HomeMy WebLinkAboutSB 1225 LTR to Gov. Brown 20120927rd
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iR6 city of sAn Luis oBiSPO
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OFFICE OF THE CITY COUNCIL
990 Palm Street ■ San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-3249 ■ 805/781-7119
September 27, 2012
VIA FACSIMILE ONLY 916-558-3177
The Honorable Edmund G. Brown, Jr.
Governor, State of California
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: SB 1225 (Padilla) Intercity Rail Agreements
Request For Signature
Dear Governor Brown:
The City of San Luis Obispo respectfully requests that you sign SB 1225 which transfers
the management authority of the Pacific Surfliner intercity passenger rail service from Caltrans
to the LOSSAN agency. LOSSAN is defined to mean the intercity passenger rail corridor
between San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Luis Obispo.
The main benefits of SB 1225 include:
• Permissiveness: The bill does not mandate a transfer.
• Cost Effectiveness: The bill calls on the LOSSAN Joint Powers Authority (JPA) and
State to determine that a transfer is cost effective for both parties.
• Local Decision -Making: A focused effort by the major transportation partners in southern
California will translate into more responsiveness to customers and improvements to
service.
• Timing: The bill appropriately takes into consideration the timing of the reorganization
of the Department of Transportation and the implementation of the high-speed rail
program.
• Continued Partnerships: The state has a long history of commitment to the intercity rail
program, and California is often held as a model for state/federal partnerships. Drawing
upon this statewide expertise and commitment will be key to the continued success of the
corridor and we look forward to establishing our local/state/federal partnership in the
LOSSAN corridor as a national model.
The bill is modeled after the Capitol Corridor JPA, which has locally managed intercity
service between the Sacramento and Bay Areas since 1997 and is Amtrak's third busiest
corridor. The LOSSAN JPA intends to build upon this success in the case of our Pacific
Surfliner service, which is Amtrak's second busiest corridor with 2.8 million people each year
choosing to take rail between San Diego, LA, and San Luis Obispo rather than drive.
city of San luis OBISpo
Re: SB 1225
September 27, 2012
Page 2
For these reasons, the City of San Luis Obispo respectfully requests your signature on
SB 1225.
an arx
Mayor
cc: City Council
Senator Alex Padilla, fax 916-324-6645
LOSSAN, email lcu sandag.org
Linda Culp, email linda.culp(asandag_org