Northern California Goods Movement Challenges: The I-580 Altamont Corridor Steve Heminger Executive Director, MTC Presentation to Congressman Richard Pombo and Acting DOT Secretary Maria Cino August 17, 2006

Why Freight, Why Here, Why Now?  Port of Oakland — 4 th largest container Port in the U.S.  Gateway to exploding Asia import trade  expected doubling of Port capacity by 2020  Gateway also for Central Valley’s agricultural exports  key economic sector for California

The “Altamont Corridor”: A Critical Gateway link  Four connected Interstates: I-880/I-238/I-580/I-205  Links Port of Oakland container traffic to distribution centers in Central Valley  Connects to key north-south artery of I-5 linking Northern California import/export trade to Southern California and Pacific Northwest markets  Complements “Central Corridor” — major rail freight corridor paralleling I-80 through CA to mid-west as gateway link for international/ interstate trade movements.

I-880/I-238/I-580/I-205 Altamont Corridor

Altamont Challenges and Opportunities  I-580 second most congested Bay Area commute corridor in 2005  Rail freight capacity is limited/shares space with ACE passenger service  Interregional nature provides opportunities for Bay Area and Central Valley funding partnerships

Top 10 Worst Bay Area Highway Bottlenecks 4

Potential Improvements  Preliminary project limit totals over $1 billion  Projects include:  Port of Oakland grade separations  I-880 interchange improvements  I-238 truck bypass lanes  I-580 HOV and truck climbing lanes  I-205 widening

State Infrastructure Bond — Chance to Advance Legislatively approved bond measure a major investment opportunity  $2.0 billion for trade infrastructure  Altamont corridor could “double dip” in both funding pots  November 2006 vote on Proposition 1B

Federal Role for Altamont and Beyond  Funding: Infrastructure bond requires at least 50% non-state match — federal assistance will be an asset  State Bond not the last word on resources — significant competition and needs  Current federal policy under SAFETEA-LU still lacking — a national goods movement policy and investment program  Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission a key venue for goods movement development and advocacy