we work together on an application to the federal transit administration, which if we are successful, we will receive a grant that will allow us to carry out a $1 million study by the alternative alignment's by the high-speed rail to connect the city and region the transbay transit center. this is a continuation of the work that our executive director and his staff have been doing in terms of exploring alternatives. that not only ensures timely completion that lowers the costs of the project. i want to thank the county transportation authority staff for the prompt response. i know the deadline set were implicated were pretty short. i have to say that we certainly have high hopes for this grant. depending on what happens with the grant, the matter would come before the county transportation authority for full approval. so you'll be hearing about that in the very near future. the grant would have to be matched with prop 2 funds. the hope is we will continue to engage our partners at the transbay jpa, mta, ntc, caltrain. on the federal front, there was a development. it was actually an a

the federal transit administration -- all of these requirements will go away. and the project will be delivered in a timely fashion. >> i appreciate the work that has been done on this, and hopefully we can get this to the conclusion. this is actually the seven projects, and the redistricting will be in district 7. >> what you have just mentioned, we will have to struggle with later on, when the board will mess up all of the coding adjusted. a couple of districts, a couple of projects that are very old, from the 2008 lifeline funding cycle. the delays of the state economy and the state financial issues have the bond sales -- police was not going to be of long duration. but the access improvements -- this should get construction funds. these are both simple but important projects, dealing with access improvements. one thing -- when dealing with the uncertainty of the construction funds being available, the design has not been happening. the schedule has had some of those phases haping -- happening after the construction funds are advanced, to see if the project

>>> the money is in place and lasting event was a full funding grant agreement by the federal transit administration so it is a go project it's exciting and people are managing construction rather than managing the planning and steady. grit of the committee should be ready right now the train will be there for a while. i would say he'll be able to get there in 2018. it takes a long time. you have to build stuff you have to build the infrastructure in put and the electrification and the systems it takes time. >>> let's get to the high-speed rail we seem to of been talking about that for a long time as still waiting. >>> it's amazing evolution because of the way the public processes been. the high speed real project has been defined and redefined and reinvented again and in this latest reinvention in april or maybe earlier they have revised their business plan and a revised business plan the holocaust by $30 billion from 98 to 68. it is good >>> are we sacrificing to lower the cost? >>> the authority has chosen when they call a blended system to make the most used adam the existing real road systems i

regional transportation plan, then the project opponents will come together with the federal transit administration to develop a final implementation plan and final funding plan. so with that, we are thinking recommendation for, with conditions, to authorize the executive director to execute the memorandum of understanding to implement the alamance of the high speed rail as opposed to opposing documents. commissioner avalos: commissioner wiener? >> could you summarize those conditions that staff is speaking about? >> the primary condition in the document is contingent upon metropolitan tradition commission support of the downtown extension to transbay being a regional project, including not less than 60--- $650 million in new start funding. that is a primary condition. >> mr. chairman, as really to earlier, this is sort of an extraordinary thing that has happened. the entire high speed rail system in california -- there was some skepticism not too long ago about whether that would happen. since then, the governor and high speed rail authority have turned things around. i confidence level in this sy

federal transit administrator says funding will be a challenge. and he worries about the 40-year-old car autos that is the service down to san jose. we're celebrating that today. it's something to celebrate. we've been waiting to make it happen. we need to recognize we need to use tax dollars to reinvest what we have. >> there is no shortage of optimism. >> i just like to say thanks to the voters and taxpayers for what you've done this, is just the beginning of the yes, we can agenda. >> san jose residents waited 10 years for this day to happen. and now, we've got to be patient and you've got to wait another five or six years for construction to be completed. >> thank you and not everyone is happy about the extension, josh says it needs to be extended to antioch where residents have been paying taxes for it for 40 years. patty says it was promised to my parents in 1967. and joseph says i think that the south bay should be getting this. >> and still coming up tonight trains that are far more controversial. the high speed rail project hit a green li

federal transit administrator says funding will be a challenge. he also worries about bart 40-year-old cars the oldest in the nation. >> that is the service we are extending down to san jose. celebrating that today and certainly is something to celebrate. we have been waiting decades to make it happen. we also need to recognize that we need to use available tax dollars to reinvest in what we have in order to keep transit rae liable and desirable no, shortage of optimism. >> i just lick to say thanks to the voters and to the taxpayers for what you have done. this is just the beginning of the yes we can. >>reporter: san jose resident waited 10 years for this day to happen. now they have to wait another 5 or 6 years for the construction to be completed. in san jose, david louie abc 7 news. >> california high speed rail authority okay substantially scaled back plan today in the hope of keeping that project moving forward. the route is essentially the same but revision shave 30 billion dollars off the cost. mark reports now from san francisco. >>report

the federal transit administration does require that 60% of the cost of a project like this goes to american components. and in this instance, all three bidders exceeded that requirement. what's going to happen today at this meeting, staff has already said they're going to recommend bombardia, and the next month the board is expected to give a yay or nay. there doesn't seem to by in indication they will say no, but if they did, that would be a shock. cars replacing these that are the oldest in the country, 40 years old. reporting live, bob redell, "today in the bay." >> good to see you, bob. keeping comfortable out there. >>> a rapid transit bus project barrelling forward this morning. ac transit approving a plan to speed bus service through oakland and san leandro. buses arriving every five minutes on the new nine-mile line and the new bus only lanes will be built along much of that route. construction all set to begin in 2014 with buses up and running by 2016. >> all right. let's see if you've got to take your umbrella waiting for the bus this morning. checking that forecast with christina

federal agencies by 20%. this is in light recrend spending in the general services administration where agency officials authorized over $800,000 for a conference held near las vegas. members will also work on highway and mass transit programs. live coverage of the house when they return here on c-span. off ther floor beginning at 11:00 a.m. eastern a tribute will be held for congressman donald payne who i died last month after battling colon cancer. it will be live here on c-span when it gets under way. again at 11:00 eastern. after mitt romney's sweep of five presidential primaries yesterday, newt gingrich is sending out signals he may soon throw in the towel. the national journal citing a speech to the gaston county g.o.p. in north carolina where he's quoted as saying, quote, it's pretty clear governor romney will be the nominee. i think you have to at some point be honest what's happening in the real world as opposed to what you would like to have happened. obviously i would be a better candidate, but the objective fact is voters didn't think that. also, i think it's very, very important that we be unified. mr. gingrich said he'll continue to campaign in north carolina through the weekend and that we are workin

administration protection for hazmat workers as was original in h.r. 7. that thankfully is gone today. the majority's efforts to subsidize private transit companies and mandate the use of private engineering firms on federal-aid highway projects is gone in today's bill. instead of turning back the clock nearly half a century on america's greatness, and the incredible work we have done to grow our nation, to build a thriving economy, and lead the global market, we should be working together to develop a bipartisan bill that can pass both bodies and be signed into law. now, taking the other side that they are serious about moving the process forward and i'm beginning to think that may be a likely scenario, passage of this extension of current law through the end of the fiscal year will allow us to go to conference with the other body on their bipartisan multiyear bill which passed with the support of 3/4 of the senate, 74 votes in that other body. how many pieces of legislation do you get that many votes in the other body on? a long-term bill will provide the certainty that states need to invest and proceed with their plans that have been long on the books. it will provide the certainty that highway and tra