(a) Except as authorized under subdivision (b), toll funds used as a credit toward the nonfederal share of any federal-aid highway project, as authorized under Section 120(j) of Title 23 of the United States Code, or private entity expenditures used for that purpose, as authorized under Section 1217(i) of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (P.L. 105-178), may not be used as a credit for any project that is not within the county or counties in which the toll facility is located.

(b) The toll funds and private expenditures described in subdivision (a) may be used as a credit toward a project located outside the county or counties in which the toll facility is located if the department determines that there is no project in the current state transportation improvement program cycle within that county or counties for which the credit may be used.

(c) The department shall do both of the following:

(1) Obtain specific project proposals for use of the credit described in subdivision (a) from the regional transportation planning agencies and county transportation commissions of the county or counties in which the toll facility is located.

(2) Obtain contingency project proposals for use of the credit outside the county or counties in which the toll facility is located, in preparation for the occurrence of the condition described in subdivision (b).

(d) The county share allocations, as computed under Section 188 or 188.8, may not be increased or reduced as a consequence of any toll revenues or private agency expenditures that are utilized under this section as a credit toward the nonfederal share of any federally funded project.

(Added by Stats. 1999, Ch. 628, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2000.)