Gas prices go up, but city says the money is going to the right place

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Gas prices are on the rise again, but Fresno city officials say the money is necessary to chip away at hundreds of millions of dollars needed for road repairs.

"Without that investment, the streets really just fall apart," said Scott Mozier, director of the City of Fresno's Public Works Department.

California's gas prices already lead the nation but went up about six cents per gallon on Monday as part of Senate Bill 1, better known as the Gas Tax.

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Passed back in 2017, SB1 is supposed to bring about 54 billion dollars in road repair and maintenance statewide over the next decade, including here at home.

That money can already be seen at work in the city of Fresno. With the fiscal year kicking off on Monday, Mozier says the money is funding dozens of projects around the city, and says most people won't be far from an improvement of some kind.

"Which means we're getting underway with a lot more paving, concrete repair work, traffic safety projects throughout the city of Fresno," he said.

Mozier says that asphalt is only designed to last about 20 years, so the city has an estimated $600 million of repairs needed on Fresno city roads. The projects are relatively even in their distribution throughout the city. You can see projects being worked on by the City of Fresno below.

Cities throughout the Valley are seeing funds from the tax, but the amount of money depends on a number of factors. Fresno and Clovis got the most money last year ($9,396,006 and $1,979,188, respectively). Fresno used about $6 million last fiscal year, so close to $3 million will carry over into the new fiscal year.

Other cities in the Valley are getting money too but it's based on population and size, with Clovis, Fresno and the County of Fresno leading the way in getting funds. To see how much money each city received last fiscal year, click here.