Transportation Development Act (TDA)

The Transportation Development Act (TDA) was signed by the Governor on November 4, 1971 and became effective July 1, 1972. Several bills have amended the TDA over time. The TDA provides two major sources of funding for public transportation: the Local Transportation Fund (LTF) and the State Transit Assistance Fund (STA). The LTF is derived from ¼ percent of the 7½ percent statewide general sales tax and returned to the County in which it was collected. The STA funds are derived from statewide sales tax on diesel fuel and returned to each county based on a formula of population and fare revenues. The TDA provides a dedicated revenue source to local jurisdictions for the development and support of public transportation and to encourage regional public transportation coordination. The TDA also provides some funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects and when certain conditions are met, streets and roads. The main purpose and priority of TDA, however, is to provide funding for public transportation. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has responsibility for oversight of the TDA program on a statewide basis. As the Regional Transportation Planning Agency (RTPA) for Madera County, the Madera County Transportation Commission (MCTC) is responsible for the administration and distribution of funds to local TDA recipients within Madera County, and monitors the subsequent use of those funds to ensure conformity with TDA guidelines. The full text of the TDA Statutes and California Code of Regulations, as amended in 2013, is available in a California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) publication Transportation Development Act Guidebook.