SANTA BARBARA – Santa Barbara MTD’s Board of Directors has unanimously passed a resolution opposing Proposition 6, a measure placed on the November ballot that would repeal Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), which funds crucial transit and transportation infrastructure projects.
SB 1 was passed by the state legislature and signed by Governor Jerry Brown in 2017, ensuring funding for public transportation, road safety improvements, and repairing local streets, highways, bridges and overpasses. Santa Barbara MTD benefits in the following ways from these funds:
- Around $1.3 million annually in increased State Transit Assistance (STA) for capital and operating expenses
- State of Good Repair (SGR) funds helping fund the purchase of needed new buses
- Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) funds for facility improvements and maintenance
If Proposition 6 is passed by the voters, the funds above will no longer be available.
More information on how SB 1 funding is being spent around the state can be found at rebuildingca.ca.gov.
The language of the adopted resolution can be found here.