A coalition of East Bay advocates is urging supporters to speak up tomorrow morning and tell the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC) to take advantage of a "once-in-a-generation opportunity to repair and restore a failing system and provide a cost-effective, equitable, and sustainable transportation future."
Measure B, Alameda County's largest source of transportation funding, is set to go to voters for re-authorization next November, and advocates say it's crucial that the proposal prioritize investments in fixing transit and improving walking and bicycling conditions.
"The ACTC is preparing to ask voters in November 2012 to double the county’s current half-cent transportation sales tax to one cent, make the tax permanent, and approve a 30-year Transportation Expenditure Plan (TEP)," states a press release from the Community Vision Coalition, comprised of members like the East Bay Bike Coalition (EBBC) and TransForm. "The TEP will determine the spending priorities for the first $7.8 billion generated by the new measure."
Dave Campbell, the EBBC's program director, says the measure as it's currently being drafted puts expensive road and transit capital expansion projects ahead of the needs of the existing transit system, and a strong show of public support is needed tomorrow to convince the ACTC to invest the revenue more wisely.
"Our needs are to fix the potholes on the streets, get BART trains and AC Transit buses running on time, and make our streets safer for walking and bicycling," said Campbell. "The ACTC has done public surveys, polling, and outreach, and consistently they've been told, 'Fix the system first.'"
Reaching the two-thirds vote needed to pass the measure in November will require all the support it can get, and "more voters are going to vote for it when projects line up with their priorities," he said.
The ACTC meeting will be held tomorrow from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Newark Pavillion at 6430 Thornton Avenue, Newark.
To learn more about Measure B and the Community Vision Coalition's agenda, check out the Community Vision Platform at the TransForm website.
