CEO Report

August 24, 2023

Federal Grants | Structures Update | Inspector General Appointed | Relevant Materials

FEDERAL GRANTS SUBMITTED IN AUGUST

• Federal Highway Administration Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program
  • Application submitted August 1, 2023
  • $2M (Grant Request) $2.5M (Total Project Cost)
  • Central Valley 119-Mile Wildlife Crossing Monitoring Plan
    • Research and monitoring of wildlife/vehicle collisions
    • Review of the San Joaquin kit fox migration corridors
    • Over 300 wildlife crossings in this corridor
    • Analysis of alternative design specifications
• MEGA
  • Application submitted August 18, 2023
  • $231.7M (Grant Request) $386.2M (Total Project Cost)
  • Merced Integrated Multimodal Station Project
    • Canopies, platforms, elevators, escalators, concourses, functional and operational spaces
    • Electric vehicle charging and transit facilities–ACE, Amatrak, community and regional bus services, etc.
    • Parking, solar facilities and pick-up and drop areas
    • Station access, particularly roadways

SEVEN STRUCTURES COMPLETE IN 2023

• Merced Avenue
• Poso Avenue
• McCombs Road
• Elkhorn Avenue
• Idaho Avenue
• Dover Avenue
• Cedar Viaduct

INSPECTOR GENERAL APPOINTED

• Governor Newsom appointed Benjamin Belnap as Inspector General of the California High-Speed Rail Authority.
• Belnap has been a Deputy State Auditor at the California State Auditor’s Office since 2015. He began work at the California State Auditor’s Office in 2001.
• The Inspector General Position was created in 2022 through SB 198.
• Belnap was appointed to a 4-year term.
• Board expressed interest in hearing from the Inspector General occasionally

RELATED MATERIALS

• Board Memo for August 2023 CEO Report.
• PowerPoint Presentation for August 2023 CEO Report.
• Video of August 2023 CEO Report.