Just how well has Manteca weathered the Great Recession when compared to the rest of San Joaquin County?

New construction in Manteca accounted for 37 percent of all of the San Joaquin County’s Regional Transportation Impact Fee (RTIF) collected in the first six months of this year. The $330,504 comes from fees assessed on residential, commercial, and industrial construction in all seven cities as well as rural parts of the county.

Since the fee was launched just as the housing market started its downward slide, Manteca growth has contributed $6.7 million of the $21 million collected so far countywide.

The fees are pooled countywide to be spent on major roads that need widening due to growth to accommodate regional traffic movements.

Such roads in the South County could include Lathrop Road, Jack Tone Road, and even improvements along the 120 Bypass. The fee was put in place to address impacts growth in one city has on its neighbors as well as the rest of the county when it comes to increased traffic.

For the past three years, Manteca has consistently been the leader in San Joaquin County when it comes to new housing starts averaging more than 300 new units annually. During the past three years Manteca built more homes than all other communities in San Joaquin County combined. It also has been the leader in new housing starts in the three county Northern San Joaquin Valley region.

The most startling year, however, was 2009. That’s when Manteca had 304 new home built and sold. That compared to 8 in Modesto, 120 in Stockton, and 6 in Tracy.