Texas transportation advocates celebrated a wide margin of support Tuesday night for Proposition 1, a road-funding measure expected to generate $1.7 billion in its first year alone for the state’s increasingly strained highway system.

The proposition was far ahead with a lead that supporters hoped would compel legislators to address long-term transportation funding needs during next year’s legislative session.

“I think the message is, people acknowledge that we’re significantly underfunded in our transportation infrastructure, and this is saying we need to find opportunities and sources to fund it,” said Brandon Janes, chairman of Transportation Advocates of Texas.

The constitutional amendment will take about half the oil and gas severance tax revenues, which, until now, have gone exclusively to the state’s economic stabilization fund, commonly known as the rainy day fund, and put that share into construction and maintenance of roads and bridges. No proceeds will go to toll roads.

Although it has not yet been determined exactly how the money will be apportioned, local transportation officials with the Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization estimate that the Bexar County region, which includes several surrounding counties, could get $650 million in Proposition 1 funds over the next decade.

But the state comptroller’s office says the proposition is expected to address only about a quarter of the state highway system’s funding needs, which are estimated to be about $5 billion.

“We still have a lot of work to do going into this legislative session,” said Vic Boyer, president and CEO of the San Antonio Mobility Coalition, a local transportation advocacy group.vdavila@express-news.net

BY VIANNA DAVILA : NOVEMBER 4, 2014 : Updated: November 4, 2014 11:05pm

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