Tuesday, August 27, 2002

By Reporter Staff
The Greenbelt Alliance and Bay Area Transportation and Land Use Coalition are taking "neutral" stands on Measure E, the half-cent sales tax initiative on the November ballot.

"We have come a long way, but Measure E still has pros and cons," said Natalie Dumont, field representative for the alliance. "It would greatly expand our public transit options and improve our roads, but, at the same time, the proposed highway expansions may fuel costly sprawl."

Jeff Hobson, policy director of the land-use coalition, sounded more enthusiastic than Dumont.

"While we had hoped that Solano County would commit more money in Measure E to preventing sprawl development and the traffic it creates, the mass transit, bike and pedestrian funds in the 20-year plan will create great new transportation choices for county residents," said Hobson.

The Greenbelt Alliance is a group that aims to protect open space and is based in San Francisco. The Bay Area Transportation and Land Use Coalition is a partnership of 80 groups in the Bay Area working for livable communities.