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Traffic Relief - It's About Time!
By Carl Guardino

About 40 years ago, county leaders did not allow us the opportunity to vote on whether we should bring BART to Santa Clara County. I think this was a big mistake.

Finally, we have a chance to correct that bad decision.

I support Measure A - the Traffic Relief Initiative - on the November ballot because it provides a comprehensive package of traffic relief improvements that allows for both trains and lanes, and delivers it in a timely manner. Also in agreement is the California Taxpayers' Association, with an overwhelming vote of its board to endorse the Measure A ballot initiative, Traffic Relief Now!

Without increasing our current sales tax rate, Measure A provides the following transportation improvements:

• First, for the first real chance in 40 years, we can bring BART to Santa Clara County. Measure A extends BART from Fremont to Santa Clara County with stops in Milpitas, San Jose and Santa Clara. BART will serve San Jose State, Santa Clara University and San Jose International Airport, as well as platform-to-platform connections with the light rail system in Milpitas, and with CalTrain at the San Jose arena and Santa Clara University. BART will serve 78,000 riders a day, the equivalent of more than two full freeway lanes of traffic.

• Second, Measure A builds rail transit connections directly to San Jose International Airport from light rail, CalTrain and BART stations. Currently, the airport serves more than seven million passengers each year, about 97 percent arriving by car. Within 10 years, that number is expected to grow to 17 million.

• Third, Measure A increases CalTrain commuter rail service and speed by double-tracking the line to run more trains; electrifying the lines to make the trains faster, cleaner and quieter, and by adding more trains and service.

• Fourth, Measure A expands our light rail system by building two new lines - one to East San Jose and one to Evergreen. Measure A provides flexibility to address future commuter needs by funding two additional light rail lines during the life of the measure.

• Fifth, Measure A expands the bus fleet to 750 busses from 600. In addition, Measure A expands express bus routes throughout the county to link neighborhoods with employment, education, entertainment and retail centers.

• Sixth, Measure A builds two critical regional rail connections with service to the popular Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) - linking the Central Valley with Silicon Valley. It also funds Santa Clara County's portion of the Dumbarton Rail line to link the East Bay with the Peninsula.

• Finally, Measure A ensures that whatever we build is fully accessible to senior citizens and disabled persons. That means every bus, light rail, CalTrain or BART car is built to serve all of our citizens, young and old alike.

During the life of the measure, the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) will receive more than $2 billion in flexible funds from the state and federal governments for transportation improvements. Currently, those funds are split 60 percent transit and 40 percent roads. A few weeks ago, the VTA Board of Directors voted overwhelmingly to dedicate all of those flexible funds - more than $2 billion - for our high-priority road improvements. In fact, it fully funds ALL of the road improvements identified in the VTA's Valley Transportation Plan 2020, which includes:

Carl Guardino is president and CEO of the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group. For more information on Measure A, visit their website at www.trafficreliefnow.com.

• Nearly $1 billion for state highway improvements.

• Nearly a half-billion dollars sent back to all 15 cities and towns for street maintenance and pothole repair.

• Nearly a quarter-million dollars for county expressways.

• $100 million to synchronize signals.

• $95 million for bicycle, pedestrian and livable communities.

• $20 million for graffiti clean-up and litter removal.

Measure A provides traffic relief now - rather than waiting years from now.

In April, Governor Gray Davis came to Silicon Valley to unveil his $5 billion Statewide Transportation Plan, with $1 billion of those funds dedicated to projects that benefit Valley commuters. This is great news for a county that represents only 6 percent of the state's population. The rest of the news is that those state funds require a local match. When the governor made his commitment, he took heat from the rest of the state, because 33 of California's 58 counties didn't receive a dime - making it incredibly difficult for the governor and our state legislative delegation to keep that $1 billion in the budget. In just 18 months, Congress will begin its process of passing a five-to-seven year transportation funding bill. We are only competitive in that process when we go back to Washington, D.C. with a local source of matching funds.

Finally, we need to move forward now because the traffic crisis facing working families cannot wait two to four years from now. For every one of us stuck every morning and afternoon on Highways 101, 280, 580, 680, 880, 85, 87, 17 and 237, Measure A provides trains and lanes to get traffic moving again.

Finally, we need to move forward now because the traffic crisis facing working families cannot wait two to four years from now.