The California Transportation Commission (CTC) has allocated $510 million to 83 transportation projects that will put people to work improving the state’s highways, bridges, and public transit. One of the highlights of the meeting was the CTC revising its funding estimate upward for the State Highway Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP) for the 2014-15 fiscal year from $2.2 billion to approximately $2.4 billion. The revision was in response to the new state budget, which provides $351 million in new transportation funding through the early repayment of loans made to the General Fund.
The new funding includes $210 million for the SHOPP, which pays for transportation safety projects, pavement repair and preservation work, and upgrades bridges; $27 million for Caltrans maintenance projects; $100 million for city and county transportation; $9 million for bicycle and pedestrian projects under California’s new Active Transportation Program; and $5 million to mitigate environmental effects of proposed transportation improvements.
The $510 million in CTC funding allocations include nearly $163 million for “fix it first” projects that will repair bumpy pavement, preserve roads that are in good condition from deteriorating and upgrade bridges to make them safer and stronger. Most of California’s highways are more than a half-century old, and they carry nearly half of the nation’s container freight – heavy loads that pound our highways more than any other state.
“To get the most bang for the buck for taxpayers, Caltrans targets dollars where they are most effective - pavement preservation,” Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty said. “Every $1 spent on preventive pavement maintenance saves Californians $11 that would have been spent on expensive pavement repairs.”
The allocations also include $104 million from Proposition 1B, a transportation bond approved by voters in 2006. To date, more than $17 billion in Proposition 1B funds have been put to work statewide for transportation purposes.
Here are some of the significant projects that will improve and/or preserve California’s valuable investments in its transportation system that received allocations:
San Joaquin County: $5,740,000 – Construct a new underpass on Navy Drive in Stockton, accommodating a future four-lane highway and an additional mainline to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe/Amtrak shared track. It will reduce vehicle delays, improve air quality, enhance the movement of goods and reduce noise pollution.
San Joaquin County: $624,000 – Install 15 pedestrian curb ramps at various locations on State Route 4 (SR-4), SR-26 and Interstate 5, in order to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act standards.
Mariposa County: $2,149,000 – Rehabilitate pavement on Mt. Bullion Cutoff Road, near the town of Mariposa, from SR-140 to 1.1 miles west of SR-49. Crews will reconstruct the road surface of approximately four lane miles.
