Turning Money Into Motion

Propositions 1A and 1B, supported by the Auto Club, were approved in November 2006 to protect the gasoline sales tax for transportation purposes and authorize $20 billion in bonds for long-delayed road and transit projects.

It's now time to consider what progress has been made. Proposition 1A made certain that lawmakers kept $1.4 billion in gasoline sales taxes for transportation in the state budget adopted in August. But the governor and legislature still diverted more than $1 billion away from transportation programs. This move by Sacramento runs counter to the clear message voters sent in November: We want the state to spend more, not less, to reduce congestion. On the bond front, overall the state is doing a good job in allocating Proposition 1B money, with $8 billion committed to date to improve highways and reduce congestion. The key now will be building these projects quickly and efficiently. The legislature has also set guidelines for how much of the rest of the $20 billion will be spent, including $5 billion for public transit and $2 billion for local streets and roads. Making decisions about these funds won't always be easy, but the decision-making should be equitable, and the money should go to projects that reduce traffic congestion.