CSAC-sponsored SB
137 by Senator Bill Dodd was signed by the Governor earlier
this week. The bill will eliminate duplicative environmental
reviews and expedite county bridge and road safety projects by
authorizing additional exchanges of up to $100 million annually
in federal and state transportation funding through the Match
Exchange Program. A similar streamlining mechanism is currently
only available to regional transportation planning agencies with
populations below 200,000.
In a statement, Senator Dodd said his bill will “streamline an
often duplicative and bureaucratic process, making every
transportation dollar count. We can use that savings to expand
both the number and quality of projects, providing Californians
with the good roads they deserve.”
SB 137 will allow the state and local agencies to reduce the cost
of transportation projects and provide for more projects to be
completed with the same amount of revenue by expanding the Match
Exchange Program to other transportation programs with federal
funds allocated to local agencies, specifically the Highway
Safety Improvement Program and local bridge projects. Counties
have estimated that going through federal aid process and the
National Environmental Policy Act review, in addition to
California’s robust processes, adds anywhere from fifteen to
forty percent to the cost of a project; especially smaller
projects.
CSAC worked closely with the author’s office, the Legislature,
the California Department of Transportation, the California
Department of Finance, and the California State Transportation
Agency to negotiate amendments and secure passage of the bill. We
look forward to working with counties to ensure successful
implementation of this measure.
