Funding
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The Transportation Agency for Monterey County is the local planning agency for the Monterey County region that programs and distributes state and federal money for local and regional transportation projects. The Transportation Agency is responsible for distributing money for public transit, rail, local street and road maintenance, highway, bicycle and pedestrian facilities. The recently constructed Highway 68 at Ragsdale Road was funded in part by the Transportation Agency. In total, the Transportation Agency distributes between $20 and $30 million per year for transportation. |
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| These transportation programs include: | |||||||||||
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1. Regional Surface Transportation Program 2. Transportation Development Act 3. State Transportation Improvement Program 4. Department of Motor Vehicles Fee 5. Transportation Enhancements 6. Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (discontinued June 15, 2005) |
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| Regional Surface Transportation Program | |||||||||||
| The Regional Surface Transportation Program was established by the State of California to utilize federal Surface Transportation Program funds for a wide variety of transportation projects. The State allows the Transportation Agency to exchange these federal funds for state funds to maximize the ability of local public works departments to use the funds on a wide variety of projects including street and road maintenance. The Transportation Agency for Monterey County has the responsibility for distributing these exchanged funds to the local jurisdictions. The exchanged funds are distributed on a fair share and competitive basis. Annual apportionments of Regional Surface Transportation Program funds range from $3 to $4 million. |
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| Transportation Development Act | |||||||||||
| The Transportation Development Act provides for two sources of funding: Local Transportation Funds and State Transit Assistance. The program was established for the purpose of providing funding for public transit in California. These funds are considered local funds and are used for public transit operations and capital upgrades. Transportation Development Act funds are derived from a ¼ cent general sales tax collected by the State and returned to Monterey County. Annual apportionments average around $12,000,000. | |||||||||||
| Local Transportation Funds can be used for the following purposes: planning, pedestrian and bicycle facilities, rail passenger service, public transit, special group transportation service, local streets and roads, and administration. | |||||||||||
| State Transit Assistance funds are dedicated to the operation and capital expenditure of public transit. In Monterey County, these funds are allocated by the South County cities and the Transportation Agency to Monterey-Salinas Transit. | |||||||||||
| State Transportation Improvement Program | |||||||||||
| The State Transportation Improvement Program is a statewide five-year program of state highway and local transportation projects, funded with revenues from state and federal funding sources for capital improvements. These funds can be used for a wide variety of transportation projects including local road rehabilitation, road widening/capacity, intersection improvements, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, public transit, passenger rail, and other projects that enhance the region's transportation infrastructure. | |||||||||||
| The 2006 Program was adopted by the California Transportation Commission on April 27, 2006 and includes the entire California program. It can be viewed at: http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/transprog/stip.htm. Monterey County’s projects include safety and operational improvements, state highway projects, public transit projects, passenger rail, and bicycle and pedestrian facilities. | |||||||||||
| The amount available to Monterey County varies depending on economic cycles and federal and state government priorities. The 2006 State Transportation Improvement Program is approximately $148 million over the next 5 years. View a summary of the Transportation Agency for Monterey County 2006 Program at: Summary of STIP County Shares. | |||||||||||
| Regional Transportation Improvement Program | |||||||||||
| The Regional Transportation Improvement Program (RTIP) is a 5-year program list of transportation projects that are to be funded with State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) funds. The RTIP is adopted by the Transportation Agency every two years for inclusion in the statewide program. The Transportation Agency final 2004 RTIP was approved by the California Transportation Commission (CTC) on August 5, 2004. Monterey's 2004 RTIP included a list of 30 projects totaling over $120 million. The RTIP list includes projects for the state highway system, local roads, public transit, and passenger rail. | |||||||||||
| Department of Motor Vehicles | |||||||||||
| The Department of Motor Vehicles fees are used for the implementation and maintenance of the emergency call box program. These funds are also used to fund the Freeway Service Patrol. The Department of Motor Vehicles collects a fee of $1 per registered vehicle in Monterey County to provide funds for the call box and Freeway Service Patrol Program. Annual revenues of Department of Motor Vehicles fees average around $325,000. | |||||||||||
| Transportation Enhancements | |||||||||||
| Transportation Enhancement funds are for the purpose of constructing transportation projects that are over and above the "normal" types of projects. The goal of program is to enhance the transportation system aesthetically and through support if non-motorized transportation. Projects may include, treescaping and landscaping along roadways, bicycle facilities, decorative sidewalks, transportation museums, and scenic acquisition. Annual apportionments of Transportation Enhancement funds average around $800,000. For more information on Transportation Enhancement see the following site: http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/transprog/reports/Official_TEA_Web_Page.htm | |||||||||||
| Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (discontinued June 15, 2005) | |||||||||||
| Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program funds are federal funds for the purpose of constructing projects or implementing programs that contribute to air quality improvement and have air quality benefits. These types of projects include rideshare programs, bicycle facilities, pedestrian facilities, public transit, passenger rail, traffic signal interconnections and others. | |||||||||||
| A new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule change re-designated Monterey County as an air quality attainment area and no longer eligible for federal Congestion Mitigation funds. Prior to the loss of these funds on June 15, 2005, annual apportionments averaged around $2.5 million. In effect, this funding means that the air quality in Monterey County has improved, and these funds will be allocated to areas which still need help in air quality program. For more information on the program see the following site: http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/transprog/reports/Official_CMAQ_Web_Page.htm | |||||||||||
