HomeMy WebLinkAbout069-2015RESOLUTION NO. 69-2015
URGING THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
TO PROVIDE NEW SUSTAINABLE FUNDING FOR STATE AND LOCAL
TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE
WHEREAS, Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. has called an extraordinary session to
address the immense underfunding of California's transportation infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, cities, towns and counties own and operate more than 81 percent of streets
and roads in California, and people are dependent upon a safe, reliable local
transportation network to drive to work, bike to school, or walk to the bus station; and
WHEREAS, the Town of Danville has participated in efforts with the California State
Association of Counties, League of California Cities, and California's Regional
Transportation Planning Agencies to study unmet funding needs for local roads and
bridges, including sidewalks and other essential components; and
WHEREAS, the resulting 2014 California Statewide Local Streets and Roads Needs
Assessment, which provides critical analysis and information on the local transportation
network's condition and funding needs, indicates that the condition of the local
transportation network is deteriorating as predicted in the initial 2008 study; and
WHEREAS, the results show that California's local streets and roads are on a path of
significant decline; with a current statewide average pavement condition index (PCI) of
66, placing it in the "at risk" category where pavements will begin to deteriorate much
more rapidly, requiring rehabilitation or rebuilding rather than more cost-effective
preventative maintenance if funding is not increased; and
WHEREAS, the Town of Danville currently expends over $4.4 million annually,
equivalent to 21.4 percent of the Town's General Fund budget, including $2.5 million in
General Fund revenues, in order to maintain a minimum average townwide PCI of 70,
with a current actual overall average PCI of 76; and
WHEREAS, the Town's ten year fiscal forecasts indicate that the current level of local
street and road maintenance and expenditure is unsustainable; and
WHEREAS, if funding remains at the current levels, in 10 years, 25 percent of local streets
and roads in California will be in "failed" condition; and
WHEREAS, cities and counties need an additional $1.7 billion just to maintain a status
quo pavement condition of 66, and much more revenue to operate the system with Best
Management Practices, which would reduce the total amount of funding needed for
maintenance in the future; and
WHEREAS, models show that an additional $3 billion annual investment in the local
streets and roads system is expected to improve pavement conditions statewide from an
average "at risk" condition to an average "good" condition; and
WHEREAS, if additional funding isn't secured now, it will cost taxpayers twice as much
to fix the local system in the future, as failure to act this year will increase unmet funding
needs for local transportation facilities by $11 billion in five years and $21 billion in ten
years; and
WHEREAS, police, fire, and emergency medical services all need safe reliable roads to
react quickly to emergency calls and a few minutes of delay can be a matter of life and
death; and
WHEREAS, maintaining and preserving the local street and road system in good
condition will reduce drive times and traffic congestion, improve bicycle safety, and
make the pedestrian experience safer and more appealing, which leads to reduce vehicle
emissions helping the State achieve its air quality and greenhouse gas emissions
reductions goals; and
WHEREAS, restoring roads before they fail also reduces construction time which results
in less air pollution from heavy equipment and less water pollution from site run-off;
and
WHEREAS, modernizing the local street and road system provides well -paying
construction jobs and boosts local economies; and
WHEREAS, the local street and road system is also critical for farm to market needs,
interconnectivity, multimodal needs, and commerce; and
WHEREAS, in addition to the local system, the state highway system needs an additional
$5.7 billion annually to address the state's deferred maintenance; and
WHEREAS, in order to bring the local system back into a cost-effective condition, at least
$7.3 billion annually in new money going directly to cities and counties; now, therefore,
be it
RESOLVED, that the Danville Town Council strongly urges Governor Brown and the
State Legislature to identity a sufficient and stable funding source for local street and
road and state highway maintenance and rehabilitation to ensure the safe and efficient
mobility of the traveling public and the economic vitality of California; and, be it further
RESOLVED, that the Town of Danville strongly urges Governor Brown and the State
Legislature to adopt the following priorities for funding California's streets and roads:
PAGE 2 OF RESOLUTION NO. 69-2015
1. Make a significant investment in transportation infrastructure. Any package
should seek to raise at least $6 billion annually and should remain in place for at
least 10 years or until an alternative method of funding our transportation system is
agreed upon.
2. Focus on maintaining and rehabilitating the current system. Repairing California's
streets and highways involves much more than fixing potholes. It requires major
road pavement overlays, fixing unsafe bridges, providing safe access for bicyclists
and pedestrians, replacing storm water culverts, as well as operational
improvements that necessitate the construction of auxiliary lanes to relieve traffic
congestion choke points and fixing design deficiencies that have created unsafe
merging and other traffic hazards. Efforts to supply funding for transit in addition
to funding for roads should also focus on fixing the system first.
3. Equal split between state and local projects. We support sharing revenue for
roadway maintenance equally (50/50) between the state and cities and counties,
given the equally -pressing funding needs of both systems, as well as the
longstanding historical precedent for collecting transportation user fees through a
centralized system and sharing the revenues across the entire network through
direct subventions. Ensuring that funding to local governments is provided directly,
without intermediaries, will accelerate project delivery and ensure maximum
accountability.
4. Raise revenues across a broad range of options. Research by the California Alliance
for Jobs and Transportation California shows that voters strongly support increased
funding for transportation improvements. They are much more open to a package
that spreads potential tax or fee increases across a broad range of options, including
fuel taxes, license fees, and registration fees, rather than just one source.
Additionally, any package should move California toward an all -users pay
structure, in which everyone who benefits from the system contributes to
maintaining it - from traditional gasoline -fueled vehicles, to new hybrids or electric
vehicles, to commercial vehicles.
5. Invest a portion of diesel tax and/or cap & trade revenue to high-priority goods
movement projects. While the focus of a transportation funding package should be
on maintaining and rehabilitating the existing system, California has a critical need
to upgrade the goods movement infrastructure that is essential to our economic
well-being. Establishing a framework to make appropriate investments in major
goods movement arteries can lay the groundwork for greater investments in the
future that will also improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
PAGE 3 OF RESOLUTION NO. 69-2015
6. Strong accountability requirements to protect the taxpayers' investment. Voters
and taxpayers must be assured that all transportation revenues are spent
responsibly. Local governments are accustomed to employing transparent processes
for selecting road maintenance projects aided by pavement management systems,
as well as reporting on the expenditure of transportation funds through the State
Controller's Local Streets and Roads Annual Report.
7. Provide Consistent Annual Funding Levels. Under current statute, the annual gas
tax adjustment by the Board of Equalization is creating extreme fluctuations in
funding levels - a $900 million drop in this budget year alone. A transportation
funding package should contain legislation that will create more consistent revenue
projections and allow Caltrans and transportation agencies the certainty they need
for longer term planning.
APPROVED, by the Danville Town Council at a special meeting on August 11, 2015, by
the following vote:
AYES: Doyle, Stepper, Arnerich, Morgan, Storer
NOES:
ABSTAINED:
ABSENT:
MAYOR
APPROVED AS TO FORM: ATTEST:
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CITY ATTORNEY CITY CLERK
PAGE 4 OF RESOLUTION NO. 69-2015