Speaker Atkins Announces Plan to Charge Drivers $1 Per Week to Help Fix California’s Roads

A proposal to increase transportation infrastructure funding and improve safety  on California highways, bridges, and roads was announced Wednesday by Assembly Speaker Toni G. Atkins.

Under her plan, it would cost most drivers $1 per week ($52 annually). This would also all the State to back-fill the truck Weight Fees to transportation instead of using them to repay general obligation debt.

Here is the Press Release

SACRAMENTO—Assembly Speaker Toni G. Atkins today announced her proposal to increase transportation infrastructure funding to improve safety and efficiency on California’s highways, bridges, and roads.

“California cannot have a strong middle class or a thriving economy if our roadways are congested and people and goods cannot move efficiently throughout the state,” said Speaker Atkins (D-San Diego). “The Assembly is stepping up and proposing $10 billion for transportation infrastructure—$2 billion per year over the next 5 years—starting in 2015-16.”

The Assembly plan includes:

• $1 billion per year by returning truck Weight Fees to transportation instead of using them to repay general obligation debt.

• $200 million per year for transportation funding by accelerating repayment of transportation loans.

• $800 million per year in new net funds for transportation by establishing a new Road User Charge.

“This is the right proposal at the right time. California has overcome a dangerous recession in our very recent past, the present is fiscally stable and looking stronger every day, so now we need to look ahead and help fix the future. And addressing transportation funding so we can have better, safer, and faster infrastructure is a key part of fixing the future,” said Speaker Atkins.

While the Assembly will continue to crunch the numbers as our proposal moves forward, it’s anticipated that the Road User Charge would amount to about a dollar a week for most drivers. The Road User Charge would also backfill the Truck Weight fees, allowing the $1 billion per year to be spent on transportation without meaning cuts to schools, higher education or health care.

With 33 million registered vehicles, California has more cars on the road than any other state. And we’re traveling farther each year: vehicle miles traveled in California has climbed 26 percent, from 259 billion miles traveled in 1990 to 326 billion in 2012.

According to multiple studies in recent years, California faces numerous transportation problems:

• California has the second-highest share of roads in “poor condition” in the nation.

• Some 58% of state roads need rehabilitation or pavement maintenance.

• Our state has 6 of the 10 cities with the worst road conditions in the nation.

• Nearly 1/3 of our bridges and overpasses show signs of deterioration, or do not meet design standards.

• Nearly 70% of California’s urban roads and highways are congested.