San Mateo County traffic congestion Bill, SB 705

SB 705 has been presented to Governor Brown for signature or veto. We should know soon if the proposed 1/2 cent tax initiative will become a ballot measure in the Spring, 2016.  

Half Moon Bay Review/Julia Reis, 10/7/15. "Hill seeks traffic relief through tax, SB 705 would authorize half-cent sales tax ballot measure."

Highway 1 Surfer's Beach area

....  Worsening traffic congestion was the talk of the summer on the Coastside, eliciting calls for traffic control from law enforcement and ideas such as imposing a toll at Devil’s Slide tunnels. San Mateo County is directing multiple projects that could ultimately lead to improved traffic in parts of the Coastside, but they largely lack funding outside of the planning stages.

Jerry Hill says he would agree with constituents who see traffic worsening around the county. That notion, combined with requests from the respective counties’ transit authorities, prompted Hill’s authoring of SB 705.

.... Hill acknowledges that it would be difficult to get two-thirds support from voters for a tax increase, but added that he believes leaving the matter up to a vote is the only way it can be addressed. “The only way we can go about addressing (worsening traffic) is to allow voters to make the decision, if they feel the money will be well spent and will make a difference in their daily lives,” he said. “(Otherwise), unless we see a massive recession again we won’t see improvement.”  Read more.

Reference - LegiScan/Legislative Counsel Digest, California Senate Bill SB 705, transaction and use taxes: County of San Mateo, presented to the Governor, pending.  LegiScan/CA SB705, Legislative bill text, process, votes.

 Photograph by Dean Coppola from Half Moon Bay Review, 4/15/15.

Posted by Kathy Meeh