[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 23909]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 23909]]

   CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 2299, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND 
               RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2002

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. ROBERT T. MATSUI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 30, 2001

  Mr. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my most sincere 
appreciation to the Transportation Appropriations conferees for their 
outstanding work in preparing the FY 2002 Transportation Conference 
report. In recent years, Sacramento has become one of the fastest 
growing regions in the country. This sudden surge in population has led 
to massive traffic congestion and severe air quality problems. Ensuring 
that Sacramento's infrastructure can simultaneously accommodate this 
growth and improve the region's air quality is absolutely essential.
  I am grateful for Chairman Roger's and Ranking Member Sabo's 
commitment to providing appropriate funding levels for several ongoing 
programs that are of vital importance to maximizing efficiency in the 
greater Sacramento region. These funds will provide much needed 
transportation options to lower-income individuals, improve the 
region's air quality and improve traffic flow in impacted corridors.
  In addition, the inclusion of first time funding for the Interstate 5 
Freeway Decking Project represents a tremendous boost for the 
Sacramento Riverfront Redevelopment Master Plan. Once complete, this 
decking project will allow the downtown Capitol Mall area to be 
reconnected with the waterfront, helping Sacramento to realize its 
long-term goal of linking its major recreational, entertainment and 
cultural districts with its major employment center.
  The beneficial effects of these projects are endless. I could not be 
more pleased with the outcome of this conference report and remain 
grateful for the unwavering support of this committee.

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