BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE BILL NO: AB 1219
SENATOR ALAN LOWENTHAL, CHAIRMAN AUTHOR: evans
VERSION: 4/22/09
Analysis by: Arthur Bauer FISCAL: no
Hearing date: July 7, 2009
SUBJECT:
Solano Transportation Authority
DESCRIPTION:
This bill authorizes the Solano Transportation Authority to file
a claim for Transportation Development Act revenue.
ANALYSIS:
The Legislature enacted the Transportation Development Act
(TDA), Senate Bill 325, Chapter 1400, Statutes of 1971, in order
to ensure "the efficient and orderly movement of people and
goods in the urban areas of the state." The TDA authorized the
boards of supervisors in each county to impose a -percent local
sales tax for transportation purposes. All counties imposed the
tax in 1972, because if they had not, the state, under
California's uniform tax law would not have collected the
one-percent local sales tax that supports the general funds of
cities and counties. The TDA funds allocated to each county
based on retail sales in the county are deposited in the Local
Transportation Fund (LTF) in each county treasury.
The County of Solano and the cities of Benicia, Dixon,
Fairfield, Rio Vista, Suisun City, Vacaville, and Vallejo have
executed a join powers agreement creating the Solano
Transportation Authority (STA). STA is responsible for
transportation planning, coordination, and the financing of
projects for its eight member jurisdictions. STA also provides
countywide planning for the development of roads, transit,
rideshare, rail, bicycle, and pedestrian facilities, manages the
Solano Napa Commuter Information and Safe Routes to School
AB 1219 (EVANS) Page 2
programs and coordinates four transit services.
Solano County is under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan
Transportation Commission (MTC), the transportation planning,
coordinating, and financing agency for the nine-county San
Francisco Bay Area. MTC functions as both the regional
transportation planning agency, a state designation, and, for
federal purposes, as the region's metropolitan planning
organization. As the regional transportation planning agency,
MTC allocates TDA funds to the County of Solano and the cities
in the county.
Use of TDA funds for planning and programming
Existing law authorizes statutorily created regional
transportation planning agencies to allocate to themselves for
planning and programming up to three percent of TDA funds that
the Board of Equalization (BOE) distributes to the counties
within the regions. In addition, existing law allows certain
agencies, including Los Angeles County Transportation
Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the Orange County
Transportation Authority, the Riverside County Transportation
Commission, the San Bernardino Associated Governments, and the
Ventura County Transportation Commission, to be allocated from
one to three percent of TDA funds for transportation planning
and programming.
This bill authorizes STA to file an annual claim with MTC for up
to two percent of Solano County's TDA revenues for
transportation planning and coordination purposes.
Use of State Transit Assistance funds for planning and
programming
In addition to the TDA program, the state has established the
State Transit Assistance Fund (STAF) into which are deposited
funds from the state sales tax on gasoline, including the
spillover funds. After transfers for state transit programs, the
remaining spillover funds are distributed to regions, with 33.3
percent based each region's share of the state's population and
33.3 percent based on each regions share of transit revenues.
The amount distributed on the basis of population may be
allocated by the regional agencies for transportation purposes,
including planning and operations. The amount allocated on the
basis of fare revenues is allocated to transit operators in the
AB 1219 (EVANS) Page 3
region.
This bill authorizes STA to file a claim with the Metropolitan
Transportation Commission to receive funds from the STAF that
are allocated to the region on the basis of population.
COMMENTS:
Purpose . The STA wants to strengthen its planning and
programming responsibilities. In order for STA to receive TDA
funds for planning and programming, each city and the County of
Solano, must file a claim on its behalf for the funds. Should
this bill be enacted it will be unnecessary for each city and
the county to file its own claim for the planning funds and then
transfer the funds to STA. The number of applications being
prepared in the county and being reviewed by MTC will be reduced
from eight to one. In addition, STA is seeking STAF funds that
MTC receives for transportation purposes, which includes
planning as well as transit operations. The amount of STAF funds
that STA will receive will be negotiated by MTC and STA.
STA uses the TDA funds for transportation planning and
programming. The STAF will be used several purposes, including
providing matching funds to local transit operators for the
purchase of buses, funding countywide and local transit studies,
funding transit marketing activities, funding intercity transit
operations on a short-term or transitional basis, and supporting
its planning program.
Assembly Votes:
Floor: 56-22
Trans: 10-1
POSITIONS: (Communicated to the Committee before noon on
Wednesday,
July 1, 2009)
SUPPORT: Solano Transportation Authority (sponsor)
OPPOSED: None received.