CC RES 2015-074 RESOLUTION NO. 2015-74
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RANCHO PALOS VERDES
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 we open our 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 City of Rancho Palos Verdes has participated in efforts with the League
of California Cities and California's Regional Transportation Planning Agencies to study unmet
funding needs for local roads and bridges, including sidewalks and other essential components;
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, the results show that the City of Rancho Palos Verdes' local streets have a
statewide average pavement index of 82, placing the City in the "very good" category; 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, 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 reduce 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 Rancho Palos
Verdes strongly urges the Governor and Legislature to identity a sufficient and stable funding
source for local street and 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 Council of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes
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
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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 transit in addition to funding for roads should also focus on fixing
the system first.
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
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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 4th day of August 2015.
64r--
ATTEST:
City Clerk
State of California )
County of Los Angeles ) ss
City of Rancho Palos Verdes )
I, Carla Morreale, City Clerk of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes, hereby certify that
the above Resolution No. 2015-74, was duly and regularly passed and adopted by the said City
Council at a regular meeting thereof held on August 4, 2015.
614--/Z1-1
City Clerk
Resolution No. 2015-74
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