Congressional earmarks are back. Here’s what that could mean for Sacramento roads
An I Street bridge replacement in Sacramento and West Sacramento. Help for Modesto’s dangerous 7th Street bridge. A new four-lane road with bicycle lanes on a part of White Rock Road east of Rancho Cordova Parkway.
They’re all part of a $547 billion bill headed for a House vote this month, after approval by its House transportation committee.
For the first time in 10 years, the legislation contains “earmarks,” or local projects that members of Congress can include in legislation. About $5.66 billion is designated for a total of 1,473 projects.
Earmarks were banned after controversies erupted over projects that appeared unnecessary. Notable was the “Bridge to Nowhere’’ in Alaska, for instance, a $315 million project that would have improved access for about 8,000 people.
There’s still significant opposition to earmarks. Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Elk Grove, did not submit any earmarks this year. He signed a letter along with 24 other House Republicans and 10 GOP senators in March saying, “We cannot imagine a worse way to build back trust in Congress than to resurrect a system that has been roundly rejected as corruptive and wasteful for decades.”
But 105 of the House’s 211 Republicans sought projects this year. All but five of the 219 Democrats asked for earmarks.
Republicans got a total of $1.7 billion for their projects. Democrats got $3.96 billion.
Rep. John Garamendi, D-Walnut Grove, a senior committee member, explained why he saw earmarks as important. In recent years, he said, “We have seen unelected bureaucrats from executive agencies take funding that Congress has appropriated for a specific purpose and distribute it in an inefficient manner.
And, he said, “This process has relied on individuals who have never visited the communities to which they are distributing funding make the ultimate decision on how federal funds are doled out.”
The earmarked spending is not the only roads, bridges and infrastructure projects that will wind up with federal money. The legislation contains an estimated $26.9 billion for California over five years. Caltrans would not comment on any amounts or any allocation of funds until officials see a final version of any legislation.
Sacramento area roads
Among local Democrats, Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Sacramento, pushed to have $15 million included for the I Street bridge replacement project, as well as $4.15 million for the old I Street Bridge deck conversion for bicycle and pedestrian use..
Garamendi championed a project to modify the State Route 128/Interstate 505 interchange ramps in Winters to provide safer crossings for pedestrians and bicyclists. He also got earmarks for the I-505/Vaca Valley Parkway Corridor Multimodal Improvements Project in Vacaville and Jepson Parkway/Vanden Road Complete Streets Project in Fairfield.
Rep. Ami Bera, D-Sacramento, got $19 million included for five projects. That included $12.3 million to replace a segment of the existing two lane, undivided part of White Rock Road in Rancho Cordova with the new four lane road and bicycle lanes.
Also listed for funding:
▪ Capital SouthEast Connector in Folsom, construction of broadband infrastructure and a new multi-use trail.
▪ Arcade-Cripple Creek Trail. The money would be used to help build a three mile multi-use trail in Citrus Heights and Orangevale.
▪ Old Town Streetscape Phase 2 Project. The Elk Grove project involves money for streetscape and infrastructure improvements on a portion of Elk Grove Boulevard in Old Town Elk Grove.
▪ Gold Line light rail stations. The Historic Folsom Station and the Mather Field Station would be converted and upgraded to accommodate new low-floor light rail vehicles and improve accessibility.
Central Valley roads
In the Central Valley, Rep. Josh Harder, D-Turlock, secured $6.5 million to help replace the 7th Street bridge in Modesto. The bridge is regarded as one of the most dangerous in the state, too structurally deficient to allow school buses to cross.
Also included in the bill was Harder’s bid for $12 million for a four-lane freeway/expressway along part of Gates Road/Paradise Road to east of SR-99 at the Needham Street Bridge overcrossing.
Among local Republicans, Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, got $20 million for the State Route 41 Excelsior Corridor Project, which reaches from the Kings County Line north to Elkhorn Avenue.
The committee had a process for deciding which projects to include.. A project had to be on a state, local or tribal transportation improvement list, and have a support letter from a state or local transportation agency. Lawmakers also had to include the state of a project’s environmental review, and certify that they, their spouse or other immediate family members had no financial interest in the project.
The immediate challenge for all these projects is now winning Senate approval, a process that will get complicated. Replacing and repairing roads and bridges could wind up as a separate bill, or it could get folded into bigger infrastructure legislation. A total of 910 projects were rejected.
Asked about the future of the projects, Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Tom Carper, D-Delaware, said “I don’t know. I really don’t know.”
This story was originally published June 16, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Congressional earmarks are back. Here’s what that could mean for Sacramento roads."
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