Measure B Could Complete Our Streets

The campaign for Measure B - the Santa Clara County transportation sales tax that we've been working on and writing about for the past couple of years - is in full swing. As the public outreach process ramps up, SVBC is working double-duty, helping to promote the measure while also working with Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) to craft Complete Streets policies that will ensure the money significantly benefits people who walk, ride bikes, and take transit.The measure, which calls for $250 million in dedicated bike and pedestrian projects, also includes Complete Streets requirements in the Local Streets and Roads category. That means that cities, towns, and other public agencies receiving funding from the measure for repaving and maintenance projects will need to seriously consider the needs of all road users - pedestrians, people on bikes, and transit takers, as well as motorists - when implementing their roadway projects. The Complete Streets requirements were a victory following months of close coordination with other stakeholder groups. They will effectively unlock millions of dollars for on-street bike and pedestrian accommodations, leaving the $250 million pot for dedicated facilities like paths and bridges. Now, we need to craft some policies that give teeth to those requirements, so we see the actual benefits on the ground.Complete Streets requirements have been part of state, regional, and local policy for years. But it's been far too easy for some local agencies to simply shrug them off by saying facilities like bike lanes and crosswalks are too expensive or "not appropriate" for the roadway in question. Though that may be the case in some instances, we know that there's serious room for improvement. We have local examples of great Complete Streets practices, like those followed in San Jose. That city has leveraged its repaving program to accelerate its bikeways and pedestrian safety programs in recent years. In 2016 alone, the Bay Area's biggest city found a way to add 27 new miles of on-street bikeways. Not all the projects were easy, and some required removing travel lanes or on-street parking. But a serious commitment to roads that serve all users has turned well intentioned plans into action. That's the kind of progress we're now working to incentivize through Measure B.VTA staff, as well as its Technical and Policy Advisory Committees, are dedicated to working with SVBC and other advocates. Together, we will craft Complete Streets policies to make sure that Measure B funds are used wisely and effectively, tackling our traffic problems with solutions that allow people to make sustainable transportation choices. In the meanwhile, we need you to vote YES on Measure B, either on November 8 or by mail-in ballot. The measure needs a two-thirds majority to pass, and without it, we will all be left with our current, inadequate, funding for transportation.Read the full text of the measure, as approved by the VTA Board of Directors, by clicking here (PDF).