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BACKGROUND In 1986, voters approved Measure B, a half-cent sales tax, to fund transportation improvements and programs throughout Alameda County. In November 2000, Alameda County voters approved an extension of the first sales tax through 2022 to fund a new set of project and program investments throughout the County. All of the major projects promised to and approved by the voters in the 2000 Measure are either underway or complete. Funds that go to cities and other local jurisdictions to maintain and improve local streets, provide critical transit service, provide transportation services for seniors and persons with disabilities, as well as implement bicycle and pedestrian safety projects will continue until the current Measure B expenditure plan ends in 2022. In 2012, 66.53 percent of Alameda County voters supported a 2012 Transportation Expenditure Plan, which was just 721 votes shy of achieving the two-thirds majority required to pass. Because of the strong voter support and the ongoing and growing need for transportation investments in Alameda County, the Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC) unanimously approved a slightly revised 2014 Transportation Expenditure Plan that includes a sunset date. Alameda CTC is recommending the 2014 Plan for approval by the cities in Alameda County and the Board of Supervisors, so that voters will have an opportunity to reauthorize and augment Measure B to fund critical transportation projects included in the detailed 2014 Plan that directly benefit every city and the County. Without new transportation investments, Alameda County will lose jobs, experience increased traffic, suffer potential service cuts on buses and BART, and see more costly transportation services for seniors and people with disabilities. Over the term of the Plan, Alameda County's population will grow by almost 30 percent, and the senior population will double—this growth demands investments to meet current and future transportation needs in Alameda County. For over 25 years, Alameda CTC has successfully delivered transportation projects throughout Alameda County that create good quality, local jobs while delivering transportation solutions. These projects were funded in large part by Measure B. Alameda CTC combined agencies, saving millions of dollars per year, and earned AAA financial credit ratings—the highest possible—and 100 percent of its annual audits have been verified by independent auditors and a citizens watchdog committee made up of Alameda County residents. These ratings underscore the strong financial management and accountability measures at Alameda CTC. Reauthorizing and augmenting Measure B is critical to meet local and countywide transportation needs, and the 2014 Plan has the highest level of accountability, including strict limits and oversight of the funds. DISCUSSION The Plan was developed in conjunction with the Alameda Countywide Transportation Plan (CWTP), the long-range policy document that guides transportation investments, programs, policies, and advocacy for Alameda County. The Plan benefited from a performance-based project evaluation process undertaken for the CWTP. This allowed policies and goals to be expressed in quantifiable terms and competing transportation investments to be compared to one another objectively by using performance criteria. Page 2 of 6