The Regional Transportation Center Wins a $3.5 Million Grant
20 July 1999
The Regional Transportation Center Wins a $3.5 Million Grant
SAN DIEGO--July 20, 1999--A $1.5 million Economic Development Initiative grant and a $2 million Section 108 loan guarantee has been secured to assist in the construction of a San Diego-based Regional Transportation Center (RTC) at the southeast corner of El Cajon Boulevard and the newly developed I-15 corridor.The RTC will serve as an education, commercial and resource center for alternative fuel vehicles.
"A Regional Transportation Center at a prominent, well traveled corner will raise the visibility of alternative fuel vehicles and will help to emphasize the viability and importance of this emerging market to the consumer," said Pam Slater, chairwoman of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors and the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District. "A resultant boost in sales of alternative fuel vehicles would be a perfect fit for a region such as ours that is deeply concerned about air quality, environmental protection and opening new markets for economic enhancement."
The center will include a vehicle fueling station, facilities for the sale and repair of alternative and conventionally fueled vehicles, and an educational center reaching approximately 30,000 junior high and high school students and providing vocational training in the emerging field of alternative fuels for 1,500 technical school students. It will also provide increased economic opportunities for the low- and moderate-income residents of City Heights, as the RTC will be located in the City Heights redevelopment area.
The project is also expected to create 30 new jobs. Key partners in the effort include Ford Motor Co., Pearson Ford, City of San Diego Redevelopment Agency, California Air Resources Board and the U.S. Department of Energy.
"This is great news not only for the city, but our whole region," said Councilmember Christine Kehoe. "Projects all over the country are considered for these grants. Receiving the grant points to the value and contribution that the Regional Transportation Center promises to give. This center will be at the vanguard of the zero-fuel-emissions phenomenon, and will set the tone for the 21st century's transition to alternative fuel vehicles."
Congressman Brian Bilbray added: "Education, environment, and urban renewal -- this project has it all. I've been involved with RTC for several years now, including hosting members in my Washington office in meetings with the Department of Energy and Ford of Detroit. When they asked me for assistance with this HUD grant, it was really a no-brainer."
"The concept of a Regional Transportation Center, whose focus is on education and information to enhance consumers' acceptance of alternative fueled vehicles, is exciting and one which I am pleased to support," said U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein. "I am confident that the vision and strong collaborative effort by the public and private sectors that has characterized the planning of the Center will ensure its success. In addition to helping generate acceptance of alternative fueled vehicles, this project will help reinvigorate the El Cajon Boulevard commercial corridor and surrounding areas as well as and generate new jobs and other economic benefits for years to come."
The $3.5 million is a portion of a $42.2 million Housing and Urban Development economic development package for California.
Editor's Note: Color artist renderings of the RTC are available in hard copy or electronic form