Measure C Renewal Steering Committee

Guest speakers:

– Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer

– Parlier Mayor, Fresno COG Chairwoman Alma Beltran

– Clovis Councilmember Lynne Ashbeck

– Mendota Mayor Victor Martinez

Appointment of new facilitator Mark Keppler.

Identify and agree on the steps and process necessary to establish the next Measure C Expenditure Plan.

– Vision = Language that inspires community

– Guiding principles = Core values that drive the “why and “how”

– Categories = Buckets of funding that bring life to the guiding principles

– Allocations = How much money goes to each category and how the funds are distributed to each city and county

– Implementing guidelines = Rules for how the funds can be accessed and used and how decisions will be made

At its July 30 meeting, the Steering Committee approved the following vision statement and principles by 82 percent consensus.

Vision statement: “Measure C envisions a reliable, safe, equitable and connected infrastructure and transportation system that enables all residents to travel efficiently and safely, regardless of mode.”

Priorities:

– Support community health and resilience

– Enhance public safety

– Ensure accessibility and access for all

– Make equitable investments

Subsequent to that discussion, the Fresno COG Policy Board requested adjustments and refinements to the priorities in the interest of further fleshing out the concepts originally expressed. To meet everyone’s concerns, the Measure C Facilitation Team recommends synthesizing the priorities into the guiding principles below:

– Fix what matters most: Repair and maintain existing local streets and roads.

– Keep people safe: Enhance lighting, road safety and safe routes to schools.

– Get people where they need to go efficiently: Improve connectivity, accessibility and affordability to essential services and amenities.

– Improve transportation alternatives that invest in building and maintaining trails, bike paths and public transit options.

– Build strong, vibrant communities: Add shade, trees and other features to combat heat and beautify transportation corridors.

– Leave no neighborhood behind: Invest across our county to strengthen all communities.

– Foster innovation: Make smart investments that keep our county competitive and connected now and in the future.

– Ensure fair and transparent use of tax dollars.

At its July 30 meeting, the Steering Committee began its discussion of funding allocations and assigned a priority order to the following categories:

– Local neighborhood roads

– Transit bus service

– Safe Routes to Schools

– Sidewalks in neighborhoods

– Larger regional projects

– Bike lanes and walking paths

– Other

As the topic progressed, however, some members expressed concerns that the categories themselves had not been fully defined and vetted thoroughly enough for the Committee to reasonably assign values to them.  In an effort to address those concerns, the Measure C Facilitation team provides the following major categories, subcategories and examples for consideration:

Existing Neighborhood Roads

– Streets near homes, schools, and parks

– Arterials such as Shaw/Jensen Avenues

– Major roads such as Whitesbridge/Lassen/Golden State

– Alleys, bike lanes, sidewalks (repair & new)

– Street lights, signals, and other safety features

Public Transportation

– Transit systems – urban/rural

– Senior/veteran/youth Transportation

– Carshare/Vanpools

– Mobility Hubs

– Future transportation alternatives

Active Transportation

– Bike and pedestrian trail maintenance & construction

– Accessibility improvements

– Safe Routes to Schools

Regional Connectivity

– Major road projects for safety improvements and congestion reduction

– Airports

– Grade separations

Other

– Future alternative transportation

– Transit Oriented Development

– New technologies

Administration

– Administration/Planning

The Steering Committee may recommend any arrangement of categories it sees fit, subject to feedback and approval of the Fresno COG and Fresno County Transportation Authority Boards. Further discussion and refinement of the categories, including an exploration of specific definitions from a traffic engineering perspective, may be useful in understanding and deciding how best to allocate funding. The intended product for this agenda item is to arrive at consensus of what categories, and potential subcategories, should be considered for funding.

Upcoming Meeting Dates:

– August 27 – 3 – 6 pm (TBD)

– September 11 – 3 pm

– September 18 – 3 pm