Clean-Up Legislation to Speed Up Delivery of SB 1 Transportation Projects Signed
Sep 20, 2017
This trailer bill takes effect immediately.
With the passage of AB 135, the process for SB 1 project list adoption and projection reporting changes in the four key ways:
Among its many provisions, SB 1 (Beall) created the “Caltrans Transportation Planning Grant Program,” for which cities are eligible to apply. This grant program offers $25 million annually in transportation planning grants to encourage local and regional planning that further state goals, including, but not limited to, the goals and best practices cited in the regional transportation plan guidelines adopted by the CTC. The program also offers $20 million over three years in adaptation planning grants to local and regional agencies for climate change adaptation planning.
The deadline to submit an application for both grant programs is Oct. 20.
With the passage of AB 135, the process for SB 1 project list adoption and projection reporting changes in the four key ways:
- Allows CTC Project List Adoption by Resolution — SB 1 originally required cities and counties to annually adopt project lists within a city or county budget and submit adopted projects lists to California Transportation Commission (CTC) to establish eligibility for local streets and roads funding. This bill now allows cities and counties to adopt a project list via resolution at a regularly scheduled public hearing.
- Establishes 90-Day Grace Period for Project Lists — AB 135 provides for a 90-day grace period after the CTC’s project list deadline (Oct. 16) for cities and counties to submit their project lists to become eligible to receive their allocations of SB 1 funding. The State Controller’s Office will hold the funds of a non-eligible (no list submitted) city or county for up to 90 days. After 90 days, any withheld funds, and the remaining fiscal year funds, will be reallocated to all other eligible cities and counties.
- Authorizes Local Reimbursement Process to Expedite Project Delivery — Previously, cities and counties did not have the express ability to “internally borrow” non-SB 1 money to begin work on road repair projects before they received their SB 1 funds. AB 135 allows cities and counties to seek CTC approval of a letter of no prejudice to enable the agency to expend its own funds for eligible expenditures in advance of an allocation of SB 1 funds.
- Amends Reporting Requirements — In order to demonstrate to the public, elected officials, and other interested stakeholders the broad benefits of SB 1, cities and counties will now be able to report on the expenditure of all SB 1 local streets and roads funds in a given fiscal year.
Among its many provisions, SB 1 (Beall) created the “Caltrans Transportation Planning Grant Program,” for which cities are eligible to apply. This grant program offers $25 million annually in transportation planning grants to encourage local and regional planning that further state goals, including, but not limited to, the goals and best practices cited in the regional transportation plan guidelines adopted by the CTC. The program also offers $20 million over three years in adaptation planning grants to local and regional agencies for climate change adaptation planning.
The deadline to submit an application for both grant programs is Oct. 20.