June 2, 2008

From an interview with Mr. Bronte by Bill Kerby, RailPAC Treasurer, and posted with Mr. Bronte’s permission.

William (Bill) Bronte, Chief-Caltrans Division of Rail, assumes new duties as the coordinator of the Trade Corridor Improvement Program mandated by Proposition 1B. Appointed by Caltrans Director, Mr. Will Kempton, Mr. Bronte’s new railroad duties include program management of tunnel notching (lowering tunnel floors) over Donner Pass, daylighting some tunnels and double tracking the Techachapi grade, and building a new Colton Crossing. Working with freight railroads on the Martinez Subdivision of the Union Pacific, Division of Rail will partner with the Port of Oakland to grant BNSF better access to the Port. Mr. Bronte’s duties will also include negotiating for the development of Crows Landing, a former Naval Air Station, into an intermodal facility that Union Pacific will use. The City of Shafter in Fresno County plans to develop an intermodal terminal on Burlington Santa Fe lines with Bronte’s leadership. Bronte will guide a variety of statewide highway and maritime projects to the construction phase. His expertise is expected to result in expedited memoranda of understanding between the California Business and Transportation Agency and bond financing institutions.

Mr. Lam Nguyen will carry day-to-day leadership of the Division of Rail during Mr. Bronte’s six to nine month reassignment of duties. Mr. Nguyen is a participant in Caltrans’ Executive Managerial Leadership Program, a program fashioned about five years ago by the School of Business at Sacramento State University. Mr. Nguyen will maintain close contact with Mr. Bronte during this period of time. We wish both of these managers well in their new roles.