LOS ANGELES — California needs to spend $7 billion annually to make city and county streets and roads safe – and raising revenues through local taxes will not be enough, according to a new report funded by local governments and transportation agencies.
Localities have more than a dozen local revenue measures on this November's ballot to support local streets and roads, but local taxes are not enough and must be matched by a new robust state investment in the entire road and highway system, according to the 2016 California Statewide Local Streets and Roads Needs Assessment Report
"It is alarming to see how the rate of deterioration is increasing," said Dan Carrigg, deputy executive director of the League of California Cities. "We cannot afford to avoid properly repairing and maintaining our transportation system any longer. Legislators understand the problem and have some thoughtful proposals on the table. Now we need to finish the job."
Over the next decade, absent a significant new public investment, the local system is facing a $73 billion funding shortfall to bring pavements into good condition, address deficient bridges, and fix essential components such as storm drains, sidewalks, and signage, the report said.
It is estimated that $3.5 billion is needed annually just to maintain local streets and roads in their current condition; but the report said that current funding lags behind at just $1.9 billion per year.
The average pavement condition of local roads is a 65 on a scale of zero to 100, which is considered an "at risk" condition, the report found.
"For the past eight years, local governments have been warning that the current funding system for local street and road maintenance is inadequate and we have billions of dollars in deferred maintenance," California State Association of Counties Executive Director Matt Cate said in a prepared statement.
This latest report proves that poorly maintained roads are deteriorating faster and will cost more to fix in the long run, Cate said.
The assessment was conducted by the California State Association of Counties, the League of California Cities and the state's regional transportation agencies on city street and country road systems that make up 80% of California's roadways.
If cities and counties don't take action and continue to defer work it could double the cost of repairs in the future and impede efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants, the report said.
Only six counties had pavement in good condition, down from 16 since the assessment was first conducted in 2008; 52 counties have pavement conditions in the poor or at risk category, from 42 in 2008, according to the report.
"Fifty-two of 58 counties already have poor pavement conditions or are at risk," Cate said. "The time to act is now. We have to increase funding, and make commonsense reforms, to maintain local streets and roads or we risk a collapse of our transportation system."
The report has been produced every other year since 2008.
This year's surveyed California's 58 counties and 482 cities and captured data from more than 99% of the state's local streets and roads.
