Summary: Following 16 meetings that first began in April and ended on Dec. 11, Fresno COG’s Measure C Steering Committee approved an expenditure plan for the 2026 renewal that reflects the guiding principles of fixing what matters most, keeping people safe, improving transportation alternatives and a host of other values.
Under the proposed expenditure plan presented tonight, Measure C continues to evolve, as it has for nearly 40 years, with a much greater emphasis on local street and road maintenance and public transportation, and with less of a focus on large capital projects. Staff received more than 20 pages of comments on the Implementing Guidelines, which are attached to this report, as is the redlined version of the guidelines and the PowerPoint presentation for tonight’s meeting.
Fresno COG staff appreciates and thanks the Committee members for their hard work over the course of eight months in crafting the allocation and implementing guidelines to present their recommendations before the Board today. We also thank the members of our Measure C Technical Advisory Committee, many of whom also sit on our Transportation Technical Committee (TTC) and Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) for their comments and expertise in working with the Steering Committee to answer questions and address concerns.
Notably, neither the TTC and PAC voted to support the Steering Committee’s recommendations for the Implementing Guidelines, as presented.
The two committees objected to several provisions in the guidelines and generally found them to be too prescriptive and lacking in both “accuracy and consistency.” They also generally indicated that the guidelines needed more time to be fully vetted.
Among their concerns and objections:
- Recreational trails being considered ineligible for expenditures
- Language revolving around adoption of an Active Transportation Plan as the criterion for whether smaller jurisdictions are subject to the 120-mile requirement for Class I and Class IV bicycle and pedestrian facilities
- Language relative to the minimum 65 percent PCI metric for all roads by jurisdiction relative to accessing funds for widening/capacity increasing projects
- The 12-15 percent set-aside from County of Fresno funds for Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities (DUCs) as defined by government code 65302.10
- Request to retain vehicles for surveyors and engineers as an eligible expenditure
- Request to revise the public transportation metric calling for rural trip durations to have “comparable travel times to personal vehicle use”
- Objection to requirement that every roadway using Measure C funding include at least minimum improvements for bicycle travel.
- Concerns over the allocation amounts for the Administration and Regional Connectivity categories
Together, the Implementing Guidelines and the Category Allocations comprise the 2026 Measure C Expenditure Plan. The marked-up version of the Implementing Guidelines attached to this report also include minor, clarifying revisions that the TTC/PAC members pointed out, such as the requirement to reach a minimum 65 pavement condition index (PCI) for every road in a jurisdiction prior to access funding for any widening project (with specified exemptions), or adding restriping bicycle lanes as an eligible maintenance expense. Yellow highlighted sections in the redlined document represent issues of particular controversy or language that the Steering Committee, TTC or PAC requested be addressed.
Staff has prepared a PowerPoint presentation that summarizes the comments received on the most controversial issues, by category, and how those issues have ultimately been addressed.
Should the recommended action tonight be approved, the full Expenditure Plan will be provided to law firm Best, Best and Krieger for final legal review. Beginning in January, Fresno COG staff will be seeking support for the Expenditure Plan by resolution from the Fresno County Board of Supervisors and each jurisdiction individually.
Action: Staff and the 2026 Measure C Steering Committee recommend the Board authorize the Chair to sign Resolution 25-52 approving the 2026 Measure C Expenditure Plan, subject to legal review. The TTC and PAC oppose this recommendation.
