GlobeSt.com: How does SANBAG influence goods movement in the County?

Wolfe: The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are the most heavily traveled ports in the nation and have been for a decade. Due to the County’s proximity to the ports, freight and goods movement are a huge part of our local economy. Goods movement has helped foster a network of distribution centers—from Ontario to the West Valley. The new Amazon.com distribution center at AllianceCalifornia, a 2,000-acre, mixed-use development in the city of San Bernardino, is a great example. Amazon.com recently opened a new fulfillment center in a 950,000-square-foot building, bringing hundreds of new jobs to the local economy. That type of expansion is needed; however, the increased truck traffic impacts local streets and arterials. A major portion of SANBAG’s work is to improve interchanges allowing for better movement on and off the freeways and to also support local communities and local improvement projects.

GlobeSt.com: Please share some of SANBAG’s top projects.

Wolfe: I-15/I-215/Devore Junction: Trucks and trains move significant volumes of freight along the I-15 corridor, through the Cajon Pass and the Devore Junction, where the I-15 and I-215 freeways meet. The improvement project undertaken by SANBAG in coordination with the California Department of Transportation is focused on adding new lanes, realigning the freeway-to-freeway junction, adding truck by-pass lanes, improving bridges, reconnecting Route 66 and addressing other environmental needs. Only 21% of the $324-million total cost is federally funded. The remaining 79% of the funding is derived from Measure I local sales tax (20.4%), state funding (56.5%) and private funding (2.1%).

Passenger Rail Service: SANBAG is working to expand transit options in San Bernardino and Redlands. During the last several years, SANBAG has been studying the feasibility of utilizing the Redlands Subdivision, a 9-mile railroad corridor extending between Downtown San Bernardino and the University of Redlands, to introduce passenger rail service to this area.

Regional HOV Lanes: We are also working to create an accessible HOV (high occupancy vehicle) network throughout Southern California by working with our neighboring agencies such as Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), the Riverside Transportation Authority, Orange County Transit Authority and Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

We’re even dedicating more money to transit-oriented developments with a number of projects now moving through design and environmental requirements. While these projects will take a number of years to complete, they demonstrate a commitment not only to a strong freight and goods movement industry, but also looking at alternate modes of transportation to enhance overall quality of life.

GlobeSt.com: How does your work support economic development?

Wolfe: Obviously all of these transportation improvements are of interest to manufacturers and any companies that need to transport raw materials through the supply chain and deliver finished goods to market. SANBAG is focused on making the County an attractive place to relocate or establish a new business, for all industries. We are lucky to be a self-help county in California, where we have the ability to leverage local sales tax to affect many of these important advantages. This is not the case in many counties that have to rely on federal and state dollars.

GlobeSt.com: What are the benefits to companies locating in the County?

Wolfe: The County of San Bernardino established a Countywide Vision Statement, and transportation is one of the nine elements. These elements, that include water, healthcare, education, among others, are central to improving our County and improving our competitiveness and quality of life. We have great leadership that isn’t just focused on being business-friendly, but is also trying to solve the basic problem of transportation. That can be a basic hurdle toward a successful business climate. SANBAG is committed to helping to implement this Countywide Vision so that we don’t just have a document on paper that collects dust, but we address issues from every angle to make this a destination of choice.

Another great thing we bring to the table is that our average resident age, 31 years, is lower than most neighboring counties. We have a robust workforce that will be available for years to come.