December 2015
Voters approve Proposition 7 to boost roads
Voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 7, a constitutional amendment intended to boost transportation funding and help Texas navigate the changes brought on by continued population growth and economic expansion. The measure was approved by 83 percent of Texans who cast ballots Nov. 3 to decide seven amendments to the state constitution. All of them passed.
In September 2017, Proposition 7 will earmark $2.5 billion from state sales tax for transportation once revenue tops $28 billion. By September 2019, 35 percent of the proceeds from the motor vehicle sales tax will also be directed to the State Highway Fund, when it exceeds the first $5 billion in that fiscal year. This fund is expected to accumulate $250 million-$500 million per year for transportation.
The money provided by Proposition 7 will be limited to non-tolled roadway facilities. The additional funding moves the Texas Department of Transportation toward the goal of adequate highway funding without additional fuel taxes. The Proposition 7 vote came just a year after the passage of Proposition 1, an amendment that earmarks a portion of oil and gas severance taxes for the transportation system.
Combined with the decision to end the diversion of some money from the transportation fund, these measures show lawmakers are serious about providing TxDOT with the revenue it needs to fulfill maintenance responsibilities and keep roads from worsening.
In a separate development, the projections for Proposition 1 funding for fiscal years 2016 and 2017 have been adjusted because of changes to the comptroller’s revenue estimates. The current fiscal year saw Proposition 1 funding for the region decrease to $240 million. Next fiscal year, the region is set to receive $131 million. |
nctcog.org/localmotion
42 percent
Residents who want to add or improve rail or bus service in their home cities, according to a NCTCOG Mobility 2040 survey.
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