Calif. approves $2B in funding for infrastructure, rail projects
Funding includes more than $1.3 billion in funding toward nearly 150 transportation projects for additional maintenance, improvements, and construction throughout California.
Caltrans announced that the California Transportation Commission (CTC) approved funding for more than 100 transportation projects funded entirely or at least partly by $690 million from Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017.
"These projects are a just a small portion of the key improvements we need to maintain California’s critical transportation infrastructure. Throughout the state, projects like these are being completed through SB 1 investments," said Laurie Berman, director, Caltrans.
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The CTC also approved more than $1.3 billion in funding toward nearly 150 transportation projects for additional maintenance, improvements, and construction throughout California.
Most of the projects receiving funding allocations are part of the State Highway Operations and Protection Program (SHOPP), which is the state highway system’s "fix-it-first" program that funds safety improvements, emergency repairs, highway preservation, and some operational highway improvements. While funding for this program is a mixture of federal and state funds, a significant portion comes from the Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account created by SB 1. Caltrans will focus on repairing and rehabilitating the state highway system by improving pavement, bridges, culverts and intelligent transportation systems, which are included in the performance requirements of SB 1.
Other projects include ones from the SB 1-created Solutions for Congested Corridor, Trade Corridor Enhancement, and Local Partnership Programs. These vital programs tackle congestion, support valuable trade corridors and bolster local agency efforts to invest in transportation. Furthermore, the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program, which funds projects to modernize transit systems, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and improves safety, was allocated more than $122 million in SB 1 dollars for 11 rail and transit projects.
SB1, the landmark transportation infrastructure bill signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in April 2017, invests $54 billion over the next decade to fix roads, freeways, and bridges in communities across California and puts more dollars toward transit and safety. These funds will be split equally between state and local investments.
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