Fix Our Roads Coalition Issues Statement in Response to CARB Vote
The Fix Our Roads coalition, of which UCON is a member, has issued a statement in response to the expected vote by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to phase out sales of new gas vehicles by 2035. Last month the coalition sent a letter to Governor Newsom and CARB members outlining their concerns that there is currently no plan to identify a replacement revenue source for tens of billions in gas tax revenues needed to maintain California’s roads.
Michael Quigley, Executive Director of the California Alliance for Jobs said, “We support California’s transition to cleaner cars. But we are disappointed that CARB and the Administration completely failed to address the gaping hole that will be blown in our state’s transportation infrastructure funding as we transition away from internal combustion engine vehicles. Losing tens of billions of dollars in infrastructure funding will decimate the quality of our roads and bridges, jeopardize safety, decrease mobility, cripple public transit, and result in more traffic congestion. Furthermore, reductions in funding of that magnitude will destroy hundreds of thousands of middle-class construction careers. We need California’s leaders to come up with solutions to replace this funding now rather than waiting until it’s too late.”
CARB’s own analysis estimates a loss of $30 billion in transportation infrastructure funds just in the next two decades due to the decline in gasoline consumption - California’s primary source of transportation infrastructure funding. Local governments will also lose tens of billions in gasoline sales and excise taxes dedicated to transportation improvement projects.
Previously, members of the Fix Our Roads coalition sent a letter to CARB and the Administration warning of the hit to transportation infrastructure funding. The letter reads, in part:
“We support California’s path to a cleaner energy future. However, we want to raise significant concerns that the current California Air Resources Board (CARB) Advanced Clean Cars II Regulations (Regulations) would leave a gaping hole in transportation infrastructure funding – and there is currently no plan to provide replacement revenues. We don’t believe it is the intent of the Administration or CARB to completely decimate construction jobs or California’s transportation infrastructure. Nonetheless, this is a significant vulnerability that remains unaddressed in the current Regulations.”
The Fix our Roads coalition helped pass Senate Bill 1 in 2017, which provided historic new funding for California’s transportation and transit systems through a modest increase in the state gas tax. The coalition also helped defeat Proposition 6 in 2018 to protect these vital transportation investments.
Organizations signing the letter include:
California Alliance for Jobs (CAJ)
League of California Cities
California State Council of Laborers
California Nevada Conference of Operating Engineers
American Council of Engineering Companies of California (ACEC CA)
American Society of Civil Engineer - California (ASCE)
Associated General Contractors of California – San Diego (AGC)
Associated General Contractors of California (AGC)
Bay Area Council
CalAsian Chamber of Commerce
California Asphalt Pavement Association (CalAPA)
California Builders Alliance (CBA)
California Business Properties Association
California Construction & Industrial Materials Association (CalCIMA)
California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce
Engineering Contractors Association (ECA)
Northern California Carpenters Regional Council
Orange County Business Council
Rebuild SoCal Partnership
Sacramento Regional Builders’ Exchange (SRBX)
United Contractors (UCON)