This update provides information on road funding status, road improvement and maintenance projects under construction, upcoming safety/road improvement projects, and a listing of submitted SACOG grant funding applications.
BACKGROUND
Cities and counties own and operate over 85% of the roads in California, where every trip – whether by car, transit, or bicycle – starts and ends on a local street or road. A viable local transportation network is critical for the safety and mobility of the traveling public, farm to market transfer, multi-modal demands, commerce, and the provision of emergency services.
The maintenance and preservation of the local transportation network provides both public and private sector jobs and thus supports economic growth in every corner of the state. Furthermore, well-maintained infrastructure is critical for economic development by attracting businesses and providing for the safe and efficient movement of both people and goods. There is a significant focus in California on climate change and building sustainable communities, and sustainable communities cannot function without a well maintained local street and road system.
Yolo County’s ability to undertake road operations and maintenance, and capital improvement projects, is completely dependent on state and federal program funding. There are no local revenue sources for county transportation improvement work (e.g., county sales tax). It is difficult to reliably project revenue from state and federal program funding sources, because much of it is awarded on the basis of competitive applications rather than by a defined formula.
State revenue sources received by the county road fund that are used primarily to fund ongoing maintenance activities, such as the state Highway Users Tax Account (HUTA), the Transportation Development Act, the Federal Exchange, and the State Match Program, together garner less than $6,000,000 annually to the county.
In April 2017, Governor Jerry Brown signed the Road Repair and Accountability Act (also known as SB1), which provides up to $5.2 billion annually for transportation related projects throughout the state. Of this, approximately $1.5 billion is allocated via formula amongst the local road system, owned and maintained by 539 cities and counties. Of the total allocated funds for FY 2018-19, the SB1 portion for Yolo County is estimated at $4.205 million, or 48% of the total HUTA funding.
Yolo County is using SB1 funds to rehabilitate roads that are not eligible for state and federal program funding, and will not have any other type of subsidy opportunities. Proposition 6, which seeks to repeal SB1, will be on the statewide ballot in November 2018. If passed, it has been reported that funding for over 6,500 road and bridge projects will be eliminated in the first year alone. According to the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) estimates, Yolo County stands to lose over $4.2 million in the current fiscal year. In fact, the county would have to down-scope, delete, or delay many future road and bridge projects.
Current Construction Projects:
The following county projects are in construction, or will be later this fall:
| Project Name |
Goal |
Update |
Project Cost |
Construction Start |
Construction Finish |
| 2018 Pavement Preservation |
Pavement preservation of CR 14 from CR 85 to CR 13; CR 13 from CR 14 to State Route 13, CR 85 from State Route 16 to CR 14 |
Chip seals completed – rehabilitation of CR 13 and 2nd Street in Yolo underway |
$7,000,000 |
8/1/2018 |
Fall 2018 |
| CR 27 Rehabilitation |
Rehabilitate CR 27 between |
Contract awarded – construction ready to start |
$3,268,000 |
9/17/2018 |
Fall 2018 |
| Highway Safety Improvement Project – Striping Project |
Install high visibility road striping on various county roads |
Contract awarded – construction start waiting until 2018 road construction projects are closer to completion |
$3,048,600 |
Late Fall 2018 following rehab projects |
Winter 2019 |
Future Projects:
A mixture of road improvement projects are planned for construction next year and beyond, and will be funded primarily with one-time state or federal funds. The largest of the upcoming construction projects is the County Road 98 Safety Improvement and Reconstruction Project. While all county roads are safe, this project will improve conditions on this roadway by providing a wider paved roadway, improved intersections with turn lanes, and clear recovery areas with utility poles and drainage ditches further away from the travel lanes. All of these elements will improve the safety characteristics of the busy road.
Ongoing Maintenance Activities:
County staff completes routine maintenance and repair work daily, such as responding to emergencies and complaints, clearing and maintaining ditches, grading gravel roads, collecting & disposing trash from roads, lane striping, sign installations and repairs, shoulder mowing, tree trimming, bridge repairs, pothole repairs, and related work. Public Works maintenance crews complete repairs based on available funding and corresponding road conditions; unfortunately, the backlog of routine road repairs for the 757 miles of county-maintained roads is extensive as we have substantially fewer resources to complete the work.
2018 Funding Application Summary:
SACOG; Community Design Application:
CR 32A RR Crossing Relocation Scoping (with Davis) – submitted June 29, 2018 - $220,000 total (Davis & Yolo combined) ($20,000 match)
SACOG; Regional Program Applications (four submitted):
- CR 27 Rehab (CR 99 to CR 102) – submitted July 19, 2018 - $6,100,000 total ($700,000 match)
- CR 27 Complete Streets & Intersection with 102 Improvements – submitted July 19, 2018 - $2,260,000 total ($261,000 match)
- CR 98 Phase II ROW – submitted July 19, 2018 - $4,519,000 total ($519,000 match)
- CR 31 Rehabilitation (CR 93A to the City of Davis) – submitted July 19, 2018 - $12,000,000 total ($1,378,000 match)
The schedule for the SACOG implementation is outlined below:
Working Group Evaluation – fall 2018
Draft Funding Round Recommendation – November 15, 2018
Final Funding Round Recommendation - December 20, 2018
Fund Availability - Spring 2019
Cycle 9 Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP):
South River Road Guardrail Replacement – submitted July 27, 2018 |