Wolk transportation bill passes key committee

Bill allows local, regional agencies to increase funding for planning, monitoring projects

SACRAMENTO–The Assembly Transportation Committee voted 11-2 yesterday to approve legislation by Assemblywoman Lois Wolk (D-Davis) to allow local or regional transportation agencies to improve project planning and monitoring, avoiding delays in construction projects.

Currently, agencies are allowed to utilize only 0.5 to 1 percent of their State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) allocation for such activities. AB 2538 allows each transportation planning agency or county transportation commission to use up to 5 percent of their STIP “county share” for planning, programming, and monitoring—known as PPM funding. The bill also provides that the total amount available for PPM shall be no less than 5 percent of STIP totaling $1.25 billion.

“The current funding model just doesn’t work,” said Wolk. “Nearly 10 years ago, legislation made local agencies responsible for determining how their STIP funding will be spent, and for planning and monitoring those expenditures. But it failed to enable them to utilize a sufficient portion of existing funds to cover those responsibilities. This bill would rectify that inequity.

“Wide fluctuations and the uncertainty of funding for STIP capital projects have led to fluctuations and uncertainty with respect to PPM funding. As a result, there is a critical need for stable and ongoing funding to ensure that projects are ready to go when construction money becomes available.”

Daryl Halls, Executive Director with the Solano Transportation Authority, one of the bill’s cosponsors, spoke to how the bill would benefit small counties like Solano County.

“We are a good example of a county where this is critical,” said Halls. “We’re a relatively small county. But we have large highway needs: Interstate 80, Highway 12. This bill would allow our county to get into construction. This funding would be a critical resource.”

Wolk added that AB 2538 has no state fiscal impact, and does not allocate any additional funding to any region. “It simply allows agencies to program current dollars towards PPM activities,” she said.

The bill, which is also cosponsored by the Orange County Transportation Authority, will next be heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. Other supporters include the California Association of Councils of Government, Contra Costa Transportation Authority, San Lius Obispo, Sonoma County Transportation Authority, and Marin County.