Resolution 15073CITY OF ALAMEDA RESOLUTION NO. 15073
SUPPORT OF NEW SUSTAINABLE FUNDING FOR STATE AND
LOCAL TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE BY THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA
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 Alameda has participated in efforts with the California
State Association of Counties, 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 Alameda's local streets also have a
statewide average pavement index of 66, placing them in the "At Risk" 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, the City of Alameda is an island city linked by four roadway bridges,
one rail-road Bridge, two tunnels, 125 lane miles of streets, 260 miles of sidewalk and
87 traffic signal, and various traffic calming devices and much of its traffic infrastructure
is over 70-years old and requires frequent maintenance, is beyond its initial useful life,
and is in urgent need of repair, rehabilitation and/or replacement; and
WHEREAS, the City's funding needs for repair and rehabilitation will be
significantly addressed by the proposed transportation funding package and these
transportation projects, particularly the traffic calming and upgrade of traffic signals, will
directly improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety; and
WHEREAS, the proposed transportation funding package allocates half of the
total $6 billion in funding for local streets and roads, and $3,476,000 would be directly
distributed to the City of Alameda; 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 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.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF ALAMEDA supports efforts for the State to identify 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.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Alameda
strongly urges the Governor and Legislature to adopt the following priorities for funding
California's streets and roads.
1. 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 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Provide Consistent Annual Funding Levels. Under current statute, the
annual gas tax adjustment by the Board of Equalization is creating
extreme 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 transportation agencies the certainty they need for longer term
planning.
I, the undersigned, hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was duly and
regularly adopted and passed by the Council of the City of Alameda in a regular
meeting assembled on the 1st day of September, 2015, by the following vote to wit:
AYES: Councilmembers Daysog, Ezzy Ashcraft, Matarrese, Oddie
and Mayor Spencer — 5.
NOES: None.
ABSENT: None.
ABSTENTIONS: None.
IN WITNESS, WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of
said City this 2nd day of September, 2015.
Lara Weisiger, Ci
City of Alameda
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
AirC
Jane C. Kern, City Attorney
City of Alameda