Congressman DeSaulnier Secures More Than $8 Million For Contra Costa Projects

Congressman Mark DeSaulnier announced he secured $8,061,000 for community projects throughout Contra Costa County in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022 (H.R. 2471), which passed the U.S. House of Representatives.

This funding will go to 10 different projects in our community that would address behavioral and mental health, support veterans, improve transportation accessibility, increase internet access for students, and help the County transition away from fossil fuels.

“For the first time in a decade, we finally have the opportunity to bring home funding to Contra Costa for specific projects that will have a meaningful impact on people’s daily lives,” said Congressman DeSaulnier. “From supporting mental health resources to improving commutes, the quality of life of residents across the County will be much improved thanks to this critical funding.”

The 10 projects are:

Behavioral/Physical Health Projects:

• $1.061 million for a Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT) Expansion Project for Contra Costa County Health Services Department – Behavioral Health Division to add two teams to the existing Mobile Crisis Response Teams – an entity that responds to urgent behavioral health crises throughout the County. It would also add Alcohol and Other Drugs Counselors to more effectively address crises related to substance use and co-occurring conditions.
• $1 million for the Contra Costa Crisis Services Hub Project for Contra Costa County Health Services Department – Behavioral Health Division to renovate a County-owned facility to establish the Contra Costa Crisis Hub, which would consolidate and expand access to integrated mental health and substance use treatment services to best address the needs of County residents. Its goal is to divert clients from costly services such as psychiatric emergency services and emergency department services; provide a new level of care for those seeking substance use services; and provide and expand a system of crisis support less dependent on law enforcement.
• $900,000 for the Collaborative Care Implementation Project for Contra Costa Regional Medical Center and Health Clinics to implement a standardized treatment model across 11 Federally Qualified Health Clinics (FQHCs) within the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center and Health Centers (CCRMC-HC) system, building an Electronic Health Record (EHR) to support coordination of care, and supporting education and training for County behavioral health staff. CCRMC-HC supports the most vulnerable and low-income population in the County, including a high number of homeless and immigrant residents and others who traditionally have a high prevalence of mental health and co-occurring conditions.

Transportation Projects:

• $1.2 million for the Concord Smart Signals Project for Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) to upgrade traffic signals to a smart signal system within the City of Concord to help reduce congestion and emissions, prioritize transit and emergency vehicles, and protect vulnerable road users.
• $1.2 million for a Pittsburg Center Smart City Pilot for the City of Pittsburg to implement Smart City technologies by outfitting the ¼ mile transportation grid surrounding the Pittsburg Center BART station with connected technologies such as adaptive street lights, connected traffic signals, and digital and static wayfinding signage. These upgrades will help encourage transit use, encourage walking and bicycling by creating safer and more complete streets, alleviate traffic, and attract local business.
• $1 million for the Danville Townwide Traffic Signal Modernization/ITS Project for the Town of Danville to modernize its traffic signal system network, including replacement of the Town’s aging traffic signal hardware, vehicular detection systems, and communications infrastructure. It would improve bicycle, pedestrian, and vehicular safety; air quality and GHG emission reductions; connectivity; and reduce travel time.
• $350,000 for the Iron Horse Trail Bridge, Nature Park, and Pedestrian Safety Project for the Town of Danville to make pressing safety improvements and enhancements to the Iron Horse Trail across multiple jurisdictions to improve the multi-use, whole access trail of regional significance from the City of Concord to the City of Pleasanton. The project will be done in coordination with the City of San Ramon and the City of Dublin.

Other County Projects:

• $900,000 for an Educational Internet Access Project for the Contra Costa County Office of Education to rebuild and enhance internet and firewall services required to provide internet connectivity to eighteen school districts in Contra Costa County supporting 24,000 educators, 172,000 students, and their families. The additional capacity would benefit teachers and students in the classroom by supporting an increased need for more bandwidth and faster internet for hybrid learning and online study.
• $750,000 for a Just Transition Economic Revitalization Plan Project for the Contra Costa County Department of Conservation and Development to conduct community outreach and engagement, specialized studies, economic analysis, and staffing to develop a community-wide framework for green economic development in Contra Costa County as the community transitions away from its historically petroleum-based economic sector. The framework is expected to include workforce training and land uses to support green economy industries.
• $700,000 for the Veterans Memorial Buildings Improvements Project for Contra Costa County Veterans Services Office to make energy efficiency, environmental, and safety upgrades at Veterans Memorial Buildings across California’s 11th Congressional District, reducing overall maintenance costs and ensuring continued usage for future generations of veterans.

The bill now goes to the U.S. Senate and is expected to be signed into law by President Biden following passage.