BYPASS 138, CONNECT AIRPORTS
updated 12/26/06

On March 28th, myself and other officials representing Palmdale, Lancaster, Victorville, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, with assigned staff, met for the first time as the High Desert Corridor Joint Powers Authority.

I represented Pamdale during this inauguaral meeting, a fact lost on our local press, who seemed more interested in sensatializing the historical rift between Jim and George, than reporting on the substanative meeting discussion by participants!

Of particular significance was my gaining concurrence from the group that the P-8 cutoff for our PMD airport MUST maintain a top priority, a sentiment echoed by other local reps for the Victorville and SB Sothern Cal Logistics Center, all of whom want the link to Ontario.

Interestingly, NO-ONE, including the CalTrans or CA Transportation Commission reps, brought up the recent CalTrans introduced segment that would bypass PMD airport.

A bypass of the bypass? But I digressÉ

Also missing from news media reports was SB reps concern that funding requests be clear to recognize the substantial EIR, EIS, acquisition, general plan amendments, etcÉfor the segment east of 395 to the 18, as well as the groupÕs agreement that this segments work not be duplicated nor construction delayed pending reports for other segments.

Nevertheless, this JPA is being creates as an entity to focus our collective efforts on acquiring our fair share of transportation dollars to fund the bypass, and to facilitate cooperation on a project which passes through multiple jurisdictions.

Of significant concern to JPA reps and the public should be the question of whether this will be a TOLL ROAD, another factoid glaringly absent from any discussion in this meeting, but referred to in local media as Òa public private partnershipÓ.

Check back here for further updates.