REMARKS FOR
THE HONORABLE MARY PETERS
SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION
ANAHEIM REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION INTERMODAL CENTER NEWS CONFERENCE
ANAHEIM, CA
FEBRUARY 20, 2008
10 AM PST
Thank you, Mayor Pringle, for that wonderful introduction, and for being such a
gracious host.
I am here today at the Mayor’s invitation to get a first-hand look at some of
the exciting ways Anaheim and Orange County are fighting congestion. We have a
growing traffic crisis in America that is frustrating drivers, choking cities,
and dragging on our economy. Odds are good that if you live in Anaheim – or have
tried to get to Disneyland, Angel Stadium, or one of the city’s other
entertainment venues – you know that every year it seems to take longer to get
where you are heading.
But traffic tie ups do no have to be a fact of life. As Mayor Pringle
understands, congestion doesn’t have to be the inevitable consequence of growth.
And this city – like other communities around the country – has begun to embrace
new approaches to funding desperately needed new projects.
The Mayor and other leaders here know that fast-growing cities like Anaheim
cannot afford to sit back and wait for Washington to solve their transportation
woes. They recognize that we must find a new way forward to deal with congestion
and growing demands for transportation infrastructure. And they have taken
charge of their own destiny by embracing private initiative and innovation.
The Anaheim Regional Intermodal Transportation Center is an excellent example of
how a community can partner with the private sector to get projects off the
ground. Anaheim is one of the most welcoming cities in the world, hosting more
than 20 million visitors a year. And Mayor Pringle has thrown out the welcome
mat to the private sector to participate in the creation of a transportation
center worthy of a great destination city.
ARTIC is visionary in concept, and revolutionary in approach. The city that
built the first fully automated toll road in the world… that introduced variable
tolls to America… is now pursuing one of the most ambitious public-private
partnerships ever for transportation.
The Mayor issued an open invitation to the private sector. “Tell us what you can
do to give Anaheim a World Class transportation center,” he said. And the
response has been overwhelming.
The Mayor is on the right track, which is why I am announcing today that I have
instructed the Department to work with him to help expedite the federal review
of any requests associated with the project. I won’t let ARTIC get snowbound by
a blizzard of red tape.
Anaheim is showing America the power of the private sector and the possibilities
of an innovative public sector. These arrangements deliver projects faster –
incorporating the best of contemporary design and technology and taking
advantage of modern financing. That is why Governor Schwarzenegger is pushing to
expand the role of the private-sector in meeting California’s mounting
transportation needs.
There is more private-sector money available today for investment in highway and
transportation projects than all levels of government combined are spending. The
private sector has upwards of $400 billion available right now, ready to invest
in transportation.
But instead of making it easier for states like Californians to tap into the
billions in private-sector funding available right now, some in D.C. want to put
new obstacles in their way.
Worse, “Inside the Beltway” lobbyists are starting to call for higher federal
gas taxes and more federal control over state and local decision-making. Indeed,
they are now proposing to more than triple the taxes you pay at the pump within
ten years. That is an especially harsh burden for Californians, who already pay
the highest gas prices in the country.
Most Orange County commuters do not believe for one second that Washington is
going to suddenly do a better job spending their money than they have done so
far. They know that sending billions more of the taxpayers’ money cross-country
to Washington may be a good idea if you like bridges to nowhere, but it is a bad
idea if you hate being stuck in traffic to anywhere else.
The good news is we have the resources, the technology, and the know-how to
launch a new transportation era in America today. We can manage our existing
freeways and freight corridors better. We can build ambitious new projects like
ARTIC. We can cut traffic so commuters aren't afraid of their commutes, holidays
aren't hamstrung by delays, and shippers aren't sidelined by tie-ups. We can
reduce congestion, save energy, and improve air quality. And we can do it
without calling for a single new earmark.
We need only say “yes” to the private sector and we can unleash the greatest
wave of transportation investment this country has ever seen – right now. It’s
exciting to see Anaheim leading the way with the ARTIC project.
Thank you. With that, Mayor, I believe you have some remarks.
# # #
Briefing
Room
