In November, voters will consider Proposition 6, which would roll back the additional transportation funding approved by SB 1, the transportation and gas tax law. Millions of dollars of transportation funding and important investments in active transportation and Safe Routes to School—including a significant expansion of the state’s Active Transportation Program—would be rolled back. The Safe Routes Partnership has taken a position against Proposition 6 and urge a no vote.
We will be looking at the negative impact throughout California if Prop 6 passes—this month, we’ll focus on Northern California. In the Bay Area, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), has a section of its website devoted to the impacts of Prop 6. Bay Area cities and counties are forecast to lose $208 million this fiscal year alone, with significant cuts likely in transit and road repair projects. MTC has also released a brief that addresses some of the issues around Prop 6 and transportation funding, State Transportation Funding: Myths vs. Facts. In the Central Valley, according to information on the Fresno Council of Governments website, Fresno County would lose $32 million in road maintenance and rehabilitation, and $58 million over the next 5 years in State Transportation Improvement Program funding if Prop 6 were to pass.
