The California Transportation Commission has adopted a plan to immediately begin implementation of programs established by Senate Bill 1 – The Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017.

SB 1, passed by the state Legislature and signed by Governor Brown last month, provides the first significant and stable increase in state transportation funding in more than two decades. A key provision of the new legislation empowers the Commission to develop stronger accountability measures to ensure the new funding is applied cost effectively to the most critical transportation projects and programs.

Commission Chairman Bob Alvarado stated, “SB 1 will allow us to invest in California’s transportation system in a way that we have not done in decades. The Commission is committed to making those investments efficiently and effectively. The sooner we put this money to work, the sooner taxpayers will see dividends in the form of better roads and improved options for public transportation, bicycling, and walking.”

Susan Bransen, the Commission’s Executive Director, echoed the Chairman’s sentiments and stated, “The Commission has adopted an aggressive plan to deliver SB 1 transportation improvements in ways that will benefit Californians every day, with improved accountability for these investments.”

The Commission will immediately begin to develop and adopt guidelines for the following programs:

§ Local Partnership Program, which will help finance priority projects to counties with voter-approved transportation sales tax programs.

§ Local Streets and Roads apportionments, doubles the amount of funding to cities and counties for road maintenance and repair. Local entities will be accountable to the Commission for how they spend this new funding.

§ Solutions for Congested Corridors Program, provides funding on a competitive basis to regional agencies for priority road and transit projects that will improve traffic flow and mobility along the state’s most congested corridors while also seeking to improve air quality and health.

§ Freight Program, provides funding on a competitive basis to projects that will improve goods movement along key freight corridors and programs that will help improve air quality and public health for communities adversely affected by the goods movement industry.

§ Increased funding for, and oversight, of the Active Transportation Program, which provides dedicated funding for bike lanes, pedestrian paths, sidewalks, safe routes to schools and other projects that help reduce reliance on the automobile.

§ Increased oversight and funding for the State Highway Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP), which provides funding for major road repair, safety and operational improvements.

§ Increased funding for, and oversight of the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), which provides funding for new priority projects.

SB 1 also places upon the Commission the responsibility to track the performance of all these programs and report to the public how well they are delivering on promises made to the taxpayers.

The Commission’s Implementation Plan for SB 1 may be found at: http://www.catc.ca.gov/meetings/agenda/2017Agenda/2017-05/Yellows/Tab_15_4.6.pdf

More information about the California Transportation Commission may be found at http://www.catc.ca.gov/