Council Urges Action on State Road Repair Funding

Commutes are only going to get worse and potholes bigger until the State of California gets serious about its responsibility to fund transportation, argued the Bay Area Council and allies at a media event this week (Feb. 17) in Martinez.  Early last year, the Bay Area Council applauded Gov. Brown’s proposal to raise more than $3 billion per year for highway system repair and improvement, and urged the Governor and the Legislature to think big and bold.

Since then, the Council and its allies in business, labor, and local government have been pushing the Legislature to enact a responsible transportation funding package that includes serious new money—possibly up to $6 billion per year—along with accountability and taxpayer protection provisions that ensure that the money is quickly and efficiently turned into transportation improvements. The time for the Legislature to act is now, with the economy strong and gas prices low; continued inaction from Sacramento means only that the future bill will be an order of magnitude higher and that our overburdened transportation system will be a drag on job creation in California. To engage in our transportation policy work, please contact Senior Vice President Michael Cunningham.