California's roads and freeways have gotten so bad, the Legislature will be in special session next week to deal with the situation.
Gov. Brown has urged lawmakers to figure out how to cover billions of dollars’ worth of needed upgrades.
“Now is the time,” Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, (D) San Diego, declared at a downtown Los Angeles news conference Friday, surrounded by two dozen fellow lawmakers and local government officials.
“We have the responsibility to make sure we do our jobs in the Legislature along with the Governor to respond to our constituencies -- the cities, the counties, in every part of the state.”
During an intense three weeks of work in Sacramento starting Monday, State Senate and Assembly members will try to get past partisan divisions involving measures to raise $6 billion a year over the next ten years to upgrade California's eroding streets, bridges and freeways.
They say it'll take a combination of gas and diesel tax hikes, and user fees on electric cars and motorists who rack up the highest mileage.
"We'll tell you how many bridges we're going to get out of distressed conditions,” said State Transportation Secy. Brian Kelly. “We'll tell you how many miles of pavement we're going to fix. We'll tell you how many trade corridors are going to be improved. And we want to be held accountable to that."
Local residents interviewed Friday sounded skeptical about how far the money will go before it's time for another cycle of overhauls.
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"It's probably like a Band-Aid,” said Erik Dickens, of Oceanside. “It's not enough -- it's never going to be enough. We'll always be a little bit behind."
Said downtown San Diego resident Dean Cauthey: “I think it'll take an unbelievable amount of money. I don't know where they're going to get it all. Hopefully, the federal government can help us too."
Mark Kersey, chairman of the San Diego City Council's infrastructure committee, told NBC 7 he appreciates Speaker Atkins call for immediate action on seeking funding for state transportation system upgrades.
However, he added, “Any plan adopted in Sacramento must include direct support for local street improvements as well.”
