$7.8 BILLION
Transportation
Funding Plan
Obernolte Co-author of the Traffic Relief and
Road Improvement Act introduced 2 Bills… Wednesday February 15, 2017 to the State
Assembly, Sacramento California.
Assemblyman
Jay Obernolte 33rd District (R-Hesperia) co-authored the Traffic Relief and Road Improvement Act
(TRRIP), a plan by Assembly Republicans that would restore funding for the California’s
transportation infrastructure without raising taxes.
“Our
crumbling roads are one of the most urgent infrastructure needs facing our
state. We can no longer wait – we must make transportation funding a priority
this year,” Assemblyman Obernolte said. “Californians
already pay the highest gas taxes in the nation and this plan provides a
comprehensive solution without hurting our middle-class families.”
Traffic Relief and Road
Improvement Act
provides an additional $5.6 billion in transportation infrastructure funding
each year by dedicating all vehicle sales and insurance taxes (many of which
are currently diverted to the General Fund) to transportation projects.
TRRIP
would generate another $2.2 billion by immediately repaying money that was raided from transportation funds during the
recession. This funding package supports repairs to local roads, capacity
improvements, highway maintenance, and public transit projects.
TRRIP
devotes 30 percent of its funds towards traffic
relief projects.
The
Democratic proposal introduced this year includes billions of dollars in
proposed tax and fee increases, but provides no new money for relieving
gridlock.
TRRIP
also includes reforms to ensure taxpayer money is being spent effectively. It removes regulatory red tape that
unnecessarily slows down street repairs, improves accountability by
establishing a Transportation Inspector General, and provides audits of major
transportation projects to ensure that the additional funding is being spent
efficiently and appropriately.