California Construction Industry Calls for Redirection of Truck Weight Fees

In a joint letter from the California Alliance for Jobs and Transportation California, construction and labor leaders called on the Governor and the Legislature of Californian to spend existing truck weight fees on transportation projects.

Weight fees paid by commercial vehicles to mitigate additional roadway damage caused by heavy trucks have been directed to the State’s General Fund since 2011.

The diversion of these fees, which raise nearly a billion dollars a year, was part of a deal approved by the Legislature that eliminated the State sales tax on gasoline and replaced the lost revenue with an equivalent increase in the gas tax.

The money is currently being used to pay the debt service on general obligation transportation bonds to relieve pressure on the State’s General Fund.

The letter expresses concern about the low priority being placed on needed transportation system repairs, and points out that for the maintenance of local streets, roads and State highways, “the single most important action the Legislature could take this year is to redirect truck weight fees back to transportation repair and rehabilitation.”

Category: General Update