No on Prop 6: Engineers and Transportation Experts Warn Passing Proposition 6 Will Increase Costs for California Drivers

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Sept. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to a flawed report released yesterday by the Yes on 6 campaign and produced by partisan group "California Policy Center," the No on 6 campaign today issued the following release. The fact is, by repealing transportation funding and stopping thousands of transportation repair projects already underway, Prop 6 would actually INCREASE costs for California motorists.

"As a civil engineer, I know that the cost of doing nothing to fix our deteriorating roads and bridges is too high a price to pay. I personally just hit a pothole that led to a $1,100 repair bill. In comparison, investing in safe infrastructure sounds like a pretty good deal to me," said Kwame Agyare, Region Director for the American Society of Civil Engineers. "Prop 6 would cause our roads to further deteriorate, and our bridges will to continue to age. Costs will mount, and we will be spending $4 or $5 in the future to repair what we could have done for a dollar today."

"The fact is, Prop 6 will cost California drivers more in the long run. For starters, Prop 6 does not contain a single provision requiring oil companies to reduce gas prices should it pass," said Michael Quigley, executive director of the California Alliance for Jobs. "The only guarantee is that Proposition 6 will immediately eliminate $5 billion annually in existing transportation funds dedicated to transportation improvements ? making our roads, bridges and transportation system less safe, more congested and more deteriorated. This will cost motorists more in the long run as we pay for unexpected vehicle damage, wasted fuel and other costs associated with bad roads."

The No on 6 campaign provided the following points in response to the flawed report:

• The average California driver already spends $739 dollars per year on front end alignments, shocks and tire repairs because of driving on bad roads, according to TRIP, a national Transportation Research Group. (link to report)
• By eliminating funding for more than 6,500 road repairs underway, Prop 6 will make our transportation system more congested and deteriorated ? increasing the cost of wear and tear on vehicles and fuel costs as motorists idle in traffic longer.
• The report correctly acknowledges that working families depend on a reliable transportation system as they travel further distances. These families will pay more should Prop 6 pass when roads get worse. Low-income families are far more susceptible to unexpected repair costs and increased fuel costs that result from congested, crumbling roads.
• The flawed Yes on 6 report grossly overestimates the value of the average vehicle. The study uses the price of brand-new vehicles rather than the actual current cost of vehicles. In fact, the report estimates that the "average" family owns vehicles worth $60,000.
• According to the State Department of Finance:
• Vehicle registration: Nearly 50% of all registered vehicles in California are valued at less than $5,000. Forty percent are valued at less than $25,000. Thus, the average annual amount for vehicle registration is approximately $48.
• Fuel: California's 26 million licensed drivers consume 15.5 billion gallons per year. That is 577 gallons per driver, multiplied by 12 cents per gallon is $69.24 each.
• Thus: The annual average cost per driver is: Vehicle Registration $47.85 + Fuel $69.24. Total = $117.09 per year OR $9.76 per month
• Prop 6 is a bad deal that will cost drivers more in the long run.
• Stopping projects that fix our roads means more car repairs and more money out of drivers' wallets.

About No on Prop 6 ? the Attack on Bridge and Road Safety:
The California Professional Firefighters, California Association of Highway Patrolmen, American Society of Civil Engineers, business, local government, labor, environmentalists and first responders urge NO on Prop 6 because it will stop critical transportation projects and jeopardize the safety of our bridges and roads.

Prop 6 eliminates more than $5 billion annually in existing transportation funds and stops funding for more than 6,500 bridge and road safety, transportation and public transit improvement projects currently underway throughout California.

Prop 6 is opposed by a broad coalition of more than 450 public safety organizations, engineers, local transportation agencies, cities, counties, environmental groups, business and labor organizations throughout California.

www.noprop6.com 
@noprop6

SOURCE No on Prop 6