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Funding for the I-15 Smart Freeway Pilot Project Secured by Rep. Calvert

March 21, 2022

Today, Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-42) highlighted the inclusion of $5 million for the I-15 Smart Freeway Pilot Project in the Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations bill. Rep. Calvert voted along with a bipartisan majority of the House of Representatives to approve the bill on Wednesday, March 9th. The bill was subsequently approved by the Senate and signed into law by the President.

The Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) requested the funding for the Interstate 15 "Smart Freeway Pilot Project" to install smart metering technology and signage at northbound I-15 on-ramps to monitor and regulate traffic flow onto the highway. This pilot program would alleviate congestion by managing traffic flow and with proof of concept could be regionally scalable. The project will be implemented between the San Diego County line and the I-15/I-215 split and is included and consistent with adopted regional transportation plans.

"RCTC appreciates Representative Calvert for delivering $5 million in Community Project Funding for RCTC's Smart Freeway Pilot Project," said Lake Elsinore Council Member Bob Magee, Vice Chair of the Riverside County Transportation Commission. "RCTC is committed to the forward-thinking and innovative solutions that this much-needed improvement on I-15 in southwestern Riverside County provides. With support from our federal partners, RCTC will continue to improve mobility throughout all of Riverside County."

"The I-15 Smart Freeway Pilot Project is another important step towards relieving traffic congestion in the Temecula Valley," said Rep. Calvert. "When I worked with the city of Temecula in 2019 to secure a $50 million federal grant to improve I-15 and the French Valley Parkway interchange we agreed that we must continue to fund additional transportation projects in the region. Thanks to the leadership at RCTC and everyone who has worked on the I-15 Smart Freeway Pilot Project, we are upholding our commitment to addressing the traffic challenges in this region."

Under the U.S. Constitution, all federal funding must be appropriated by Congress. As part of the annual appropriations process, members of Congress are provided the opportunity to submit Community Project Funding (CPF) requests to the Appropriations Committee for consideration. Rep. Calvert's CPF requests were submitted on behalf of local governments and non-profit organizations in the 42nd District. To satisfy required transparency and other safeguards, Rep. Calvert previously posted detailed CPF project descriptions online and certified that he had no financial interest in the projects. The funding included in the appropriation bills for CPF projects does not increase the overall size of their respective federal programs. The process merely allocates where approved federal funding is spent and reasserts Congress' constitutional role of appropriating funds.

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