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SB 680: VRF : Santa Clara County (2005)

Summary

SB 680 (2005) would have authorized the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority to adopt an annual vehicle registration fee of up to $5 per vehicle for up to 8 years to finance traffic and transportation improvements in Santa Clara County. 

Current law authorizes similar vehicle registration fees for air districts and other local agencies.  SB 680 would have provided the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority with the option to generate local funding for important transportation improvements in all 15 cities and towns in Santa Clara County.

Final Status and Text

SB 680 is no longer active. Its final status was:
Vetoed by the Governor

You can read its final text on the Legislature's Bill Information site.

Background Information

Need for the Bill:

In response to the State’s budget shortfall, state transportation funding has been suspended.  SB 680 authorizes the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, which is charged with providing transportation planning, programming and services in Santa Clara County, to generate funding through a vehicle registration fee for transportation and transit projects in the County.  SB 680 provides local authority to create local funding solutions to provide local transportation needs. 

Under SB 680, adoption of a fee would require a two-thirds vote of the board for the Santa Clara Transportation Authority on the following:  (1) the creation of a fee; (2) adoption of an expenditure plan; and (3) adoption of findings of fact establishing a nexus between the fee and fee expenditures.  All three components will have to be approved by a two-thirds vote before the fee can be adopted.

SB 680 authorizes a fee of up to $5 per vehicle for a maximum of 8 years.  Should a fee be adopted, it is estimated that up to $7 million would be generated annually ($56 million over an 8-year period) for the county’s highest priority traffic mitigation/improvement projects. 


News & Press Releases about SB 680

05/23/2005 - Santa Clara County Traffic Relief Measure Advances in State Senate