Caltrans Director Urges Congress to Reauthorize Transportation Funding
Caltrans’ acting director Malcolm Dougherty this week sent a letter to California’s congressional delegation, urging them to reauthorize transportation funding before the end of the federal fiscal year, Sept. 30, or the state would face shutting down thousands of local transportation projects valued at $23 billion.
The current surface transportation legislation, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), expired in 2009. Congress has extended the act seven times. The federal government currently provides about $3.4 billion per year for transportation projects across the state, according to Caltrans.