Fund the Future in Contra Costa County
New Bike Lanes, Improved Transit, and More Could Be Funded in 2020
By Eileen Rice
Exciting projects are just waiting for funding in Contra Costa County. The list is long: the first permanent cycle track in Walnut Creek, a safe bikeway to Mount Diablo, separated bike lanes in Pittsburg, connections from the Richmond Greenway to the Bay, and more. Bike East Bay and our local partners have spent years organizing support for transformational plans, only to get stopped short.
Time and again, we hear from city staff that there’s simply no funding — certainly not for exceptional bikeways. On March 3, 2020, residents of Contra Costa County will have the opportunity to change all of that. A new measure on the ballot will fund significant improvements to how you travel. But the measure didn’t start out with well-rounded support for biking, walking, and taking transit. A coalition of advocates worked hard, pushing for big-picture transportation wins, and a better potential future for Contra Costa County.
The measure proposes an additional half-cent sales tax, raising $3.5 billion over 35 years, to improve roads, public transit, and infrastructure for bicycles and pedestrians across Contra Costa County. We secured 10% for biking and walking, and that’s just the start.
To make the measure even better, we worked in collaboration with more than a dozen like-minded organizations to create innovative components, including:
- Launching four $15 million innovative transit-bike projects
by 2024 with complete streets policies, proposed by Bike East Bay - Reducing total vehicle miles traveled through project evaluation, proposed by 350 Bay Area Project
- Prevent displacement of current residents, championed by Transform and the Greenbelt Alliance
But the increase in funding for public transit really sets this measure apart. Bike East Bay championed and won a 70% increase over what was originally proposed to fund transit service improvements — a huge win for everyone’s commute.
Why push for more transit funding when we had already won 10% for bicycle riders and pedestrians? We know we have to improve transit
on the same busy streets where you bicycle in order to reduce traffic and make way for protected bike lanes. Plus, combining biking and transit for trips is a no-brainer, especially in a county where safe and accessible bicycle improvements are not yet on the ground, and folks are still piecing together their trips.
We’re ready to push exciting projects forward: in Walnut Creek, on Mt. Diablo, along the Richmond Greenway, and across Contra Costa County. Join the campaign: BikeEastBay.org/CCTEP
