San Francisco's Infrastructure Bond Resolution
Introduced by Supervisor Chris Daly on January 31, 2006. adopted by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in February 2006.
RESOLUTION URGING THE STATE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR TO INCLUDE FUNDING FOR THE CALTRAIN DOWNTOWN EXTENSION/TRANSBAY TERMINAL PROJECT AND THE STATEWIDE HIGH SPEED RAIL SYSTEM IN ANY STATE INFRASTRUCTURE BOND PLACED BEFORE THE VOTERS IN 2006.
WHEREAS, the people of the City and County of San Francisco did pass Proposition H in November 1999, which called for rebuilding the Transbay Transit Terminal as a combined bus and rail Terminal, serving Caltrain and future high speed rail service; and
WHEREAS, The San Francisco Board of Supervisors did unanimously adopt a Resolution 011807 on October 15, 2001, which declared that completion of an intercity high speed rail system must be a high priority for the State of California, and urged the Governor and State Legislature to support completion of the EIR/EIS and to develop an action plan for implementing the recommended high-speed rail system for the State of California; and
WHEREAS, The California Legislature did pass SB 1856, which was approved into law on September 19, 2002, which authorized a $9.95 billion general obligation bond to construct a statewide high speed rail system be placed before the voters of the state in the November 2, 2004 general election; and
WHEREAS, The California Legislature did pass SB 1169, which was signed into law on June 24, 2004, which delayed the statewide vote on a $9.95 billion general obligation bond until the November 7, 2006 general election; and
WHEREAS, The voters of the city and County of San Francisco did pass Proposition K in the November 2003 election, which committed up to $270 million in San Francisco sales tax funds to extend Caltrain to a rebuilt Transbay Terminal; and
WHEREAS, the Caltrain Downtown Extension/ Transbay Terminal project has completed its Environmental Impact Review/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS); and
WHEREAS, the Draft Financial Plan and Final EIR/EIS for Caltrain Downtown Extension/Transbay Terminal project assumes $475 million from the proposed statewide high speed rail bond as part of the project’s financing; and
WHEREAS, SB 1024, The public works and improvements bond measure introduced in the California legislature by senators Perata and Torlakson calls for up to $1 billion to be made available to the California High Speed Rail Authority, pending voter approval, for project-specific level environmental studies, planning, engineering, right-of-way acquisition, and construction of grade separations, bridges, and tracks in each of five proposed high-speed rail corridors across the state, which would allow the high speed rail project to proceed; and,
WHEREAS, the Governor’s proposed “Strategic Growth Plan” does not at present include funding for either the Caltrain Downtown Extension/Transbay Terminal or the California High Speed Rail system; and,
WHEREAS, The legislature and the governor have once deferred the statewide vote on the high speed rail bond, and to do so again may delay the Caltrain Downtown Extension/ Transbay Terminal project, so, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That completion of an intercity high speed rail system must be a high priority for the State of California, and the City and County of San Francisco urge the Governor and State Legislature to work to towards timely completion of the statewide high speed rail system for the state of California; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the City and County of San Francisco urges the governor and the legislature that at least $1 billion be made available to the California High Speed Rail Authority in any infrastructure bond placed before the voters in 2006; and be it further
RESOLVED, that should the State Legislature and the Governor choose not to place a high speed rail general obligation bond before the voters in the November 2006 general election, that at least $475 million be made available to the Caltrain Downtown Extension/Transbay Terminal in any statewide infrastructure bond measure placed before the voters in 2006.