Record-Shattering 81% Transportation Victory Charts Future Course

Coalition-Based Efforts and Mass Transit are Key to Transportation Solutions Statewide

A record-shattering 81% vote for Alameda County's Measure B shows that voters understand that mass transit is the way to relieve congestion and grow smarter in California, and that transportation plans which are the product of broad, inclusive coalitions are the best way to pass transportation sales tax measures.

The 81% victory stands in stark contrast to a 58% vote on a 1998 transportation sales tax that did not have support from a broad coalition of groups and had less of an emphasis on transit. With these handicaps, the 1998 measure failed to clear the 66.7% hurdle required to pass a sales tax in California.

With the majority of its funding dedicated to mass transit and other alternatives to driving alone, Measure B devotes only 18% of its funding for highways, a 180-degree reversal from the 1986 version of Measure B, which devoted fully two-thirds of its funds to highways.

"Voters clearly see transit as a life preserver to rescue us from drowning in traffic," said Jeff Hobson, Alameda County Coordinator for the Bay Area Transportation and Land Use Coalition. "This election sends a clear message to counties around the state that the era of just promoting highways as the solution is over."

Following up on a promise made two years ago at the outset of negotiations over the Measure B expenditure plan, the Bay Area Transportation and Land Use Coalition ran a strong grassroots campaign to pass Measure B, emphasizing the unanimous support for mass transit.

"Measure B is not just a flash in the pan," said Coalition Chair Stuart Cohen. "This is a movement - a movement to bring the public into transportation decisions, decisions that for too long have been made behind closed doors."

The Bay Area Transportation and Land Use Coalition brought together a broad assortment of public interest groups, ranging from homeless advocates to environmentalists, bicyclists to the League of Women Voters.

"Believe me, this was new for us - working so closely with allies with a range of perspectives - but working together we saw how much we had in common when it came down to transportation issues." said Cameron Yee of PUEBLO, who was one of the representatives for the needs of homeless and low-income people during Measure B negotiations. "Elected officials must realize that participation from broad coalitions is the best way to craft strong transportation measures that will pass at the ballot box."

By winning surprising changes in the funding allocations, this unlikely coalition brought unanimous consensus on the ballot measure, resulting in the overwhelming 81% level of support.

"We applaud the Alameda County Transportation Authority and the elected officials who recognized the need to dramatically improve the 1998 measure," said Dan Kirshner of Environmental Defense. "They made those changes, we all campaigned hard for Measure B, and today we are celebrating the record-breaking results."

Over a dozen counties around the state expect to consider transportation measures over the next decade, and other funding programs such as a regional gas tax, state and federal transportation programs also loom on the horizon. This Coalition will bring its same diverse mix of advocates to the table for the struggles over these funding allocations, struggles that will decide the fate of billions of dollars in transportation investments.

Alameda County was only the second California county to pass a transportation sales tax, and so-called "self-help" counties around the state have been eagerly watching this contest for lessons to use in crafting attempts to reauthorize their own transportation measures. In the Bay Area, almost every county is likely to see a battle over local transportation measures over the next decade - with existing taxes due to expire in Contra Costa, San Mateo, and San Francisco counties, and previous attempts in Marin and Sonoma counties.

Updated: 11/8/00