FAQ

• Three hundred seventy-nine of California’s 482 cities and 58 counties participated in this study, and their responses provided data on more than 143,000 centerline-miles of local streets and roads. This represents 99.9% of the total local street network!

• The most significant finding of the 2022 Report is that Senate Bill 1 (SB 1) from 2017 has accomplished its first goal – it has arrested the historical deterioration of the local transportation network. The condition of the local transportation network has stabilized at 65 on the Pavement Condition Index scale (a scale of 0 [failed] to 100 [excellent]).
• SB 1 has also enabled cities and counties to make life-saving safety improvements, expand pedestrian, bicycle and transit access and opportunities, and reduce the funding shortfall.
• Bridges are still aging, and at current funding levels, local bridges will need to be in service for more than 200 years, or 3 times their intended lifespan.
• The needs of the local transportation infrastructure are estimated at $127.2 billion over the next 10 years. With SB 1, the funding available is $52.9 billion, resulting in a shortfall of $74.3 billion.

• Cities and counties maintain more than 144,000 centerline miles of local streets and roads. This represents 85% of the state’s road network.
• They also own and maintain 12,339 bridges – almost half of the bridges in California.

Appendix A of the 2022 report lists the agencies who contributed financially to this study. They include:

• 57 out of 58 counties
• 320 out of 482 cities
• 37 of 48 California’s regional transportation planning agencies

• Local streets and bridges hold the state’s entire transportation network together. From the moment we open our front door to drive to work, bike to school, or walk to the bus stop, we depend on safe, reliable local streets and roads.
• Police, fire, and emergency medical services require safe, reliable roads to respond quickly to emergencies. A few minutes delay can be a matter of life and death.
• California is a leader in the fight against global warming. Cities and counties are doing their part to build livable communities that provide multi-modal transportation options to walk, bike, and take transit to move around. This reduces stress on our local roads, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and promotes public health benefits of an active lifestyle.
• The local street and road system is critical to California’s economy. The “last mile” that every package travels from rail, airports, and seaports occurs on the local system. A functioning, well-maintained local network promotes economic sustainability and vitality.
• Investing in infrastructure creates good-paying jobs and contributes to stable communities.

• In April 2017, the California State Legislature and Governor Jerry Brown agreed on a bipartisan, long-term, robust, and multi-modal transportation funding solution to help close the funding gap and repair and improve the state’s transportation system. SB 1 – the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 – generates over $5 billion annually for state highways, local streets and roads, bridges, transit systems, active transportation and key freight and trade corridors.
• Cities and counties receive $1.5 billion annually; this means $15 billion in additional revenue for local agencies to repair and replace aging bridges, address safety issues, and repair and maintain streets and roads over the next 10 years.

• SB 1 was intended as a first step to arrest and stabilize the historical deterioration in local roads and bridges. Although it is a significant source of new revenues, it will not completely bridge the funding gap.
• The needs of the local transportation infrastructure are estimated at $127.2 billion over the next 10 years. With SB 1, the funding available is $52.9 billion, resulting in a shortfall of $74.3 billion.

• Aging infrastructure, rising construction costs, and new regulatory requirements all contribute to the shortfall. In addition, the purchasing power of existing revenue streams such as the gas tax is declining. Budget constraints have precluded much-needed maintenance. While flexible funding for pavements, safety improvements, and essential components increased drastically with the passage of SB 1, dedicated funding for local bridges has been stagnant since 2009.
• Other factors such as heavier vehicles; better vehicle fuel-efficiency; increasing traffic; and the need to accommodate alternative modes of transportation like buses, bicyclists, and pedestrians, place increased demands on roads even as funding continues to decline.

• The local transportation system isn’t just roads and bridges. Support infrastructure for other modes of transportation is included, such as bicycle and pedestrian facilities. Safety components such as traffic signals, signs, streetlights, and stormwater facilities are also included.

• No. Only the local transportation system is included in this study. This system includes more than 144,000 centerline miles of roads owned and maintained by cities and counties.

• Yes. The study also includes facilities for bicyclists and pedestrians. The pavement component of this report also contemplates other transportation modes that use roadways, such as buses, taxis, and heavy trucks.

• The counties of Orange, San Francisco, San Diego, San Bernardino, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Riverside, Plumas, Nevada and Ventura (in order of condition) have the best pavement conditions.

Margot Yapp, President
NCE
Myapp@ncenet.com 

Sui Tan, Project Manager
Metropolitan Transportation Commission
stan@bayareametro.gov
510-400-8428

David Leamond, Past Project Manager
Director of Public Works
County of Stanislaus
leamond@stancounty.org

Mark Neuburger
Legislative Advocate
California State Association of Counties
mneuburger@counties.org

Damon Conklin
Legislative Representative
League of California Cities
dconklin@cacities.org