No on Prop 6 Endorsement – Protect Gas Tax from Repeal
Recently, LACBC decided to join the No On 6 statewide coalition of organizations that oppose the repeal of Senate Bill 1 (SB1), a transportation gas tax that the California Legislature passed in 2017.
Didn’t LACBC sign onto CalBike’s ‘Oppose Unless Amended’ letter on SB1 last year?
Yes. The primary reason LACBC and dozens of other advocacy groups across the state took this position was due to a loophole that would have allowed dirty diesel trucks to continue polluting environmental justice communities.
So why is LACBC and others now trying to save the gas tax from repeal?
Prop 6 would take away all the funding from the gas tax, but not the dirty trucking provision. We want to protect the funds so that mobility justice activists can have a seat at the table, and advocate further for the policies we want to improve as implementation moves forward.
What’s at stake?
If Prop 6 passes, Los Angeles County will lose up to $1 billion annually to fund transportation improvements, expand public transit, improve air quality, and reduce traffic congestion. A number of important active transportation, safety, and transit projects would lose funding, including the Active Transportation Rail to River Corridor, the Jefferson Boulevard Complete Street project, and the Western Avenue Expo Line Station Linkage Project.
What’s next?
Prop 6 comes to the ballot in November. LACBC urges you to vote no, and protect the transportation funding we have to improve our system and make it safer for everyone to travel in California.
What else do I need to know?
Some of the initial recommendations and asks made by advocates for SB1 have still not been met. While SB1 made great strides in dedicating more funding to transit and active transportation, the majority of the funds still go toward roads and highways – thus continuing to subsidize driving. Additionally, only two of the programs dedicate a minimum share to disadvantaged communities. LACBC will continue to monitor these issues, and advocate for responsible implementation of SB1, while also working to protect the funds from repeal.