Over five million dollars in funding has now been secured for two different Folsom area traffic improvement projects.
On Wednesday afternoon, the House of Representatives passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024, which included $22,257,000 in federal assistance for local safety, water and transportation & infrastructure projects in California’s Third Congressional District requested by Rep. Kevin Kiley.
Among the approved projects was just over $1M for additional safety improvements to Folsom Lake Crossing and $4M secured for the Empire Ranch Interchange project, according to an announcement from Kiley’s office late Wednesday.
“My top priority will always be protecting the quality of life in our area. The federal funding we secured today will ease traffic congestion in South Placer and Folsom, strengthen public safety, provide access to safe drinking water, and significantly bolster fire-fighting capabilities across the Tahoe region and Eastern Sierras. I want to thank the community leaders who worked with me to make the case for these important projects to improve our roads, reduce traffic, and advance safety,” said Rep. Kiley.
The specifics for funding projects which Rep. Kiley secured were as follows:
Folsom Lake Crossing Safety Improvement Project: $1,040,000 to the City of Folsom to enhance road safety on Folsom Lake Crossing by adding a median barrier rail to minimize head-on collisions, injuries, and fatalities. This project further enhanced the safety on the Folsom Lake Crossing, reducing head-on collisions, injuries, and fatalities on a critical regional connector serving thousands of vehicles daily.
In the past 5 years, there have been 59 accidents, 47 injuries, and 3 fatalities on this road.
Additional funding for Folsom was approved for the future US-50/Empire Ranch Road Interchange Project. $4,000,000 was secured to go to the the City of Folsom to construct a new interchange on US-50 to reduce traffic congestion and improve safety.
“This project benefits the community by reducing traffic congestion, and improving safety on adjacent interchanges, ultimately enhancing local and regional circulation and transportation infrastructure in Folsom and surrounding areas,” cited Kiley’s announcement.
In addition to the Folsom area projects, approved funding for more projects in Kiley’s district included the following in nearby Placer County:
Roseville Blue Oaks Boulevard Roadway and Bridge Widening Project: $3,200,000 to the City of Roseville to widen the Blue Oaks Roadway and Boulevard Bridge to alleviate a critical transportation bottleneck. This project benefits the community by alleviating a critical traffic pinch point on Blue Oaks Boulevard, expediting evacuation times in emergencies, and improving overall connectivity for residents in western Roseville and surrounding areas while supporting future regional growth and transportation needs.
Placer County First Responders Radio Interoperability Project: $1,000,000 to Placer County to purchase 160 Motorola APX 8000 dual-band radios for the Sheriff’s Office. This project would benefit the community by improving communication and interoperability among law enforcement agencies during emergencies, resulting in faster response times and enhanced public safety.
Truckee Law Enforcement Radio Project: $468,000 to the Truckee Police Department to purchase triband radios. This project would benefit the community by upgrading the Truckee Police Department’s radios to state-of-the-art systems that improve interoperability, coordination, and communication with various local, state, and federal agencies. This will enhance response capabilities, first responder safety, and overall public safety, particularly in the event of major wildfires or other emergencies.
PRIDE Industries Transportation Modernization Project: $1,000,000 to the non-profit PRIDE Industries to modernize their transportation fleet to drive people with intellectual and development disabilities to their job site, thereby promoting their independence and access to employment opportunities while reducing reliance on social welfare programs.
City of Loyalton Water Infrastructure Project: $2,000,000 to the City of Loyalton to replace the deteriorating main water line and would ensure access to safe drinking water, as well as enable the fire department to better fight fires. This project benefits the community by improving water infrastructure, preventing water loss, supporting local agriculture, promoting economic growth, enhancing fire suppression capabilities, and reducing the burden on limited state resources in times of drought and emergencies.
Kings Beach Drinking Water and Fire Suppression Improvement Project: $1,250,000 to the North Tahoe Public Utility District to replace old and undersized water pipes, install new fire hydrants, and improve water supply for fire suppression in Kings Beach. This project benefits the community by improving fire-resilient infrastructure, ensuring adequate water supply for wildfire suppression, and safeguarding the lives and properties of residents and seasonal tourists in the Lake Tahoe area.
PST A-15 Broadband Project: $4,224,000 to the Plumas-Sierra Rural Electric Co-Op to construct middle and last-mile fiber optic networks to rural residents in the A-15 and Valley Ranch areas. This project would benefit the community by providing reliable, high-speed broadband services to rural residents, enabling access to online education, telemedicine, remote work, and supporting local economic development, while also enhancing emergency personnel communication capabilities.
Bridgeport Ambulance Replacement Project: $215,000 to Mono County to replace an ambulance used by a critical care facility that no longer complies with emergency response vehicle safety standards. This project would benefit the community by providing a new, reliable ambulance to replace an end-of-lifecycle unit, ensuring the continuity and safety of emergency medical services for residents in the area.
Kokila Reservoir Replacement Project: $1,250,000 to the San Juan Water District to replace the aging Kokila Reservoir with a new partially buried prestressed tank. The project would ensure over 330,000 Placer and Sacramento County residents continue to have access to safe and reliable drinking water.
Georgetown Divide Public Utility District Water Reliability and Fire Resiliency Storage Tank Project: $1,250,000 to the Georgetown Divide Public Utility District to construct a 2-million-gallon fire resilient water storage tank to aid in fire suppression efforts. This project would benefit the community by providing additional water supply reliability to meet current and future needs, as well as enhancing fire prevention efforts through increased water availability.
South Tahoe Public Utility District for Enhancing the Resilience of Critical Water Infrastructure: $1,000,000 to the South Tahoe Public Utility District to replace deteriorating waterlines, improve infrastructure, and install new fire hydrants to better fight fires. This project would benefit the community by improving water quality, enhancing fire protection capabilities, and providing reliable access to clean drinking water, particularly for disadvantaged neighborhoods in South Lake Tahoe, a high-risk wildfire area.
The Bill passed in the House by a vote of 339-85.
