HomeMy WebLinkAbout4.07 Fund Transportation Intrastructure or Dt
.-*‘,‘‘' STAFF REPORT CITY CLERK
CITY COUNCIL File #660-40
DATE: August 18, 2015
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
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FROM: Christopher L. Foss, City Manager
SUBJECT: Resolution Urging the State of California to Provide New Sustainable Funding
for State and Local Transportation Infrastructure
Prepared by Roger Bradley, Assistant to the City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The City Council will consider adopting a Resolution that urges the State of California to provide
a new revenue source for street infrastructure improvements.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
No current impact; however, the Resolution urges the State to create a revenue source of a
least $6 billion for street improvements throughout the State, a portion of which would be
allocated to the City for local street improvements.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the Resolution Urging the State to Provide New
Sustainable Funding for State and Local Transportation Infrastructure.
Reviewed By
Assistant City Manager
DESCRIPTION:
Cities and counties own and operate more than 81 percent of California's roads. If statewide
funding remains at current levels, it is expected that, in 10 years, 25% of local streets and roads
in California will be in "failed" condition and the funding shortfall necessary to maintain the street
and roads will grow by $21 billion. According to a recent national report, poor roads cost the
average California motorist $762 per year in extra vehicle maintenance costs. As a result, a
viable revenue stream is needed to support this valuable public resource.
In the City of Dublin, a number of streets have been constructed by new development in eastern
Dublin and are in relatively good condition. However, as these streets age, they will require a
significant amount of additional funding to maintain them at their current condition. A recent
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study conducted under the MTC's Pavement Management Program found that the City of Dublin
will need to invest significant resources over the next five years to maintain its streets at their
current condition. The City also has additional roadway improvement projects that are required
to accommodate local and regional growth. Therefore, it will be of significant value to the City to
have a stable State revenue source established that will help offset the City's cost of street
maintenance and future infrastructure needs.
Currently, Governor Brown has called an extraordinary session of the Legislature to address the
immense underfunding of California's transportation infrastructure. As part of this effort, Staff
recommends that the City join the League and other partners by adopting the attached
Resolution (Attachment 1) in support of a Statewide transportation funding package that
amounts to $6 billion annually for at least 10 years. The Resolution states that any funding
package should split funds equally between state and local governments. As this effort would
assist the City in meeting its infrastructure needs, as well as improve transportation
infrastructure Statewide, Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the Resolution urging the
State to provide new and sustainable funding for State and local transportation infrastructure.
NOTICING REQUIREMENTS/PUBLIC OUTREACH:
None.
ATTACHMENTS: 1. Resolution Urging the State to Provide New Sustainable Funding for
State and Local Transportation Infrastructure
Page 2 of 2
RESOLUTION NO. XX - 15
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN
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RESOLUTION URGING THE STATE 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 and counties own and operate more than 81 percent of streets and
roads in California, and from the moment they open the front door to drive to work, bike to
school, or walk to the bus station, people are dependent upon a safe, reliable local
transportation network; 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. On a scale of zero (failed) to 100 (excellent), the statewide average
pavement condition index (PCI) is 66, placing it in the "at risk" category where pavements will
begin to deteriorate much more rapidly and require rehabilitation or rebuilding rather than more
cost-effective preventative maintenance if funding is not increased; 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, a majority of Dublin's streets were constructed in the recent past and
therefore are in relatively good condition; however, as these streets age, they will require a
significant amount of additional funding to maintain them at the current condition; and
WHEREAS, a study conducted in October 2014, under the Metropolitan Transportation
Commission's Pavement Management Program, found that the City will need to invest
ATTACHMENT 1
significant resources over the next several years to maintain its streets at the current condition;
and
WHEREAS, the City is in need of several additional roadway improvement projects that
are required to accommodate local and regional growth; 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, 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 reduced 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, 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; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of Dublin
strongly urges the Governor and Legislature to identity a sufficient and stable funding source for
local street, road, and state highway maintenance and rehabilitation to ensure the safe and
efficient mobility of the traveling public and the economic vitality of California.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Dublin strongly urges the Governor and
Legislature to adopt the following priorities for funding California's streets and roads.
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
ATTACHMENT 1
transit in addition to funding for roads should also focus on fixing the system
f rst.
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.
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.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 18th day of August 2015, by the following
vote:
ATTACHMENT 1
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
Mayor
ATTEST:
City Clerk
ATTACHMENT 1