SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Today's Why Guy question comes from Dave Nunn on Facebook, who asks, "Why does my car shake so bad every time I drive into California from another state, no matter which state I'm returning from?"
Dave, sorry for the tire wear and loose bolts on your ride. California's crumbling highways and bridges is a big reason why voters approved SB 1 in 2017 that promised to raise $4.4 billion in 2018 through gas tax increases, and $5 billion per year, every year, to maintain and repair the 394,383 miles of state roads, the most in the country.
Another related question from Steve Pierce on Facebook, who asks, "compared to other states, why are California roads in greater disrepair despite our higher gasoline tax rates?"
Steve, it's a question we get asked the most here at Why Guy headquarters. Each gallon you pump in California, you get hit with 79 cents added in taxes. The highest in the country.
The tax money isn't being used to just fix the roads. It's also used for bike lanes, pedestrian crosswalks and sidewalks. That does fall under a big umbrella of transportation, but not repair of roadways. The original sell on getting people to vote for SB 1 was to fix roads and bridges.
It's happening, but with those billions of dollars getting spread out to other projects, it's not happening fast enough for many who are finding it a bumpy ride in California.
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