AgdaPkt 2004-05-10 - Laserfiche WebLink

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II I I . I -.1 ,. - CtA -1- I. SUMMARY Measure A: Effective and Essential .~ The 1988 voter approval of Measure A, San Mateo County's half-cent transportation sales tax, adopted under provisions of the California Public L'tilities Code commencing at Section 131000, has provided the County with a resource to meet its multi-faceted transportation challenges during the past 16 years. The measure also marked the development of the San Mateo County Transportation Authority (hereafter referred to as the TA), the agency created to administer the sales-tax funds. Because the measure ends in 2008, its extension is at the heart of the County's ability to continue meeting its growing transportation needs. Growth in employment during the 1990s has increased traffic congestion along several highway segments in the County. Significant progress has been achieved in the County through investments in Caltrain and highway improvements; however, the task is not yet complete. As the economy rebounds and then continues to grow, we need to maintain our infrastructure to accommodate the accompanying traffic congestion in commute corridors and on local streets and roads. Continuing traffic growth also has underscored the importance of additional safety measures, particularly grade separations along the Caltrain rail line and safe bicycle and - pedestrian facilities. Local transit service, especially for the elderly and people with disabilities, has become increasingly important in communities throughout the County. The extension of Measure A will provide San Mateo County with the resources to continue shaping the transportation program to best meet the needs of County residents. In nearly 20 years since the drafting of the current Transportation Expenditure Plan, the County has seen the emergence of a new set of challenges, which must be met if the quality of life in the County is to be preserved. Developing the Next Transportation Expenditure Plan The draft Transportation Expenditure Plan for the extension of Measure A began with a blank sheet of paper and was assembled through a process which embraced the many and varied constituencies that make up San Mateo County. Beginning in the Spring'of 2003, we embarked on a process that included melding technical evaluations with the feedback from the public and elected officials throughout the County. The TA provided an important forum for public input into the draft Transportation Expenditure Plan by sponsoring focus groups, three public workshops and hosting ~ more than 30 outreach events to civic organizations, service groups and neighborhood associations. Through this public process, the TA gained perspectives of residents 2