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In this section:
Transportation Projects
The No Fly Watch List
Transportation Projects
Transportation policy is particularly important to the 14th Congressional District and Rep. Eshoo has been a leader in advancing environmentally friendly transportation alternatives, such as expanding the BART system, and upgrading our regional infrastructure for bicyclists and pedestrians.
In 2005 Rep. Eshoo was successful in securing over $21 million in federal funding for several critically important community and regional projects, all of which were included in the reauthorization of the Transportation Equity Act (TEA), a bill which Congress considers only once every six years, and sets the transportation priorities for the entire nation. This funding represents an extraordinary recognition of the needs of California's 14th District, which will benefit enormously from these additional resources to improve infrastructure, ease commutes, and help in essential community development.
These projects, authorized under the TEA bill, are funded with revenue from the Highway Trust Fund which is financed by gasoline excise taxes and taxes on tires, truck-related sales, and heavy vehicle use. The Trust Fund is specifically set aside for the construction and maintenance of a safe nationwide transportation system. Not one dime of this funding is borrowed, and national law dictates that money taken from the Highway Trust Fund may only be used for highway, transit, and highway safety related activities. Furthermore, the formula that determines projects is not arbitrary, but carefully calculated to ensure that donor states (such as California) achieve a more equitable share of return on their payments into the Highway Trust Fund.
Among the key regional projects included in the bill:
- The Gateways to Ravenswood Project (City of East Palo Alto)
$10.8 million will go toward the redevelopment of the Ravenswood Business District in East Palo Alto. It will mark the first major housing and retail commercial development in East Palo Alto in decades and will be the economic base for the city for years to come.
- Oregon-Page Mill Expressway Improvements (County of Santa Clara)
$3.2 million will go toward improving the Oregon-Page Mill Expressway by adding more turn lanes, traffic signal upgrades, intersection modifications, and bicycle and pedestrian paths. These improvements will greatly alleviate traffic congestion and reduce environmentally-dangerous tailpipe emissions while providing greater access and increased safety for pedestrians and bicyclists in the area.
- U.S. 101 Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge (City of Belmont)
$2.96 million will go toward building a bicycle and pedestrian bridge over Highway 101 from Hiller Street to the San Francisco Bay Trail in Belmont. This bridge will further our region's bicycle system network, establishing a connection between the San Francisco Bay Trail and the Skyline Trail, and providing the only safe pedestrian and bicycle crossing of Highway 101 between State Route 92 and State Route 84.
- Auxiliary Lanes on U.S. 101 between Marsh Road and the Santa Clara County Line (San Mateo County)
$1.8 million will go toward the construction of auxiliary lanes on Highway 101 from Marsh Road to the Santa Clara County line, which will help relieve congestion and increase safety by allowing traffic to merge more easily onto the busy freeway.
- The Intelligent Transportation System (City of Palo Alto)
$400,000 will go toward a citywide traffic signal upgrade in Palo Alto, helping to reduce delays and congestion by allowing traffic signals to make real-time adjustments to actual traffic demands on local streets.
- Environmental Review of Improvements Related to the Connection of the Dumbarton Bridge to Highway 101 (San Mateo County)
$400,000 will go toward the environmental review of plans to relieve the severe traffic congestion and improve the unconventional roadway connection in East Palo Alto between the Dumbarton Bridge and Highway 101.
- The Adaptive Traffic Coordination System on Willow Road (City of Menlo Park)
$240,000 will go toward reducing traffic congestion between Willow Road, Middlefield Road, and Hamilton Avenue in Menlo Park by making traffic signals more responsive to traffic demands.
- University Avenue Overpass Bike and Pedestrian Lanes (City of East Palo Alto)
$2 million was included for the construction of bike and pedestrian lanes at the University Avenue overpass in East Palo Alto. This project will widen the existing overpass to accommodate bike and pedestrian traffic in order to better link the communities of East Palo Alto and Palo Alto and improve safety for bicyclists and walkers who use this route.
The bill also included funding for other key projects, including BART to SFO ($83 million), BART to San Jose ($11 million), the Grand Boulevard Initiative for the El Camino Real ($3 million), and the Ferry Terminal at Oyster Point in South San Francisco ($4 million), all of which were supported by Rep. Eshoo.
Transportation Security Administration's No Fly Watch List
The September 11th attacks made it clear that our aviation system requires a dramatic overhaul. The patchwork approach to air safety proved to be tragically inadequate. We learned that our transportation system must have a strong security system. Congress responded rapidly and passed the Aviation and Transportation Security Act which the President signed. I voted for this bill, which transfers the responsibility of screening airport passengers and baggage from the private airlines to the federal government. It also requires that all airport screeners be federal employees. Finally, the bill also requires that all checked baggage be screened with explosive-detection equipment.
In the post-September 11th environment, I've supported legislation that improves the safety of our airline system so passengers can travel with the confidence that they are protected. However, I do not believe that increased safety should occur at the expense of our civil rights and I do have concerns about the lack of transparency with the No Fly Watch List.
In 2002 I wrote to Department of Transportation Secretary Mineta expressing my concerns with the significant overreach of the No Fly Watch List and the lack of information surrounding the list (insert link to letter). And in 2005 I wrote to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff expressing my concerns about the No Fly Watch List, requesting detailed information on the criteria used to determine who is included on the list, how they are placed on the list, the steps being taken to ensure the rights of individuals are not being compromised and the steps being taken to better educate the public. [Rep. Eshoo's letter to Secretary Mineta] [Rep. Eshoo's letter to Secretary Chertoff]
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) maintains the No Fly Watch List and requires travelers to complete a Passenger Identity Verification Form in order to have their identity verified. Additional information on the No Fly Watch List and the process to clear one's name from the list can been found on TSA's website at: http://www.tsa.gov/public/display?theme=157&content=09000519800fb8af.
Once you have submitted the Passenger Identity Verification Form my office can assist you in contacting TSA on your behalf to check on the status of your application.
Please do not hesitate to contact my office at (650) 323-2984 for assistance or with any questions on the No Fly Watch List.
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