Big Bear, CA, February 9th, 2016 – Big Bear Lake Assemblyman Jay Obernolte is co-authoring Assembly Bill 1768, which empowers voters to rescind the “Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act” and redirect the remainder of the bond money to fund repairs to the state’s deteriorating roads and highways.
Obernolte is one of several legislators who believes we need to readjust our transportation spending priorities, and California’s road maintenance program is woefully underfunded.
Under the bill, approximately $7.75 billion dollars would be made available for road maintenance and rehabilitation.
In 2008, California voters approved Proposition 1-A, authorizing $9.95 billion in general obligation bonds to construct a high-speed rail system that would connect San Francisco to Los Angeles.
The estimated cost for the system was $33 billion and the funding was to be shared equally between the state, federal government, and private sources.
In 2012, the cost estimate for the project was increased to $68 billion. At this time, no bond money has yet been spent on high-speed rail construction and approximately $150 million has been spent on planning.
