"The state Legislature on Thursday passed a sweeping $52 billion transportation plan that will raise California gas taxes after leaders struck deals with wavering lawmakers to fund road projects in their districts."


"Sen. Anthony Cannella, R-Modesto, was the only Republican to vote for the deal. The measure provides $500 million in funding to Cannella’s district. It allocates $400 million for an extension of a Bay Area commuter rail line, the Altamont Corridor Express, to Ceres and Merced and a $100 million parkway project between the University of California, Merced campus and Highway 99."

(a) (1) Fifty percent of available annual revenues under this section shall be allocated by the Transportation Agency to the public agencies, including joint powers agencies, responsible for state-supported intercity rail services. A minimum of 25 percent of the funds available under this subdivision shall be allocated to each of the state’s three intercity rail corridors that provide regularly scheduled intercity rail service.

(2) The Transportation Agency shall adopt guidelines governing the administration of the funds available under this subdivision, including provisions providing authority for loans of these funds by mutual agreement between intercity rail service corridors.

(b) (1) Fifty percent of available annual revenues under this section shall be allocated by the Transportation Agency to the public agencies, including joint powers agencies, responsible for commuter rail services. For the 2018–19 and 2019–20 fiscal years, 20 percent of the funds available under this subdivision shall be allocated to each of the state’s five commuter rail service providers that provide regularly scheduled commuter rail service. Commencing July 1, 2020, the funds available under this subdivision shall be allocated based on guidelines and a distribution formula adopted by the Transportation Agency.

(2) On or before July 1, 2019, the Transportation Agency shall prepare a draft of the proposed guidelines and distribution formula and make them available for public comment. In preparing the proposed guidelines and distribution formula, the agency shall consult with the state’s five commuter rail service providers. The final guidelines and distribution formula shall be adopted on or before January 1, 2020. The guidelines shall include, but need not be limited to, provisions providing authority for loans of these funds by mutual agreement between commuter rail service providers and providing for baseline allocations to each provider.

(c) The funds made available by this section may be used for operations and capital improvements.


(2) The revenues, less refunds, attributable to a rate of 0.5 percent of the 4-percent increase in the rate pursuant to subdivision (b), amounting to one-eighth of revenues from the increase in the rate under that subdivision, shall be estimated by the State Board of Equalization, with the concurrence of the Department of Finance, and transferred quarterly to the Public Transportation Account in the State Transportation Fund for allocation by the Transportation Agency to intercity rail and commuter rail purposes pursuant to Section 99312.3 of the Public Utilities Code.