Prop 1B To Give Fairfield $1.7 Million For Road Work

Prop 1B To Give Fairfield $1.7 Million For Road Work
By Ben Antonius

FAIRFIELD - The city will have $1.7 million to spend on local roads after receiving its share of money from the voter-approved Proposition 1B.

Proposition 1B - the Highway Safety, Traffic Reduction, Air Quality and Port Security Act of 2006 - passed in November 2006. The bond, part of a $40 billion infrastructure bond package, provides $19.92 billion for various transportation projects to rebuild California.

In particular, it includes $1 billion for California cities to spend on local transportation priorities. This fiscal year, cities received $550 million. They will receive the rest in 2010.

Fairfield's share - $1,699,859 to be precise - will likely go toward projects involving substantial repair work to major roads, Assistant Public Works Director George Hicks said.

"They represent the minority of our street miles, but the majority of our miles traveled," Hicks said.

Transportation officials will meet soon to prepare a list of project priorities, which will eventually be reviewed by the City Council and added to the budget.

"Since (street maintenance projects) are underfunded, we know we can use this money," Hicks said. "It's just a question of what's the highest priority."

The amount of the money was not a surprise, Public Works Director Gene Cortright said. The city anticipated receiving money since Proposition 1B was passed and budgeted in anticipation of receiving just less than $1.7 million.

However, it had not been clear until recently when the money would be allotted, Cortright said.

Reach Ben Antonius at 427-6977 or bantonius@dailyrepublic.net.