BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Mike Pascuzzi; Carol Dillon; Roy Kludas; Sylvia Mehas; Betty Ramacher; Ray Bailey; Mary Savala; George Giannopoulos; Annie Lokrantz; Jerry Rendino; Susan Boydston; Georgianna Frame; Ben Camarena; Ruth Kent; Tom Bailey; John F. Ferdinandi Jr.

NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

APRIL 18, 2001

Contact: John F. Ferdinandi Jr., Chairman

Fresno Area Residents for Rail Consolidation

Tel: (559) 243-0710 FAX: (559) 243-0710

FRESNO RAIL CONSOLIDATION EFFORT TAKES GIANT LEAP FORWARD. State Assemblyman Mike Briggs presented his bill AB1094 to the Assembly Transportation Committee at the Monday April 16 session in the State Capitol.

The Briggs presentation, with testimony by FARRC Chairman John Ferdinandi Jr. and Board Member Tom Bailey, sought approval for the first ever legislation brought to the state seeking a state-wide rail consolidation program to make Fresno Rail Consolidation eligible for state funds. FARRC Chairman Ferdinandi presented each committee member with a packet of supporting materials that included the FARRC new brochure listing the many supporting local, state and federal agencies, community groups and individuals.

Transportation committee member Assemblyman Dean Florez spoke in favor of the Briggs bill placing his support firmly for approval of the measure.

The proposal, making Fresno Rail Consolidation an issue with state-wide implications, raised many questions. Assemblyman Briggs, to allow the committee members to become more familiar with the particulars of the issue, requested and received a delay of a vote until next week's committee meeting.

Included in the packet of information given the committee members was a copy of US Congressman Radanovich's April 4, 2001 letter to the Transportation & Related Agencies Subcommittee Chairman of the Federal Committee on Appropriations. Congressman Radanovich is seeking assistance in obtaining $150 million for the Fresno Rail Consolidation project. This request is the first ever known effort officially seeking the needed federal participation to make the project a reality.

The Fresno Council of County Governments Board at their April 26th meeting is expected to approve the selection by the COG interview panel of the consulting engineering firm to begin the update study of the 1993 Fresno Rail Consolidation Analysis and Conceptual Design study. The update is to bring the details of the consolidation project current, determine the best estimated costs and provide the basis for securing the funding to begin and complete the project. The study is scheduled to take 6 months to complete with results by end of October, 2001.

For more informations visit the FARRC web site www.movethetracks.org or call Chairman Ferdinandi at 243-0710.