Measure for Measure
New ballot initiatives address transportation , finance and homelessness
By Ken Smith
Region Business CEO Joshua Wood ( at podium ) and fellow concerned city leaders formed the Sacramentans for Safe and Clean Streets and Parks coalition to address homelessness .
Photo courtesy of Region Business
Two ballot measures backed by Region Business that address quality of life and economic growth in the region are set to appear on area ballots in November .
Measure A , titled the “ Sacramento County Transportation Maintenance , Safety , and Congestion Relief Act of 2022 ,” will provide a consistent funding source for a long list of transportation improvements in each city and unincorporated community in Sacramento County .
Projects would include bike and pedestrian improvements , congestion relief on area roads , extension of light rail to the airport , a new expressway that would connect Highway 50 with Highway 99 and I-5 to shorten travel times between Elk Grove and Folsom , and preserving the American River Parkway while making safety improvements to the bike path . It will be on the county ballot and requires a simple majority vote to pass .
By instituting a half-cent sales tax dedicated to infrastructure funding through 2063 , Measure A provides local matching funds that will bring hundreds of millions of additional state and federal dollars to fix roads and upgrade transit . The California Alliance for Jobs , which is leading the Measure A campaign , says the initiative will create thousands of well-paying jobs .
102 comstocksmag . com | September 2022