Will Kempton's 'Sneak Preview'

New Caltrans Director Previews Agency's 10-Year Plan

Kempton stresses the need for strong partnerships with the state's construction industry and establishing a "single voice" to craft federal legislation "in a way that is beneficial to the state."

By Paul Napolitano

Afsaneh "Sunnie" House, national president of Women's Transportation Seminar, left; Will Kempton, director of Caltrans, center; and Beverly Mason, president of WTS Sacramento, chat at Kempton's first speaking engagement as director of Caltrans (photo by John Livzey).

The new director of the California Department of Transportation, in his first speaking engagement as head of the state agency, emphasized the need for stronger partnerships with the engineering and construction community.

Will Kempton's "sneak preview" of Caltrans' 10-year implementation plan was delivered to an audience of about 100 members of the Southern California chapters of the Women's in Transportation Seminar gathered Nov. 5 in downtown Los Angeles.

"I'm a true believer in partnerships," Kempton said. "That's a trite thing to say, but I think my track record demonstrates that I have a strong commitment to a true partnership environment at Caltrans, opening the door and having everyone coming to the table. That is the way we're going to do business at Caltrans. That has never been seen before."

Kempton, 57, was formerly assistant manager of the city of Folsom before being tapped for the Caltrans chief executive position last week by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. He oversees 23,000 employees and a $10 billion budget at Caltrans.

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Kempton stressed that California needs to be more united regarding its transportation needs.

"We need to address immediate concerns and band together to put together the resources that we need in terms of building a single voice of transportation for the state," the new director told the group at the Omni Hotel. "That's never been done before in California. By doing that, we can achieve success and have federal legislation crafted in a way that it is beneficial to the state."

He said creating effective transportation management systems by improving traveler information with techniques such as real-time technology would help alleviate a degree of congestion on the state's overburdened freeways.

In his 30-minute speech, Kempton said $1 billion in fiscal 2004-05 would be generated for transportation projects after voters approved a ballot measure allowing the governor to substantially increase tax revenues received from Indian gaming facilities. The governor's new Indian gaming agreement proposes $473 million for major construction and maintenance projects, $193 million for fund maintenance and construction on local streets and as much as $335 million to fund congestion relief projects.

"We estimate that these transportation projects will support 26,000 new jobs in California," Kempton said. "And for every dollar invested in transportation there's a ripple of four times over felt through the economy."

Will Kempton, left, speaks to three USC students, center, and Afsaneh "Sunnie" House (photo courtesy of John Livzey).

The slightly built, graying Kempton had the midday crowd chuckling when he said of his experience, "I've been in transportation a long time. You can see that by the color of my hair and the fact that I'm wearing these glasses."

Referring to the governor's announcement naming him to the post, Kempton said, "Standing next to someone like Schwarzenegger is a humbling experience for a guy my size."

Of a serious and more immediate concern is the replacement of the eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge with a skyway design that is expected to cost several hundred million dollars less than the original design for a self-anchored suspension span.

"Based on all of the information we've had, all of the review by experts, all of the independent analysis by the team convened by the Federal Highway Administration, Gov. (Arnold) Schwarzenegger and I are proposing that we complete the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge with a skyway design for that main span," Sunne Wright McPeak, California secretary of business, transportation and housing agency, said at a press conference held Dec. 10 in San Francisco.

The cost of the 1.1-mi. self-anchored suspension span doubled over the past few years due primarily to the sharp rise in steel costs.

"We will be working very hard to compress the time frame that will be required for re-design," McPeak said. She said the target date for completion of the eastern span is 2012.