California State Rail Plan 2005-06 to 2015-16

Chapter XII – Intercity Rail Funding
REPAYMENTS TO THE PTA
The Statute specifies that the TIF suspensions in 2003-04 and 2004-05 were loans
that are required to be repaid from the Transportation Deferred Investment Fund
(TDIF) by 2008-09. A total of $212 million was suspended in 2003-04 and
2004-05.
Additionally, a total of $275 million was loaned from the PTA to the TCRF
($180 million in 2001-02 and $95 million in 2002-03) and is scheduled to be
repaid by June 30, 2008. The 2005-06 Budget anticipated that $122.5 million
would be repaid from bonds backed by tribal gaming revenues. But due to
pending litigation on these bonds, the $122.5 million has not yet been repaid, and
it is uncertain when these bonds will be sold.
STATE HIGHWAY ACCOUNT
The bulk of the SHA supports the State’s highway system, but a portion of the
account also supports rail projects in the STIP. The SHA receives its funds from
State gasoline and diesel fuel taxes, State vehicle weight fees and reimbursements
from the Federal Trust Fund for Federal-aid projects. Use of the State generated
portion of the SHA is governed by Article XIX of the State Constitution that
allows the funds to be used for research, planning, construction, improvement,
maintenance, and operation of public streets and highways. Additionally, the SHA
can be used for the research, planning, construction, and improvement of public
mass transit guideways (which includes intercity, commuter and urban rail, and
electric trolley bus services) and their fixed facilities. The SHA cannot be used for
mass transit vehicle acquisition or maintenance, or mass transit operating costs.
The 1989 Blueprint Legislation allowed intercity rail projects to compete for SHA
funds in the STIP. Then Chapter 622, Statutes of 1997 (SB 45 - Kopp), reserved
for intercity rail and grade separation projects a minimum of nine percent of the
interregional portion of the STIP as part of the ITIP. SB 45 also allowed intercity
rail projects to be programmed in the RTIP. As a result, in the 1996 through 2002
STIP biennial cycles, a total of $468.6 million were programmed for intercity rail
projects from the SHA. Of this amount, $331.3 million has been allocated.
However, as a result of State funding constraints, between May 2003 and July
2005, only three intercity passenger rail project allocation requests have been
approved for a total of $11.3 million. The remaining unallocated 2002 STIP
intercity passenger rail projects were included in the 2004 STIP. All 2004 STIP
projects in the 2004-05 year that could not be funded due to funding constraints
were moved forward to the 2005-06 year (in the 2004 STIP).
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