A majority of the cities representing a majority of the county’s population was needed to approve the plan and move it on to the next step.

“It is very gratifying to receive such a ringing endorsement of the Expenditure Plan,” said TA Board Chair and County Supervisor Mark Church. “The strong support that we have received throughout this process speaks to the thought and planning that have gone into developing this plan to meet our future transportation needs.

The city councils’ approval is just one of the steps needed to put the reauthorization of Measure A on the November 2004 ballot. Approved by the voters in 1988, the 20-year sales tax for transportation projects is due to expire in 2008.

The TA’s first step in the renewal process was to develop a draft Expenditure Plan that provided an outline of how the funds would be allocated. The plan adopted by the TA board in March reflects comments from multiple stakeholders including the public, city public works departments and engineers throughout San Mateo County and recommendations from the City/County Association of Governments.

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission, a regional planning agency, gave its unanimous approval of the plan in April. The county Board of Supervisors will take formal action on the plan at its July 6 meeting.

The proposed 25-year sales tax is projected to bring in $1.5 billion between 2009 and 2034. The sales tax also allows the authority to capture an additional $1.5 billion in state and federal funds for a total of $3 billion in transportation projects and programs for San Mateo County. The longer term of the tax will give the transportation authority more time and funding to allocate to critical needs, among them a proposed 22.5 percent allocation to local street and road repairs. This is an increase over the current plan’s 20 percent allocation, which will provide $200 million to local agencies over the life of the current measure.

The objectives for the plan are to target key congested corridors for highway and transit improvements; continue to improve connections with regional transportation facilities; enhance safety in all aspects of the transportation system; and meet local mobility needs, especially those of people with mobility impairments.

To accomplish the objectives, the plan allocates the estimated $1.5 billion in potential sales tax revenues to six different program categories:

• transit will receive 30 percent of the funds
• highways will receive 27.5 percent
• cities and the county will share 22.5 percent
• grade separations will receive 15 percent
• pedestrian and bicycle will receive three percent
• alternative congestion relief programs will receive one percent.

Additionally, up to one percent would be reserved for administering the funds.