U.S. Representative Ed Royce

Modernizing our transportation system is vital to the economic growth of not only of Orange County, but to the entire nation. I have made improvements along the rail corridor in Placentia, Fullerton and Anaheim one of my transportation priorities.

Currently, 35 percent of all U.S. international trade comes through the Ports, and this container traffic will double by the year 2020. A total of $2.4 billion has been invested in the Alameda Corridor. However, the return on that investment will be lost if improvements to the Alameda Corridor East - which runs through North Orange county - are not made. The 5-mile long railroad-lowering project will consist of nine street crossings, which will be "bridged" across the lowered rail lines. The rail lines will be constructed in a trench varying in depth from 35 to 40 feet. When completed, the project will reduce noise pollution and result in a significant reduction in traffic congestion on the surrounding roadway while speeding up the movement of trade cargo to and from the ports.

While this increase in trade is producing greater economic opportunities for the country, it has placed a tremendous amount of stress on the local infrastructure. Our end goal is to lower the train tracks to lessen the burden on our local community, while speeding goods to market. 

I am also concerned about how California's federal transportation dollars are being spent. Under the current federal highway fund system, the states collect taxes and send these dollars to Washington. After skimming off the top for administrative costs, Washington then sends rest of the money back to the states according to politically devised formulas, leaving some states as net donors. In fact, California receives back only 91 percent on each dollar it contributes to the federal highway fund. Studies have found that the elimination of federal mandates and restrictions would increase the purchasing power of every dollar dedicated to transportation by 20 percent.

Current policy has been unable to keep up with our nation's growing infrastructure needs. Administrative costs as a function of federal highway construction dollars have grown from 7 percent in 1956 to over 21 percent today. In the absence of federal strings and taxes, California and its localities would be able to provide better alternatives and develop innovative solutions to respond to transportation challenges.