Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce | Santa Cruz, CA
  • About Us
    • Who We Are
    • Membership
    • Marketing Opportunities
    • People of the Chamber >
      • Board of Directors
      • Ambassador Program
    • Internships
    • Contact Us
  • Events & News
    • Chamber Events Calendar >
      • Business After Hours
      • Ribbon Cutting
      • Annual Membership Meeting
      • Women in Business
      • Recognition Awards Gala >
        • Awards: Awards Gala
        • Sponsors: Awards Gala
        • Entertainment: Awards Gala
      • Community Leadership Visits
      • Golf Tournament
    • Community Calendar
    • Chamber News
  • Visit & Live
    • Annual Events
    • Local Events
    • Community Services
  • Resources
    • Emergency Resources
    • Inflation Reduction Act
    • Black Owned Santa Cruz
    • Business Intelligence
    • Learning & Consulting Resources
    • Employment/Intern Opportunities
    • Business & Project Startups
    • Starting Your Business
    • Employment Stats
  • Advocacy
    • Racial Equality Statement
    • Chamber Action
    • 2024 Candidate Interviews
    • Community Leadership Visits
    • Core Economic Issues
    • Projects & Policies
    • Santa Cruz County Governments
  • Directory
  • Login
  • About Us
    • Who We Are
    • Membership
    • Marketing Opportunities
    • People of the Chamber >
      • Board of Directors
      • Ambassador Program
    • Internships
    • Contact Us
  • Events & News
    • Chamber Events Calendar >
      • Business After Hours
      • Ribbon Cutting
      • Annual Membership Meeting
      • Women in Business
      • Recognition Awards Gala >
        • Awards: Awards Gala
        • Sponsors: Awards Gala
        • Entertainment: Awards Gala
      • Community Leadership Visits
      • Golf Tournament
    • Community Calendar
    • Chamber News
  • Visit & Live
    • Annual Events
    • Local Events
    • Community Services
  • Resources
    • Emergency Resources
    • Inflation Reduction Act
    • Black Owned Santa Cruz
    • Business Intelligence
    • Learning & Consulting Resources
    • Employment/Intern Opportunities
    • Business & Project Startups
    • Starting Your Business
    • Employment Stats
  • Advocacy
    • Racial Equality Statement
    • Chamber Action
    • 2024 Candidate Interviews
    • Community Leadership Visits
    • Core Economic Issues
    • Projects & Policies
    • Santa Cruz County Governments
  • Directory
  • Login

Chamber blog

The Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017

5/8/2017

3 Comments

 
  • On April 6th 2017, the California legislature passed the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 (Senate Bill 1), the largest gas tax in state history. This bill was just signed into law by Governor Brown on April 28th.
  • This bill will raise the base gasoline excise tax by 12 cents per gallon, will increase the diesel and biodiesel tax by 20 cents, and will impose annual vehicle licensing fees. The combination of these taxes and fees will provide the state roughly $5 billion a year in transportation funding, and $52 billion over the next 10 years.
  • While the passing of Senate Bill 1 is considered a huge win for the Democrats in Sacramento, it did not come easily, as highly controversial last minute deals with hesitant Democrats and Republicans resulted in roughly $1 billion being set aside for projects in areas of Riverside and Modesto.
  • With Santa Cruz County having already approved Measure D in December of 2016, which authorized a half cent sales tax that will raise an estimated $17 million per year for local transportation funding, Senate Bill 1 will offer Santa Cruz County an additional $6 million per year, making available an additional $23 million in annual funding for road repair and transportation projects in Santa Cruz County.
  • In addition, in response to concerns that the new funds will not be spent solely upon transportation as intended, Senate Bill 1 contains a proposed 2018 constitutional amendment that will guarantee that all of the $5 billion a year, will be used only for transportation repair and projects.
  • From Senate Bill 1, which will begin in November of 2017, the City of Santa Cruz can expect to receive $1.48 million annually, whereas Watsonville will receive $1.21 million, Scots Valley $278,000 and Capitola $232,000.
Relevance: This bill is of great relevance to California’s infrastructure and economy as a whole, and addresses recent concerns in Santa Cruz County regarding the need for greater funding for roads and transportation. While this tax increase can be criticized as an increased financial burden for Santa Cruz residents who have already approved a gas tax in November and are struggling with the extremely expensive nature of California living, one can also argue that increased funding for transportation infrastructure and projects will not only put many people to work, but will also strengthen Santa Cruz’s local economy, as safe and efficient travel is a core aspect of economic growth. Furthermore, this additional funding may also play a role in supporting the City’s energy efficiency goals, as this bill allocates funding for sustainable and energy efficient transportation, setting aside an annual $100 million to promote increased travel by walking or bicycling, as well as $25 million for sustainable communities grant applications. Furthermore, this bill will also heavily invest in strengthening public transit, an essential aspect of sustainable travel. Many also see this increase in transportation funding as highly timely, in light of one of California’s wettest winters, which caused an estimated $20 million in road damage in Santa Cruz County, forcing both the City and County to declare a state of emergency.
​
To read more about the relevance of this bill please see our Chamber Newsletter for more details:
http://web.santacruzchamber.org/news/newsarticledisplay.aspx?ArticleID=1528
To see the specific details on the allocation of the projected funding please visit the following link:
http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article147437054.html 
For more information please see the following links:
  • http://www.kion546.com/news/santa-cruz-county/measure-d-passes-will-fund-transportation-projects/200725634
  • http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article143237054.html
3 Comments
Marina Teramond link
5/27/2021 01:26:51 pm

since California is one of the largest states in America, the condition of the roads must comply with this

Reply
gmc parts link
7/3/2023 05:45:55 am

It's great to know that bill. That is so important.

Reply
sba loan calculator link
7/11/2024 02:47:25 pm

Small Business Advocates in Santa Cruz, Aptos and Watsonville Area

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Authors

    Casey Beyer
    ​Ilan Zur
    ​Mireya Avila

    Archives

    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    July 2016

    Categories

    All
    Budgets
    Chamber Economics
    Education
    Health Care
    Housing
    SCCity Economic Development
    SCCounty Economic Development
    State
    Transportation
    UCSC
    Utilities
    Water

    RSS Feed

Member Login
Privacy Standards
Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce
Mailing Address - 7960 Soquel Dr Ste B112
Aptos CA 95003

Phone: (831) 457-3713

Click Here to Join Our Weekly Newsletter