Measure F is a $10 increase in the vehicle registration fee in Alameda County that will raise $11 million/year. The voters gave it 63% support at the ballot. The Vehicle Registration Fee specifically funds:
- Repair and maintenance of our local streets and roads to make them safer for vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians (Complete Streets)
- Public transportation projects easier to use and more efficient.
- Intelligent transportation projects
- Projects to improve bicycling and walking
This new funding will go to repave local streets and roads primarily, but also allocates monies to transit, walking and bicycling. The exciting part of Measure F is its requirements that the local streets and roads monies be used for projects that include Complete Streets plans. You will be hearing much more about complete streets next year from Kate Rowland, EBBC’s coordinator for our Complete Streets Campaign. In fact, the passage of Measure F all be guarantees that Alameda County’s upcoming Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan Updates next year include Complete Streets policies.
Complete Streets is not new, but in many ways is a new way of planning our roadways. It is a process that involves many public agencies in decisions on how we spend transportation money. With Complete Streets, involved in the process will be Public Health, Police & Fire, Businesses and your Bicycle Coalition, as well as many other groups previously not specifically invited or involved. It will include Performance Measures for increasing walking and bicycling, training of planners and engineers on walking and bicycling best practices, and the development of better design manuals. You bet we are excited about this.
Update: September 28, 2010
Alameda County seeks $10 from every driver: Contra Costa Times
Update: July 22, 2010
Both the Boards of the Contra Costa Transportation Authority and the Alameda County Transportation Commission approved placing on the November ballot a $10 Vehicle Registration Fee to fund improvements for local streets and roads, transit and bicycle/pedestrian safety. Both Counties included “Complete Streets” language in their ballot measures, thanks to the work of the East Bay Bicycle Coalition and our partners at Transform and Save Mount Diablo.
Election updates will be provided on our website in October, including more details on the $10 vehicle registration fee for local roads. Your Bicycle Coalition is urging your support of this measure, as it is going to jump-start our goal of having all projects, regardless of what the project is, improve your bike commute.
Update: June 16, 2010
At their June 16 Board Meeting, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority gave preliminary approval for an Expenditure Plan that includes “complete streets” requirements for expenditure of local streets and roads money. Specifically, cities will be required to make good faith efforts to implement adopted bicycle and pedestrian plans as a condition of spending the local streets and roads money in the plan, which comprises 71% of the Plan, by the way. There is also a separate bicycle and pedestrian category of funding specifically for ped/bike projects, and this category gets 8% of the money (transit get 21%).
Many involved in the Advisory Committee that developed the Plan only wanted to require that cities “consider” bike/ped improvements, rather that require actual improvements be included. Your Bicycle Coalition, working with Transform, moved the CCTA much further toward the language of complete streets, and we are delighted to report that the Expenditure Plan going to the voters in November will include real facilities for bicyclists.
Key upcoming meeting:
CCTA Public Hearing before the full Board
6:00-8:00pm
July 21, 2010
CCTA Offices
3478 Buskirk Avenue, Suite 100
Pleasant Hill
show your support for “good roads” that include better bicycling, walking and transit
Update: May 24, 2010
The East Bay Bicycle Coalition and Transform have made compelling presentations at the Vehicle Registration Fee Advisory Committee at the West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee for “good roads” for bicyclists and pedestrians, and significant funding for transit. Our asks are being heard, but we still need your help. Please attend an upcoming planning meeting (see schedule below).
Both Alameda and Contra Costa Counties are considering placing a transportation measure on the November 2, 2010 ballot to provide a Vehicle Registration Fee of $10 that would be used for local transportation and transit improvements throughout the East Bay. The Vehicle Registration Fee could help counties provide additional local funding for their transportation needs, including improvements to local streets and roads that make our roads safer for cyclists and pedestrians. The East Bay Bicycle Coalition is pushing for bike/ped projects in the plans for this fee increase, but most importantly, we are pushing for inclusion of “good roads” policies, which ensure that all monies spent be spent in ways to make it safer to bicycle and walk and use transit. And our “asks” are being heard, and you can help.
Both counties have very significant unfunded transportation needs, and this fee would provide funding to meet some of those needs. The Vehicle Registration Fee would be a key part of an overall strategy to develop a balanced, well thought-out program that improves transportation and transit for our residents and has the potential to generate up to $11 million per year in Alameda County and up to $8 million per year in Contra Costa County. The opportunity for a Countywide transportation agency to place this fee before the voters was authorized last year by the passage of Senate Bill 83, authored by Senator Loni Hancock (Oakland).
Full details online at:
- www.alamedacountyvrf.org
- Contra Costa Transportation Authority is still developing its website for this ballot measure
- Read more in the Contra Costa County Times
The Vehicle Registration Fee could fund programs that:
- Repair and maintain our local streets and roads to make them safer for vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians.
- Make public transportation easier to use and more efficient.
- Make it easier to get to work or school, whether driving or using public transportation.
- Result in the reduction of pollution from cars and trucks.
During the spring of 2010, both counties will develop a Vehicle Registration Fee Expenditure Plan, based on broad public input that articulates how the funds generated will be used. The Vehicle Registration Fee Expenditure Plan could have the following benefits:
- All of the money raised by the Vehicle Registration Fee would be used exclusively for transportation improvements in the East Bay. None of it can be taken by the State.
- Help fund roadway repairs and maintenance that make our roads safer for vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians.
- Provide investments that will help to create a smarter, more efficient transportation system.
- Establish a reliable source of funding to help fund critical local transportation programs.
The elements in the Expenditure Plan must have a relationship or benefit to the persons paying the Vehicle Registration Fee.
If you are interested in getting involved, please contact EBBC Program Director Dave Campbell.