Search title image

TRANSACTIONS NEWSLETTER ONLINE

November/December 2000
Bay Area Transportation Sales Taxes

Santa Clara County
Measure A
Placed on the November ballot by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), Measure A is a 30-year, $6.5 billion bonanza for transit in the South Bay. Here are some of the major projects in the measure.

  • Connect BART to Milpitas, San Jose and Santa Clara -- $2 billion
  • Build at least two new light-rail lines in corridors to be identified -- $1.1 billion
  • Extend light-rail line from downtown San Jose to East Valley -- $500 million
  • Double-track and electrify Caltrain service -- $325 million
  • Purchase zero-emission buses and facilities -- $250 million
  • Build rail connection from San Jose International Airport to BART, Caltrain and VTA light-rail -- $200 million
For more information on these Measure A projects (and others not listed above), visit the VTA Web site at www.vta.org.
Alameda County
Measure B
The $1.4 billion that Measure B is estimated to raise over its 20-year duration will provide funding for a range of transportation projects and programs. Here are some highlights.

Public Transit -- $612 million

  • BART extension to Warm Springs and connector to Oakland Airport
  • AC Transit services (capital and operating support, including express bus service)
  • Altamont Commuter Express service (capital and operating)
Highways -- $236 million
  • I-680 carpool lanes (Sunol Grade)
  • I-238 widening
  • State Route 84 expressway
Streets and Roads -- $343 million

Paratransit -- $149 million

Bike/Pedestrian Safety -- $81 million

For a complete list of Measure B projects, visit the Web site of the Alameda County Transportation Authority, www.acta2002.com.
Half-Penny Highlights
The half-cent transportation sales taxes approved over the years by voters in five Bay Area counties generate hefty revenues for a wide range of transportation improvements. The recent passage of Santa Clara County Measure A and Alameda County Measure B boosts the total projected sales tax take to over $15 billion in current-year dollars.

Half-penny highlights Sources: County transportation sales tax expenditure plans, MTC estimates

Contents