CSAC, Coalition Press Legislature to Act on Transportation
With California’s highways and local streets, roads, and bridges in crisis condition, local elected officials, business and labor leaders gathered in Sacramento Wednesday for a press conference to again implore the Governor and Legislature to pass legislation that will help fix our aging transportation infrastructure. As the special session on transportation was ending last year with little meaningful progress, the Governor and legislative leaders promised to act on transportation bills early this session.
CSAC Immediate Past President Richard Forster urged them Wednesday to keep their promise. “Governor Brown has been a strong advocate for passing a transportation funding package. So has the legislative leadership, and champions of infrastructure like Senator Beall and Assembly member Frazier,” said Supervisor Forster. You can find CSAC’s letters of support for their bills at these links: SB 1 AB 1. “Either one would begin to provide the funding we need to reverse the failing condition of our roads. Last year’s Legislature failed to act, but Governor Brown, Speaker Rendon and Pro Tem de Leon committed to passing a funding package this year. We are going to hold them to that promise.”
CSAC is urging Counties to contact your local legislators and let them know we support the Beall and Frazier bills. Either of them would provide about twice as much revenue for local governments as the Governor’s budget proposal.
Supervisor Phil Serna noted the lack of funding is having a real impact in Sacramento County. “We have a backlog of important roadway projects that is approaching half a billion dollars in our county. In the last two fiscal years, we have seen a $9.4 million reduction in the gas tax alone. It is absolutely paramount that our legislative leadership does what it has committed to do, and that is to act on these legislative proposals ASAP.”
There is a deferred maintenance backlog of at least $73 billion over the next 10 years for just the local transportation network of streets, roads and bridges. Inflation, vehicle-miles traveled, construction costs and population have all increased dramatically in California since 1994, but the gasoline tax rate is unchanged since then, leading to the backlog.
The impact is being felt up and down the state. Nevada County recently had to discontinue its maintenance program for lack of funds, possibly leading to higher repair costs down the line. Amador County should be doing “overlay” work on 10 percent of its roads per year—about 40 miles worth. Last year the county could only do 11.2 miles. And counties from the coast to the Sierra have recent storm damage and many are dipping into dwindling reserve funds to fix them.
“The revenue shortfalls for taking care of local streets and roads are well documented,” said DeAnn Baker, CSAC Deputy Executive Director of Legislative Services. “Delaying action to inject new revenues into this critical component of our multi-modal transportation system will only cost taxpayers more later. The time to act is now.”
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