Walkable Neighborhoods

US Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and US Representative Doris Matsui (D-California… Sacramento to be exact) have introduced two important walkability-related bills to the US Congress.
Senator Harkin introduced the Complete Streets Act of 2008 (S. 2686) which would require states and MPOs to establish complete streets policies and apply them to federally-funded projects. The bill clarifies [...]

Last week, WalkSacramento provided a very through analysis of how the California Ballot Initiatives will affect the bike/ped world. We thought it was a very good analysis and Walkable Neighborhoods also endorses the analysis they provided. Here is what they sent to their members:

WALKSacramento Summary of Major Provisions and Analysis of Key Propositions on the November 2006 Ballot (partial list)

Proposition 1A — Use of sales tax revenues from sales of gasoline

Key provisions: Increases restrictions upon the legislature’s and governor’s use for general fund purposes of sales tax dollars generated from sales of gasoline; Specifies process by which the governor, via proclamation, and the legislature, with a subsequent 2/3 vote in each house, can together suspend transfers of these revenues from the general fund to a transportation fund; Establishes that these transfers are loans that must be repaid in full within three years; Limits such transfers to two over any ten-year period; Requires payment from general fund to a transportation fund of a portion of previous transfers.

Analysis: By making it more difficult for the legislature and governor to prevent the continuing transfer of sales tax revenues from the general fund to transportation funding (80% roads, 20% transit, 0%walk-bike) that first started with the Transportation Congestion Relief Act and then proceeded with Proposition 42, Proposition 1A will worsen the state general fund’s structural deficit, threatening all programs funded via the general fund.

Proposition 1B — Transportation Bond — $19.925 billion

Key Provisions:

Walking and Bicycling Mobility or Safety: $0 billion
Zero, zip, nada >>Continue Reading This Article>>