On Wednesday, the California Transportation Commission awarded $65 million for high-occupancy vehicle lanes, also known as carpool lanes, on Interstate 80 from west of Interstate 5 to Watt/Longview where the new lanes will connect to the existing HOV lanes to Placer County. Construction on the project is scheduled to start in March 2011. The funds come from nearly $190 million in northern California cost savings from projects funded by Proposition 1B, the voter-approved bond measure from 2006. The funding through the CTC is especially timely in closing a large funding gap and making it possible to coordinate construction of the HOV lanes with highway rehabilitation investments along the c

Helping to save $20 million in local federal stimulus money, the state of California on Thursday ponied up $31 million in Prop. 1B funding for projects connected to Sacramento's future regional transportation center. The Sacramento Area Council of Governments and the city of Sacramento told the California Transportation Commission this week that the city would lose the federal stimulus funds unless the agency paid out the Prop. 1B money as promised, said Erik Johnson, SACOG spokesman. The bulk of the $31 million will be used for a $60 million railroad track relocation, the first phase of the train station and public transit center being built in the 244-acre historic railyards adjacent t