The Rebuild California Plan - Highways and Air Pollution (Proposition 1B)

Congestion in California carries a price tag over 20 billion dollars every year in wasted gasoline, time and productivity. Proposition 1B authorizes the state to sell about $20 billion of general obligation bonds to fund transportation projects to relieve congestion. The funds from the measure are marked for:

• Congestion Reduction, Highway and Local Road Improvement ($11.3 billion)
  For capital improvements to reduce congestion and increase capacity on state highways, local roads, and public transit for grants available to locally funded transportation projects, as well as for projects to rehabilitate state highways and local roads.
  
• Public Transportatio ($4 billion)
  To make capital improvements to local transit services and the state’s intercity rail service. These improvements would include purchasing buses and rail cars, as well as making safety enhancements to existing transit facilities.
  
• Goods Movement and Air Quality ($3.2 billion)
  For projects to improve the movement of goods—through the ports, on the state highway and rail systems, and between California and Mexico—and for projects to improve air quality by reducing emissions related to goods movement and replacing or retrofitting school buses.
  
• Safety and Security ($1.5 billion)
  For projects to increase protection against a security threat or improve disaster response capabilities on transit systems; as well as for grants to improve the safety of rail crossings to seismically retrofit local bridges, ramps, and overpasses; and to improve security and disaster planning in publicly owned ports, harbors, and ferry terminals.

Proponents of the proposition argue that the measure jump-starts traffic relief, mass transit, and safety improvements in every corner of the state without raising taxes. Opponents of the measure argue that California cannot afford to continue borrowing its way into a false sense of economic security. More borrowing means worsening budget deficits. The proposition is on the ballot for the November 7th, 2006 General Election.

Sources:

• http://www.lao.ca.gov/ballot/2006/1B_11_2006.htm
  
• http://www.voterguide.ss.ca.gov/
  
• http://www.smartvoter.org/2006/11/07/ca/state/prop/1B/