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Sensible Transportation Platform for Solano County

Solano County's traffic problems get worse every year. Job creation has not kept pace with housing development, and so many residents make long daily commutes to distant jobs. We have not adequately invested in a coordinated transportation system to handle today's needs and those of future generations. We need a comprehensive transportation plan that coordinates land use planning with our investments in transportation.

Fair and Safe Traffic Solutions are eager to support a transportation sales tax that will accomplish the following:

1. Fix the interchange
   
   The first funding priority should be to unscramble and expand the I-80/I-680/SR-12 interchange, including ways to make sure carpools and public transit can move easily through the interchange.
   
   
2. Repair existing roads
   
   Existing roads have fallen into disrepair countywide. The cost of fixing our roads is rising, while gas tax revenues to repair them are diminishing. We must protect our investment in existing roads by raising the funds to fix our potholes and repave our local streets.
   
   
3. Plan for the future
   
   As a community we should identify future growth opportunities and clearly designate where growth is and is not appropriate. Traffic will only get worse unless we plan well for accommodating future growth. Only cities that are doing their part to reduce traffic should get their share of our transportation dollars. Transportation funding should be linked to land use planning by conditioning "return to source" funding on the following:
   
   
• Establishment of and compliance with a county-wide Urban Limit Line
  
• Renewal of Solano County's Orderly Growth Initiative
• Implementation of a development mitigation program
• Participation in a cooperative planning program to reduce total vehicle miles traveled
  
  
4. Improve health and mobility
   
   Solano County has the highest asthma rate in the Bay Area, affecting thousands of children and elderly citizens. Vehicle emissions and dust kicked up by vehicles are the number one cause of asthma. The most cost-effective way to reduce vehicle emissions--and address the asthma epidemic--is to encourage public transit and reduce car dependence. We can do this by improving ferry, train, and express bus service for commuters, and expanding transit opportunities for the elderly, the disabled, children, and others who cannot drive. We can also encourage public transit by establishing Transportation for Livable Communities (TLC) programs. TLC programs provide funding for downtown and neighborhood revitalization projects that enhance transit facilities and increase transit accessibility. Another way to reduce vehicle emissions is to reduce the number of cars on the road by encouraging carpooling. We can encourage carpooling by funding park and ride lots and creating high occupancy vehicle lanes on Solano County highways.
   
   An improved and expanded public transit network, effective TLC programs, and a network of HOV lanes will make Solano County's transit system viable and accessible for all its residents, while reducing the threat of asthma. A balanced transportation system will benefit our seniors and children most of all.
   
   
5. Improve safety
   
   Twenty percent of the people who die in traffic accidents are pedestrians. We are not spending nearly enough to make the streets safe for pedestrians. We must improve safety, not only on major highways, but also on local streets within our communities. We need to ensure that children have safe routes to schools and that Solano's streets are safe for everyone.
   
   
6. Ensure protection for farms and natural areas
   
   The sales tax plan should ensure that all highway projects are accompanied by conservation measures that protect farmland and provide open space mitigation.

Sensible Transportation Platform supporters include:
Barbara Kondylis, Chair of the Solano County Board of Supervisors
Duane Kromm, Solano County Board of Supervisors
Karin MacMillan, Mayor of Fairfield
Marilyn Farley, Fairfield City Council
Elizabeth Patterson, Vice-Mayor of Benicia
Dan Smith, Benicia City Council
Tom Campbell, Benicia City Council
Gary Cloutier, Vallejo City Council
Ernest Kimme, Chair of Solano County Orderly Growth Committee
Kenn Browne, Chair of Solano Group Sierra Club
Jeff Hobson, Policy Director at Transportation and Land Use Coalition
Brent Schoradt, Greenbelt Alliance
Bob Berman, Greenbelt Alliance