TCA Boards Approve Fiscal Year 2023 Budgets

The Joint Boards of Directors of the Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) adopted Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) budgets with expenditures totaling $278.6 million – $134 million for the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Agency (SJHTCA) and $144.6 million for the Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency (F/ETCA).

The budgets focus on debt management, furtherance of transportation improvements, regional mobility and innovation. They also support activities from TCA’s recently adopted, inaugural Strategic Plan. Key highlights include:

• The F/ETCA’s first planned early paydown of bonds totaling $125 million using cash on hand
• Advancing the 241/91 Express Connector, State Route (SR) 73 Catalina View Improvements and SR 241 Loma Improvements
• Beginning implementation of TCA’s Saddle Club Preservation Property Site Use Plan
• Research and planning efforts for innovative technologies and services that will shape transportation and position The Toll Roads as corridors of the future

The approved budgets will allow the Agencies to meet important financial obligations as well as reduce overall expenses, continue to advance priority projects, maintain TCA’s strong financial position, credit ratings status and meet investor expectations.

Boards Adopt Annual Capital Improvement Plan

The Joint Boards of Directors approved TCA’s FY23 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). The CIP is updated annually to provide a summary of completed projects and outline proposed traffic improvements for residents and commuters. The CIP reflects the Capital Project Delivery section of the Agencies’ recently adopted seven-year Strategic Plan.

The initial portion of the 73, 133, 241 and 261 Toll Roads (accounting for 20% of Orange County’s highway system) was built to accommodate future, long-planned median and interchange operational improvements on an as-needed basis to keep pace with changing traffic conditions, the needs of drivers and regional mobility.

Current Capital Projects anticipated to be completed by 2030, include advancing the 241/91 Express Connector Project, the SR 241 Loma Improvements and the SR 73 Catalina View Improvements.

The Boards have approved funding these projects from the Agencies’ cash reserves, without the need for securing additional debt or requesting support from local, state or federal funding sources.

Local Digital Agency Approved for Website Design, Development and Management Services

Irvine-based digital agency Web Advanced has been selected to provide website design, development and management services to the Agencies.

TCA’s investments and use of digital assets like the website are essential to cost containment and appealing to consumer preferences for how they want to manage their account and pay tolls. The current version of TheTollRoads.com launched in 2016 and averages more than 133,000 daily page views, 13,000 monthly account sign-ups, approximately 200,000 self-performed FasTrak^® account updates monthly and 700,000 toll payments each month.

Web Advanced – a digital agency leader for transportation agencies in Southern California with 22 years of experience with complex, data driven websites – was chosen after an intensive, five-month procurement process. Web Advanced will be responsible for maintenance and management of the existing website and a redesign of the site to enhance the user experience.

State Legislative Discussions and AB 2594 (Ting)

Following legislative updates – including an overview of pending state legislation that impact tolling agencies and congressional activities related to transportation – it was approved for the SJHTCA and F/ETCA Chairs to send a revised position letter on behalf of the Boards to the California State Legislature regarding Assembly Bill 2594.

The authorization was extended after an update regarding the status of the bill and the collaborative efforts of the author to work with TCA and the other toll agencies to address statewide concerns. AB 2594 would make numerous changes to the administration of bridge, road and express lane toll operations and the author has tentatively agreed to include amendments that mitigate those concerns.

Once the amendments are incorporated into the published bill text, the Boards could remove their opposition. The bill has passed the Assembly and will be heard in a Senate Transportation Committee at the end of June, which will occur before the next TCA Joint Boards of Directors meeting, making the advance authorization beneficial to staff’s efforts.