Sierra Club
Redwood Chapter Newsletter
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Support AB 2444 $10 Vehicle Registration Surcharge for Air and Water Quality and Transportation Improvements Irvin Dawid | |
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Sierra Club California supports AB 2444/Klehs, a very interesting regional bill for the nine-county Bay Area, that will raise $60 million annually for local transportation improvements and local and regional environmental mitigations to address both air and water pollution caused by motor vehicles. The mechanism is a vehicle registration fee of $10 applied to both the initial registration and subsequent renewals. Unlike other vehicle registration fee bills, AB 2444 actually calls for two separate, distinct fees: a $5 fee levied by the local county transportation or congestion management agency, and a region-wide $5 fee levied by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. In turn, BAAQMD splits their fee with the Regional Water Quality Control Board so as to address water pollution. The county transportation agency and BAAQMD must authorize their respective fees by a 2/3 vote of their boards, so it is quite possible that the $10 fee may not be uniform throughout the Bay Area. The BAAQMD will vote on their position on AB 2444 on June 7. (See "What You Can Do" below.) Motor vehicles are responsible for the greatest source of air pollution, climate change and water pollution in the form of urban runoff. The Water Board has indicated that funds are needed in every county to address storm water pollution runoff. Funds may also be applied to creek restoration. The Air District will be able to use funds for its new Climate Protection program, as well as reducing emissions from light and heavy duty motor vehicles. This is the first revenue-raising bill to fund climate protection programs. Just as important as the air and water mitigation programs are the transportation programs. Unlike other vehicle registration fee bills that supply new transportation funding to the local congestion management agency, AB 2444 specifically states: Eligible projects include, but are not limited to, roadway operations and improvements (not including the construction of through freeway lanes), public transit capital improvements and operations, and bicycle and pedestrian safety projects and programs. Without this clause, we suspect that the new funds would go toward new road widening and extensions. |
AB 2444 represents a unique opportunity to have the three Bay Area chapters of the Sierra Club: Redwood, San Francisco Bay, and Loma Prieta, to unite behind a bill that only affects their particular chapters. Just as importantly, the Sierra Club was key to the creation of this bill through its involvement with co-sponsor Transportation and Land Use Coalition (www.transcoalition.org/), a coalition of environmental and social justice organizations on which the Club holds a seat on the Board of Directors. At the time of this publication, we expect AB 2444 to have passed the Assembly and begin its path in the Senate. We would like Redwood Chapter members who want to see valuable transportation improvements and the environmental impacts of motor vehicles addressed to contact their state senators and their Bay Area Air Quality Management District representatives to convey their support for this important bill. What You Can Do: Please contact your state Senator below (Chesbro, Migden, and Aanestad) to tell him/her of your support for this bill that improves water and air quality as well as local transportation improvements. Sen. Wes Chesbro, 2nd District:
Sen. Carole Migden, 3rd District:
Sen. Sam Aanestad:
Please contact your representative(s) on the Bay Area Air Quality Management District prior to June 7 to ask that they support AB 2444. Sonoma County Supervisor Tim Smith:
Solano County Supervisor John Silva:
Napa County Supervisor Brad Wagenknecht:
Petaluma City Council Member Pamela Torliatt:
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