$1 billion in transit funding added for ports

Seeking to stave off a bitter regional battle over transportation money, state officials said Tuesday that they will add $1 billion to funding for port infrastructure and trade-route improvements throughout California. Harrison Sheppard in the Daily News.

The move came as a coalition of five Southern California counties geared up an aggressive lobbying campaign to try to land nearly 85 percent of transportation-bond funds to be doled out soon - or $1.7 billion out of $2 billion.

But officials with the California Transportation Commission said they now plan to add $1 billion from other revenue sources to the program - meaning most regions will now get close to the amounts they were originally seeking.