IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--During an advocacy trip to Washington, D.C. this week, Southern California’s leading transportation stakeholders from public and private sectors will join together to fight for transportation funding amidst the latest round of budget cuts.
Mobility 21 members will meet with Sen. Barbara Boxer and Reps. Ken Calvert, Peter DeFazio, John Duncan, Gary Miller and others to emphasize the importance of infrastructure investment to create much-needed jobs now to jump-start the economy. Trip participants will be armed with suggestions to maximize existing dollars, expedite project delivery and maintain the United States’ global competitiveness, all without major impacts to the federal budget’s bottom line.
“Transportation investment is the antidote to our nation’s economic recovery,” said Will Kempton, Orange County Transportation Authority CEO and Mobility 21 Chairman. “Southern California, along with the rest of the nation, is ready to leverage local dollars raised through sales taxes to create jobs, but we can’t do it alone. We need a strong federal partner.”
“Continued federal investment in transportation is imperative to create the jobs needed to turn this recession around,” said Gary Toebben, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce President & CEO and Mobility 21 Vice Chairman. “Funding for transportation will have a positive impact on our economy and create more employment opportunities.”
“Americans are relying on the federal government to recognize the importance of transportation investment to address congestion, mobility, air quality and economic vitality in the nation,” said Deborah Barmack, San Bernardino Associated Governments Executive Director and Mobility 21 Board Member.
View Mobility 21’s legislative visit meeting materials on innovative federal financing tools, the need to protect funding for transportation, recommendations to improve federal processes that delay transportation projects and the importance of goods movement.
Mobility 21 legislative trip attendees include:
- Deborah Barmack, Executive Director, San Bernardino Associated Governments
- John Fenton, CEO, Southern California Regional Rail Authority (Metrolink)
- Gary Gallegos, Executive Director, San Diego Associated Governments
- Paul Granillo, President & CEO, Inland Empire Economic Partnership
- Will Kempton, CEO, Orange County Transportation Authority
- Darren Kettle, Executive Director, Ventura County Transportation Commission
- Tom Margro, CEO, Transportation Corridor Agencies
- Gary Toebben, President & CEO, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce
- Bill Bennett, Southern California Area Manager, HDR
- Michelle Boehm, Business Development Lead, CH2M Hill
- Gene Bougdanos, Vice President, HNTB Corporation
- Steve Finnegan, Manager of Government Relations, Automobile Club of Southern California
- Steve Huff, Senior Vice President of Transportation / Public Works, RBF Consulting
- Chris Lytle, Deputy Executive Officer, Port of Long Beach
- Michael Turner, Government Relations, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Through partnerships with transportation agencies and business organizations from Southern California, Mobility 21 tackles issues across modes of transportation including bicycling, buses, moving goods and people, highways, railways, trucks and trains. Mobility 21 fights for funding and solutions to transportation challenges facing the 21 million residents of Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura Counties. For more information about Mobility 21 visit our website at http://www.mobility21.com.