SBCTA Chief Financial Officer, Hilda Flores, conducted a fiscal year 2021/2022 budget workshop for the Board of Directors during the May 5, 2021 Board meeting. The highlight of the presentation outlined a balanced fiscal year budget of $1,018,596,972. This is the largest budget in the agency’s history and the first time SBCTA/SBCOG’s budget has exceeded $1 billion, representing a program that seeks to deliver on its commitments to the voters of San Bernardino County.
Measure I, the countywide half-cent sales tax devoted to transportation projects, is projected to increase by 36.2% over fiscal year 2020/2021, translating to an increase of $52.1 million over the previous year. Fueling the increased revenue was the surge in online shopping due to the stay-at-home orders instituted during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
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In late April, crews completed the disassembly of the Mt. Vernon Avenue Bridge. After years of planning, the bridge disassembly process took almost four months to complete. The structure was carefully disassembled (in the opposite order that it was originally constructed in 1934), with crews beginning at the south end of the bridge at 2nd Street, working north towards Kingman Street.
An iconic structure in San Bernardino, the Mt. Vernon Avenue Bridge connected communities on the west side for the past 86 years, serving as a vital link for residents, visitors, students, and businesses. With the passage of time, the bridge was showing its age and was in desperate need of improvement. To ensure the safety and longevity of the bridge, the City of San Bernardino and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) partnered with the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) to disassemble and reconstruct the bridge.
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I-10 April 29th Webinar Recording |
On April 29, SBCTA hosted its monthly I-10 Express Lanes Project webinar. The team shared project information, upcoming construction activities, and construction progress, as well as answered questions from those in attendance. Zoom webinars are scheduled for the last Thursday of each month for the I-10 Express Lanes Project to keep the community informed and up to date on construction progress. All webinars will be recorded and posted to the project website.
To receive information about future webinars and to sign up for weekly construction alerts, visit the project website at goSBCTA.com/i10corridor.
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Beginning August 1, Omnitrans will offer kindergarten – 12th graders in its service area free rides on its fixed route service as part of a six-month Free Fares to School program, designed to enhance regional equity and welcome students back after a pandemic year.
Local students will simply show their student ID cards – which will be fitted with a program sticker – when boarding the bus to ride free. Although the program is called “Free Fares to School,” students will be able to ride free anytime, enabling them to take part in extracurricular and community activities.
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At the May Board of Directors meeting, Board Members heard a report on the activities of the Equity Ad Hoc Committee. The Equity Ad Hoc Committee is a subcommittee of the Board of Directors, established October 7, 2020. The Equity Ad Hoc committee is committed to leading the effort to work toward equity among its residents.
Staff is working on a two-pronged approach to address the issue of equity. SBCTA/SBCOG is looking both internally and regionally to identify and address issues of structural inequality within the purview of SBCTA/SBCOG.
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55-hour Closure Scheduled May 14th through May 17th
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As construction continues on the future SB Express Lanes, 55-hour directional I-10 freeway closures and I-10/I-15 connector closures will occur over the next several months. These closures, throughout the project corridor between the Los Angeles/San Bernardino County Line and I-15, are necessary for crews to remove and repave portions of the freeway. The next 55-hour closure begins Friday, May 14th at 10 p.m. through Monday, May 17th at 5 a.m. |
Although Earth Day was April 22nd, SBCTA is continually invested in San Bernardino County’s sustainable future with its various projects. Check out this SBCTA Today: Earth Day video which highlights some of the projects that are sensitive to our environment and enhance our overall quality of life. |
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