Kern COG asks Taft for input on $14 billion long‑range transportation plan; officials press for passing lanes and alleyway fixes

Rob Ball of the Kern Council of Governments told the Taft City Council on May 19 that the agency is updating a 20‑plus‑year long‑range transportation plan and seeking local input through July 2 on projects that must be included before they can compete for funding. “These projects are the first step for identifying transportation projects,” Ball said, describing a concurrent short‑range Federal Transportation Improvement Program that lists near‑term, funded projects.

The presentation framed the scale of regional investment: Ball said Kern COG is considering roughly $14,000,000,000 in gas‑tax and related transportation revenues over the planning horizon and emphasized that the plan includes a mix of local, state and federal sources as well as rail and airport funds. He cautioned that some funding streams are earmarked for specific project types and that elected officials should flag local priorities they want moved into the “ready‑to‑go” list.

Why it matters: inclusion in the long‑range plan and the short‑range programming documents is a prerequisite for projects to be eligible for many funding programs; council members said Taft’s infrastructure needs — including SR‑119 widening and passing lanes near Tehachapi Grade — have been in planning for decades and need prioritization to attract funds.

Council members asked several practical questions. Ball described a low‑cost, locally tested method — pioneered by Jay Schlosser in Tehachapi — of saving and reusing street grindings to pave alleyways, saying Kern COG staff can share program details with Taft public works. On the county‑scale topic of the Cherry Lane Bypass, City Manager Craig Jones and council members discussed breaking large bypass projects into smaller passing‑lane segments that could be moved into funded lists sooner. “Those passing lanes are a safety factor and an air‑quality factor,” a Kern COG board representative said.

Ball also explained funding pressures: although the state gas tax is indexed to CPI increases, growing numbers of fuel‑efficient and electric vehicles reduce gas‑tax receipts over time, and the federal gas tax (18.4¢ per gallon) has not been adjusted for inflation since 1995, decreasing its buying power. The result, he said, is that regional agencies must combine multiple sources and seek targeted projects that match funding eligibility.

Next steps: Ball asked the council and residents to review the draft plan and submit comments to kerncog.org or contact Kern COG staff (Ben Raymond was given as a contact) before the July 2 outreach deadline. Kern COG will summarize comments and transmit them to the board for action, with final programming scheduled later in the summer.