The Legislature finds and declares as follows:
(a) Public transportation is an essential component of the balanced transportation system which must be maintained and developed so as to permit the efficient and orderly movement of people and goods in the urban areas of the state. Because public transportation systems provide an essential public service, it is desirable that such systems be designed and operated in such a manner as to encourage maximum utilization of the efficiencies of the service for the benefit of the total transportation system of the state and all the people of the state, including the elderly, the disabled, the youth, and the citizens of limited means.
(b) The fostering, continuance, and development of public transportation systems are a matter of state concern. Excessive reliance on the private automobile for transportation has caused air pollution and traffic congestion in California’s urban areas, and such pollution and congestion are not confined to single incorporated areas but affect entire regions. Furthermore, public transportation systems which are not designed so as to be usable by disabled persons foster increased welfare costs and the waste of human resources. Thus, the Legislature has elected to deal with the multiple problems caused by lack of adequate public transportation on a regional basis through the counties, with coordination of the programs being the responsibility of the state pursuant to contract with county governments.
(c) While providing county assistance to a particular transportation system may not be of primary interest and benefit to each and every taxpayer in a county, providing an integrated and coordinated system to meet the public transportation needs of an entire county will benefit the county as a whole. It is the purpose of this chapter to provide for such systems in those counties where they are needed.
(d) The local transportation funds authorized by Article 11 (commencing with Section 29530) of Chapter 2 of Division 3 of Title 3 of the Government Code are made possible by the imposition of the state’s sales and use taxes on motor vehicle fuel, which allows for a reduction in state taxes without a corresponding loss in revenue. By authorizing counties to increase their sales and use taxes, an additional source of revenue has been made available for public transportation within such counties. Applicants for a disbursement from a local transportation fund shall only be eligible for an allocation from the fund of the county in which such transportation is provided.
(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 769, Sec. 9. (AB 2679) Effective January 1, 2013.)