increase ridership and expand accountability
Category: Measure B 2016
STAR hopes that our series of posts on Measure B have brought you to the realization that it is not the transportation solution we need. We can do better. Many of you have already voted, others will vote tomorrow. And no matter how you vote, please do vote. If Measure B passes, STAR is committed to … Continue reading We Can Do Better
STAR believes our transportation must provide safe options for all users, no matter what their mode of travel. We believe in Vision Zero. Sacramento County is currently far, far from providing safe travel. Measure B does not invest significantly in that goal. Among the many benefits of Measure B being touted by proponents is traffic relief. … Continue reading traffic relief or harm reduction?
One of the glossy mailers you have received from the deep-pockets MeasureB-Yes group, the fold-out one, has a section devoted to accountability, led by a photo of a cute dog. This is supposedly a watchdog, but it is a straw dog. Straw men are arguments raised and then answered, but which were never an issue, … Continue reading watchdog or straw dog?
This one page document provides a quick summary of STAR's position on Measure B, and briefly lists what we'd like to see when Measure B fails.
STAR is not opposed to transportation taxes, but we are in favor of transportation taxes well-spent, and Measure B does not meet that criteria. Darrell Steinberg, Sacramento's mayor-elect, and Susan Peters, Sacramento Board of Supervisors member, wrote a soapbox opinion for Sacramento Bee, published yesterday: Why Measure B is good for commuters (SacBee 2016-10-31). There are several instances … Continue reading fuzzy thinking from pro-Measure B
Measure B locks in a particular solution for airport transit service, missing less expensive and more efficient alternatives. Measure B specifies $234,000,000 funding for a specific transit project, which is the Green Line to the Airport. The text is: "Light Rail Green Line extension (Township 9 – Natomas – Airport): 12.8 mile light rail extension … Continue reading getting to the airport
Another benefit touted by the supporters of Measure B is the accountability built into the ballot language. This includes: Independent Taxpayers Oversight Committee periodic performance audits annual financial audit by each agency cost sharing: "The objective for Measure B is to assist jurisdictions to achieve – but not require – a local match of 33% … Continue reading Measure B accountability
Streetsblog has been running posts on transportation sales tax ballot measures in several counties in California. Many are better than our Sacramento Measure B, some are worse. There will probably be posts about additional counties on Streetsblog California leading up to the election. Contra Costa County Transportation Sales Tax Measure X Pleases Some (2016-10-20) Transportation Sales Tax Measures … Continue reading Other county tax measures
The concept of "fix-it-first" has been very prominent in pro-Measure B mailings and publicity. This is not surprising, since maintaining roadways ranked very high in the surveys Sacramento Transportation Authority (SacTA) conducted to determine support for the measure, and nearly all people, regardless of preferred mode of transportation or political persuason agree that our roads … Continue reading Measure B “fix-it-first”
Measure B has been titled by the Sacramento Transportation Authority "The Road Maintenance & Traffic Relief Act of 2016." What does traffic relief mean? It is being touted as meaning that there will be less congestion on our roadways. And who doesn't want that? The problem is, it doesn't work that way. Every time roads … Continue reading “traffic relief” and induced demand
Sacramento Transit Advocates and Riders (STAR) 