation.
It's a fascinating and no doubt there's a lot
that can be done with AI, as you pointed out.
I particularly some of the traffic congestion issues
that I can address safety.
There's all a whole host of things that I can see
in a very positive way.
But I am curious as to, obviously you're aware
of a lot of the concern that's out there with AI.
It's growing faster than exponentially.
And there is concern about that intern
getting ahead of the professional
or however you wanna put it.
I'm just curious, what kind of safeguards are you looking at to put in place to ensure
that you direct, guide, lead the AI as opposed to the other way around?
Yeah, that's a great question.
We're focusing on the people aspect first.
We need to do that training.
We need to get information out.
We need to bring conversations into programs so that people can relate to it.
With regards to safeguards, we've got policy that talks about what we can do with AI.
We're just going to continue to build the momentum that we have.
Working off of pilot projects, listening to our partners, obviously consulting with unions,
but it's always about the people and providing them with the tools and making sure that they're
comfortable.
We don't expect everyone to embrace the technology, and that's okay.
we need to look across the organization
and see what skills exist,
see where there's opportunities for upskilling
and look at classifications.
These are all things that we need to look in
as part of building our foundation in the department
because we definitely want to protect our workforce.
All right, thanks commissioner.
Any other questions or comments?
See vice chair, no, commissioner Eager.
Commissioner Eager.
Had a quick question.
Okay, that's it.
Yeah, just a quick question.
In addition to people being concerned
about robots taking over their jobs.
There's also the concern about people hacking in
and changing what you had anticipated.
Certainly you have a new job.
You probably never thought you were gonna direct a dog
around here, right?
What have we done to look at that aspect
of how do we protect our investments here?
That's another great question.
So anytime we procure new technology
has anything to do with artificial intelligence, there's a risk assessment that has to go along
with it. So there's a cybersecurity lens, there's multiple layers. I haven't been involved with the
risk assessment, but most of the time procurements involve risk assessments so that they address any
concerns. Hopefully that answers your question. All right, are you satisfied? I'm sure you're eager.
Okay, cool. So I see Commissioner Elliott and we'll go to the Vice Chair focal.
Thanks. Just making sure you can hear me. This is the first time I've unmuted.
Yes.
Okay, great. Well, I want to appreciate the presentation and the work that you're doing
behind the scenes to make that executive order real. And my previous job I had a bit to do with
the drafting of that and to now see it being implemented is really rewarding. My comment is
simply without a comment, although I welcome you to respond to it. It's not really a question.
I do quite a bit of work in my other life with AI companies and on AI policy.
And one of the things that I think is so important about the work that all of the state agencies and
departments are doing under the executive order, is that there really is not a market for gov tech
or publicly beneficial technology applications of AI. The companies are developing chatbots and
and they are developing enterprise solutions
because that's where the money is.
So we're seeing more and more chatbot development,
we're seeing more and more browser integration
for private companies, which are all wonderful things.
But unless we're going to be intentional
about inducing publicly beneficial uses
like those that you have mentioned
and like the kinds of case examples
that other sister agencies and departments are doing,
the companies will have no incentive
to create that kind of technology.
So, I only say that I'm appreciative of the work that you are doing and that the agency and Caltrans department is doing to make this real.
It's really important for the reasons that it's self-evidently important for the things that those programs are doing.
It's also more globally important, which is the more that governments step forward and try to procure AI first technology,
the more the big labs and the big companies
will think about developing that kind of application,
the more research and development money
will go into publicly beneficial tech,
and the better off we will all be.
So this has global implications
and I just want to appreciate,
I mean, literally global implications,
and I just want to appreciate the work that you're doing
to make that executive order real.
Thank you, appreciate those comments.
And thanks for your leadership, Commissioner Elliott.
Next up is Vice Chair Volkoff.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
And I just want to ditto a thousand percent
what Commissioner Elliott just articulated in his comments
about being really intentional about how we use technology.
This has been a presentation that I have been personally,
I've been anticipating for the past few months
and congratulations, Dara, for coming into this role.
And with such gusto, I challenge anybody else
to come in with a great show and tell, like yours.
So I appreciate, you know, the demonstration,
but more so the work that you're gonna be doing,
you know, I'm really interested,
and I'm glad that you brought up the workforce,
how you're gonna be addressing that,
because that is something
that has been particularly sensitive to folks
I have heard as it relates to their jobs, how they're going to utilize AI, how do they
scale themselves, how do governments decide on what AI or other emerging technology tools
they will be adopting and how to do it.
This is all very nuanced and new for everybody.
and the governor just passed some legislation
that provides now framework on how we adopt AI.
And so, you know, that's a great step forward.
But I have to echo Commissioner Elliott's comments
about how, you know, we utilize these technologies,
not for the sake of technology and to keep up,
but how do we mold this technology to serve us, right?
We were in Butte County and we were talking about
with the city of Chico, their ATP project
that they'd like to see.
And when a question came up about,
well, how do you coordinate with first responders?
Because the corridor is right next to a hospital
or a hospital is right next to the corridor
where they want to put an ATP project.
And they talked about using AI for anticipating
or calibrating and coordinating how first responders
utilize that corridor alongside folks
that are riding their bikes.
And so you talk about safety,
that is probably first and foremost
that we need to utilize this technology is for safety,
how do we enhance that?
Other thoughts that I had was how do we include AI
as a part of this transportation ecosystem,
not only within the state,
but with how our regional partners and local partners
are utilizing AI, how do we streamline that?
So it's seamless, right?
That we're all talking to each other
and that it's benefiting everybody in a holistic way.
We just finished adopting our AB 744 study
on how we look at regions from throughout the state
on how they collect data and how they're gonna adopt data
and how does that figure into how we use technology
and AI in a localized way.
So it's a lot, I'm not asking you to answer
all these questions, but the work that you're doing
opens up a lot of possibilities and opportunities
for coordination and partnerships in this space.
And so we look forward to working with you
and looking at how we invest in these kind of tools.
And that's what they are, they are tools.
They are tools, yeah.
And so, you know, thank you for taking up the work
and for the wonderful demonstration.
Thank you.
Any other commissioners have any questions or comments?
Commissioner Gradina.
Yes, when dog has puppies, do we each get one?
They would be very expensive puppies.
It's ever.
Well, thank you.
Thank you for the opportunity to come today.
I've been looking forward to,
I've heard my name's been shared
as part of a new hire for Caltrans.
So I'm glad that I finally got an opportunity
to come and present and look forward
to bringing more information back to you
about some of the exciting use cases that we're doing
and how we're bringing along the workforce.
Excellent, kind of a practical question for you.
We know a lot of cities around the state have an issue
with illegal dumping on right of ways,
issues with parked cars that become encampments,
that kind of thing.
Is it possible that this technology could be a solve
for some of those issues that some cities face.
I suspect that there's a use case for something like that.
I'm not familiar with one, but I suspect
that this technology could be used to do scans
and data, build data.
So yeah.
Very cool. Yeah.
Well, thank you for being here. We appreciate it.
Yes. Thank you very much.
Let's go spot.
Very cool stuff.
So item 19, Richard.
Thanks Chair Grisby, and I will do my best
to give my presentation while the dog is exiting the room.
Tab 19 is an information item.
Projects that compete for the solutions
for congested corridors program are required
by the California Streets and Highways code
to be included in a comprehensive multimodal corridor plan.
The commission maintains guidelines for the development
of comprehensive multimodal corridor plans,
which is quite the mouthful.
So I'll refer to them henceforth as corridor plans.
The commission adopted the first quarter plan guidelines
in 2018, and this serves as the first update
to those guidelines.
That circulated a draft of the quarter plan guidelines
on July 1st of this year for a 30 day public comment period.
We received feedback from Caltrans,
several regional agencies,
and members of the Interagency Equity Advisory Committee.
We greatly appreciate the thoughtful feedback we received
and have made changes throughout the guidelines in response.
The updated draft document,
as well as the list of comments received
has been posted to the commission's website.
And in the staff report attachment A,
summarizes key changes that I've been made
since the 2018 version.
While the guidelines do not reflect
significant policy changes,
I did wanna highlight a few key changes with you.
Staff has added a new appendix
with links to planning resources,
including Caltrans statewide planning documents
and corridor planning guidance.
We have expanded considerations
for climate resiliency and adaptation,
safety and emergency management
and encouraging equitable outcomes.
And we have highlighted the importance
of multimodal transportation,
including inter-regional rail transit,
active transportation and marine transportation
infrastructure in quarter planning.
This item serves as the North hearing
for the draft 2025 quarter plan guidelines.
The South hearing and proposed guidelines adoption,
We are anticipating for the December commission meeting.
Before I conclude, I would like to acknowledge
a fellow member of my team, Destiny Preston,
who has led the update of the guidelines,
but unfortunately was not able to be at the meeting today.
And with that, that concludes my remarks.
I would be happy to take any questions from you.
Thank you, Bridget.
First, let's go to public comment.
Is there any?
There's no public comment, thank you.
Thank you.
Let's go to the dias.
Any questions or comments from the DICE?
All right, hearing none.
Thank you, Bridget.
Next up is item 20,
active transportation program status report.
Jayden.
Thank you.
Good afternoon, commissioners.
Tab 20 is an information item presenting
the 2025 active transportation program status report.
The commission publishes the status report
to provide program transparency
and a summary of progress
for projects spanning seven funding cycles.
To date, the commission has programmed over 1,200 projects
that will deliver active transportation improvements,
including 1,546 miles of bike facilities,
29,473 new crosswalks or crosswalk enhancements,
and 174 new multi-use trails or trail enhancements
amongst other improvements.
The 2025 status report summarizes milestones
through fiscal year 2024-25,
such as allocations, allocation time extensions,
scope changes, and executed baseline agreements
for projects programmed in the statewide component,
the small, urban and rural component,
the metropolitan planning organization component,
as well as the quick build pilot program
and the greenhouse gas reduction fund component.
To prepare this report,
the commission collaborated closely
with the Caltrans division of local assistance
and regional transportation planning agencies
to identify errors and to ensure the accuracy of the report.
New to this year's report is the completed project section,
which lists all projects that have been fully closed out,
meaning the implementing agency
completed the program project
and submitted a final delivery report.
While this is the first we are presenting
the completed projects in a separate section,
Many of these projects have been fully closed out
for several years.
I'm pleased to share that almost 500
out of the total 1,200 program projects
have been completed.
This is a big accomplishment
considering the active transportation program
funds all project phases
from the environmental phase through construction.
The 2025 active transportation program status report
is attached to the book item
and will be published on the commission's website.
Thank you for your time.
This is an information item
and I'm happy to take any questions you might have.
Thanks, Jayden.
Is there any public comment?
There is no public comment, thank you.
All right, thank you.
Any questions or comments from the dice?
All right, hearing none, thank you, Jayden.
Next up is item 21, Ileka.
Good afternoon, commissioners.
Can you hear me okay?
We can.
Okay, great, thank you.
Commissioners, tab 21 is an information item
presenting the draft amendment
to the Aeronautics Capital Improvement Plan,
ranking priority matrix for the Acquisition
and Development Program, or the A&D.
The A&D is a two-year program providing state grants
to airports for planning, construction, and land acquisition.
Each A&D project program is ranked based
on the scope of work utilizing the existing priority matrix.
This matrix includes three ranking categories,
safety, capacity, and security.
This draft amendment includes renaming
the ranking priority matrix
to the A&D project scoring criteria,
as well as introducing the expanded priority areas
to include new categories such as climate action,
equity and environmental justice,
and economic development and multimodal access.
The final amendment will be presented to you all
at the December 2025 Commission meeting for approval.
Here to present the A&D Project Scoring Criteria
is the Division of Aeronautics Chief Tarik Tepshuri,
and I believe he is on virtually.
Okay, hello, and good afternoon.
Thank you, Elegah, and good afternoon, commissioners.
Thank you for the opportunity to present an update
to the Aeronautics Acquisition
Development Project Prioritization Methodology. I do have a slide deck prepared and I, there we go,
thank you so much, if we can go to the next slide please. So Caltrans Division of Aeronautics
Acquisition and Development or A&D program is a biennial two-year program that provides state
grants to publicly owned general aviation airports across California. Under this program the state
covers 90% of an allocated project's total cost and requires a 10% local match.
The A&D program supports airport projects that address capital improvement, maintenance,
planning and local acquisition needs.
Eligible project types are defined in the Public Utilities Code and associated regulations.
Currently, the A&D program of projects is developed from a pool of projects listed in
the state's capital improvement plan. Projects are prioritized based on rank. And that rank
is established by the type of project. For example, runway pavement improvement is ranked
number one. However, the current process does not take into account the condition of airport
infrastructure, broader aviation system needs, or alignment with state transportation priorities.
slide, please. As such, updating the prioritization methodology was needed. First, though, we
had to identify new project types that reflect new or emerging airport needs, as well as
the state's priorities around decarbonization, climate action, and equity. The project types
we identified are charging stations for electric aircraft and or on airport vehicles, renewable
energy microgrid systems, educational facilities and equipment, fueling facilities and equipment,
helipads, and airport improvements and equipment necessary for emergency services.
Incorporating these types of projects into the A&D program aligns the program with statewide
policies and plans, such as CAPTIE 2.0, the Caltrans Strategic Plan, the California Air
Resources Board Scoping Plan and addresses the needs of airports, airport users, and
the communities they serve.
Next slide, please.
At the Commission's request and in coordination with Commission staff, we developed a two-step
process to achieve this goal.
First, the California Public Utilities Code and its associated regulations are prescriptive.
Only the types of projects listed in statute and regulations are eligible for A&D program
funding. As such, the first step was to update A&D program regulations to add these new project
types to the list of eligible projects. The regulatory approval process was completed
earlier this year, and as of July 1, the new project types listed earlier were added to
the regulations. I would like to acknowledge and thank Commission staff and the Association
California Airports, ACA, for their engagement and valuable input in co-developing these new
categories and for their support through the regulations rulemaking process. The next step
is the introduction of an improved scoring system that not only integrates these project types but
also addresses the gaps in the existing scoring system, such as taking into account the existing
condition of the infrastructure and airport, region, and system needs.
Next slide, please.
The proposed update to the prioritization methodology uses a comprehensive multidimensional
and weighted scoring system.
Each project put forward by a local agency for inclusion in the A&D program will go through
a multistep scoring process.
Its final score will be based on two main numerical components, a project score and
a merit score.
The project score looks at the safety benefits of the proposed improvement, taking into account
not just the type of improvement proposed, but the condition of the existing infrastructure.
Runway pavement remains the most important category for a project, but consideration
of the condition of the existing runway will affect the score.
We also looked at the merits of a project.
The merit score is a composite of three sub-scores,
each from a different lens.
The base score weighs a proposed project
through the lens of state priorities,
and those are safety, security, multimodal access,
climate action, equity and capacity.
An airport benefits score addresses the importance
of a proposed project from an airport planning lens.
And finally, a system benefit score
will address a project's importance
from a regional and system planning lens.
Finally, no scoring method is complete from bias,
and we allow for further review and consideration
so an airport or the division can allow
for important or worthwhile projects
that did not make the cut to proceed.
Next slide, please.
In summary, the proposed update prioritization methodology
brings several important improvements to the current method.
It aligns with the state's transportation priorities,
provides a more objective scoring system,
and allows for flexibility through justifications.
It addresses safety needs, medium, term, airport,
and system planning needs, and generates data
that can inform long-term planning and forecasting.
And most importantly, it also improves stakeholder engagement
and collaboration with our airport partners.
Next slide, thank you for the opportunity to provide you this update and I'm happy to take any questions you may have.
All right, thank you so much.
Let's go to public comment first. There's no public comment. Thank you. Anything from the dais questions or comments.
All right. Thanks so much. Appreciate the report.
Thank you. Next up is item 22 Lori.
Good afternoon commissioners tab 22 is an action item in 2003 the Commission
programmed and allocated proposition 116 funds to the transportation agency for
Monterey County to purchase right away for the San Francisco Monterey inner city
rail project the Commission stipulated that the project needed to start
operations within 10 years or the right-of-way would need to be sold in the
the state reimbursed the then present value.
At the time, Tamsi was committed
to the passenger rail project.
However, because of issues like insufficient funding,
passenger rail was not established
in the corridor within the 10-year period.
Therefore, Tamsi is required to refund
or credit the state the present value of the property.
In October, an appraisal determined the present value
to be 16,765,000.
At the December, 2024 commission meeting,
the commission approved a resolution
allowing this repayment through a credit.
And the credit would be through prioritizing
future rail investments
that are consistent with Prop 116.
Tamsi was also required to submit a project list
to the commission by its June 2025 meeting
to identify future rail investments
up to 16,765,000.
Tamsi did submit a proposed project list
to the commission in May to fulfill that requirement.
Commission staff provided feedback to Tamsi
on the proposed project list.
And subsequently Tamsi submitted a revised project list
in August of 2025.
the commission staff have determined
that this revised project list,
which is included in the book item as attachment B
meets the requirements approved by the commission
at the December meeting.
As shown on the project list,
Tamsi proposes to use eligible expenditures
on the construction of the Pajaro-Watsonville
multimodal station as the mechanism
for repaying the Proposition 116 credit.
The Pajaro Watsonville Multimonal Station
is a cornerstone of the Monterey County Rail Extension
project, a multi-phase initiative
to extend passenger rail service from Santa Clara County
to Salinas.
This project is a new passenger rail investment
without currently identified construction funding
and meets the requirements of Proposition 116.
Tamsi will report the progress of these investments
to the commission on an annual basement basis
until the credit is fulfilled.
The credit is considered fulfilled upon acceptance
of the construction contract.
Staff recommends your approval.
Thank you, Lori.
Is there any public comment?
There's no public comment.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Anything from the dais?
Questions or comments?
I'd be happy to make that motion for approval.
All right, so moved by Commissioner Gordino.
Is there a second?
Seconded by Commissioner Leanne Eger.
All those in favor?
Aye.
Opposed?
Abstentions?
Motion passes.
Thanks a lot.
Next up is item 23, Ahmed.
Good afternoon, commissioner.
That 23 is an information item.
As required by the commission's resolution
on leasing airspace to private entities,
Caltrain submits quarterly reports
on its management of its airspace lease program.
These reports keep the commission informed
about Caltrain's progress toward compliance
with the Commission resolution,
Caltrain's procedures and guidance,
and applicable state and federal laws.
Caltrain has submitted its latest report
and will present today the fourth quarter update
for the fiscal year 2024-2025,
covering the period between April 1st and June 30th.
Today's presentation will include an overview
the current lease inventory, progress on inspections, efforts to address lease holdovers and challenges,
and program improvements and training activities. Staff acknowledges and commends the progress made
so far by Caltrans while recognizing that the still work remains ahead. With that I'll turn
over to Renee Fletcher to provide the presentation. Good afternoon, Chair Gursby and Commissioners. My
My name is Tierra Moynhill, I'm not Renee Fletcher, unfortunately, and I'm the Deputy
Division Chief for Rideaway and Land Surveys in Caltrans.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide an update on the Caltrans Airspace Program for
the fourth quarter of fiscal year 24-25.
Next slide.
This presentation provides a high-level overview of the statistics for the fourth quarter report
for the Caltrans Airspace Program.
site use overview, we are currently managing a variety of site uses across the program.
Today I'll highlight four key categories of current uses.
Telecommunications, this remains the most common lease type with 177 active sites.
Parking, we are currently managing 174 parking sites and the number is expected to increase
over time.
In storage, there are currently 24 open storage sites, all of which are currently under evaluation
for potential termination.
Many storage.
There are 13 mini storage facilities located within the right-of-way.
For inspections during the quarter, a total of 134 inspections were completed.
No safety concerns were identified by Caltrans staff during these inspections.
The State Fire Marshall continues to inspect properties within the state's right-of-way.
As of this quarter, 19 inspections are considered failures, an increase of two from the previous
quarter.
Nine sites are currently undergoing corrective actions in coordination with tenants.
Seven sites, all located in Los Angeles, are non-compliant structures and cannot be corrected.
Reinspections are ongoing and involve mini storage facilities.
Both new failures during this quarter are located in District 11, San Diego.
One is a hotel.
It's failed due to missing smoke detectors.
Issues are correctable.
The second one is a mini storage.
It previously passed but now failed due to tenant storage violations.
Holdover sites.
We currently have 119 sites in holdover status.
This number may continue to increase as leases expire and before properties are re-auctioned.
We will discuss the topic in more detail in a later slide.
Next slide, please.
Caltrans oversight actions.
Caltrans headquarters right away has been actively engaging with districts across the
state.
review current inventory, assess the impact of recent policy changes, develop
a corrective action plans in response to findings from the I-10 audit.
Focused meetings have been completed in districts 4 Oakland, district 11 San
Diego, district 12 Orange County, and the North region.
Districts 1, 2, and 3 have completed full inventory reviews.
7 LA was partially reviewed virtually due to the emergency wildfire conditions. However,
headquarters and District 7 staff met with the state fire marshal to review all airspace leases
under structures. A follow-up review with the District 7 Los Angeles office is scheduled