05/16/2008 Print Version
WHEREAS Interstate 5 serves as the
transportation backbone of the State of California and the western United
States, providing travelers with connections extending to Canada and Mexico, and
supporting vital trade and goods movement routes that sustain California's
economy; and
WHEREAS the California Department of
Transportation and its contractor C. C. Myers, Inc., will begin an
innovative construction project to ensure the safe and continued operation of
Interstate 5, near downtown Sacramento. The construction schedule includes
unidirectional closures of Interstate 5, beginning May 30, 2008, to expedite the
replacement of the failing freeway drainage systems and reconstruct the freeway
surface; and
WHEREAS reports
indicate that the closure of portions of Interstate 5 could cause up to nineteen
times the amount of current traffic congestion during commute hours; and
WHEREAS greenhouse gas emissions ("GHG")
pose a serious threat to the health of California's citizens and the quality of the
environment; and
WHEREAS California's
transportation sector is the leading source of GHG emissions in the State,
contributing over 40 percent of the State's annual GHG emissions;
and
WHEREAS the State
is committed to reducing the pollution that causes global warming;
and
WHEREAS Assembly Bill 32 (Chapter 488,
Statutes of 2006) requires a cap on global warming pollutants and authorizes
market mechanisms to ensure this cap is met by 2020;
and
WHEREAS collaboration and partnerships
between California government, California companies, labor representatives,
non-governmental organizations and California universities are essential for the
development and implementation of policies needed to accomplish the goals of AB
32; and
WHEREAS State employees represent one of the largest commuter
groups in the Sacramento area, totaling over 75,000 people;
and
WHEREAS almost 200,000 daily commuters
travel on Interstate 5 in Sacramento, where the freeway serves as the main
crossing over the American River; and
WHEREAS telecommuting, alternative work
schedules, and use of public transit are available strategies to significantly
reduce traffic congestion, reduce global warming pollutants and improve air
quality.
NOW, THEREFORE,
I, ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, Governor of
the State of California, in accordance with the
authority vested in me by the Constitution and statutes of the State of
California, do
hereby issue the following orders to become effective
immediately:
IT IS HEREBY
ORDERED that beginning June 2, 2008, and
through the duration of the Interstate 5 closures, agency secretaries and
department directors in my administration shall encourage the maximum feasible
and practicable use in the impacted Sacramento area of telecommute programs,
alternative work schedules, public transit, and video and teleconferencing,
consistent with Government Code section 14200 et seq. and existing policies.
These measures shall be implemented so as to be (a) in the best interests of
public safety and continued service to the people of California, (b)
operationally feasible, (c) within existing resources and without impact to the
General Fund, and (d) pursuant to applicable laws and personnel policies to
avoid any abuses.
IT IS FURTHER
ORDERED that the Department of Personnel
Administration will issue operating guidelines and provide other assistance to
State agencies and departments encouraging them to take full advantage of the
telecommute program, alternate work schedules, and other transit options,
including the Department of General Services' "Greening Your Commute" travel
suggestions during the duration of this project.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the California
Department of Transportation and the California Environmental Protection Agency
shall work with the City of Sacramento, companies in and around Sacramento,
labor representatives, non-governmental organizations, and California
universities, as appropriate, to create a report on the effectiveness of these
orders, and shall report to me on lessons learned that could translate into
increasing telecommuting, alternative work schedules, and use of public transit
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the Sacramento region and the state. The
report shall also indicate how data collected during the Interstate 5 closures
could be used to better prepare the state for other planned or unplanned road
closures, emphasizing disaster relief, emergency preparedness and
security.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that agencies and
departments within my administration shall cooperate in the implementation of
this Executive Order.
IT IS FURTHER
ENCOURAGED that other officers and entities
impacted by the Interstate 5 closures and not under my direct executive
authority, including constitutional officers, the legislative and judicial
branches, and other Sacramento area public entities and private sector
employers, consider implementing increased telecommuting and video and
teleconferencing options for their employees beginning June 2, 2008, and through
the duration of the Interstate 5 closures.
This Executive Order is not intended
to, and does not, create any rights or benefits, substantive or procedural,
enforceable at law or in equity, against the State of California, its agencies,
departments, entities, officers, employees, or any other
person.
I FURTHER
DIRECT that as soon as hereafter possible,
this Executive Order be filed in the Office of the Secretary of State and that
widespread publicity and notice be given to this Executive
Order.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and
caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this
16th day of May 2008.
________________________________
ARNOLD
SCHWARZENEGGER
Governor of California
ATTEST:
________________________________
DEBRA BOWEN
Secretary of State
