pages: TransportationCommission/2007-10-17.pdf, 3
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TransportationCommission | 2007-10-17 | 3 | Ms. Goldman replied that she did not have an answer for that question, which was raised when they read the final version of the bill. Rachel Weinstein, District Director for Senator Perata, noted that the Golden Gate Ferry was separate under State law because they were voter approved and created; they did not receive any State money. She added that it would be best to have all of the ferry services coordinated under one agency, and noted that they were still working on incorporating that service into the plan. Commissioner Krueger noted that in that case, the urgency of the message had not gotten through, and he supposed that it was related to some of the negative reaction expressed with respect to this plan. A discussion of the legislative process with respect to this bill ensued. Commissioner Schatmeier asked about the origin of the ferry consolidation plan. Alicia Trost, Press Secretary to Senator Perata, summarized the sequence of events initiated by Senator Perata's request for a report, and noted that the full report was on the Bay Area Council's website. She noted that an extensive hearing had been held at the San Francisco Ferry Building, and that every elected official in the Bay Area had been invited to that hearing. She added that while the bill was amended greatly in the final days of the legislative session, it had not been pushed through at the last minute. She noted that copies of the proceedings at the Ferry Building can be made available to the Commissioners, and added that experts had flown in to testify about evacuation after Hurricane Katrina. Commissioner McFarland inquired whether it would be possible to use the existing system, and to develop a response plan for the time when the emergency may occur. Ms. Trost noted that the goal was to put the services under one umbrella, and noted that there was no legal precedent in terms of the controlling authority of the water space in the event of an emergency. She added that identifying the legal authority was the impetus for creating WETA. Commissioner McFarland noted that by that logic, all the Bay Area transit agencies should be consolidated as well. Ms. Trost noted that the WTA, not being the direct service provider, would not be eligible for transit monies out of Proposition 1-B, which the WETA would be. In response to an inquiry by Commissioner McFarland regarding the role of the PUC and how they regulate the ferries after this transition, Ms. Trost replied that she did not have that information, and would provide an answer at a later time. Special Meeting of the Page 3 of 8 10/17/07 Transportation Commission | TransportationCommission/2007-10-17.pdf |