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Published February 12th, 2014
Capturing a Piece of the County's $2 Billion Road Pie
By Sophie Braccini

When it comes to getting a share of the $2 billion generated by measures C and J, Lamorinda is not very well positioned with its reputation of relative affluence. Additionally, secluded Moraga does not have within its boundaries any of the roads that get the bulk of the funding - the routes of regional significance. This is why the creative members of the Lamorinda Program Management Committee, staff and elected officials, came up with a new concept: the inter-jurisdictional roads, or routes of Lamorinda significance. Time will tell if the new concept is fruitful - if the presentation of collaborative projects to improve these roads is the key to unlocking the county's coffers.
"There is no guarantee of funding," admitted Moraga's planning director, Shawna Brekke-Read, at a January Town Council meeting, "but it is one of the reasons that the committee members were discussing adding different categories and inter-jurisdictional routes. Increasingly Lamorinda is having difficulty being competitive in the grant world (for road projects), because to the question 'is the project on a route of regional significance?' we always respond 'no.' One idea is to bring a new category to the table."
The Lamorinda Program Management Committee did not completely agree on which roads should be included in the new concept, but some common ground was found that includes Moraga Road, Moraga Way, Mt. Diablo Boulevard and the Lafayette-Moraga Regional Trail.
The program management committee puts together and updates the Lamorinda Action Plan. It is comprised of one elected official from each city - Mike Metcalf (Moraga), Amy Worth (Orinda) and Don Tatzin (Lafayette) - supported by staff from all three cities. The action plan assesses regional transportation issues within the Lamorinda area, measures the level of service and makes recommendations on improvement projects and programs. The committee's role is also to foster a cooperative planning process under the Measure J program.
"There are other routes that were proposed as inter-jurisdictional roads," Metcalf reported at the Jan. 22 meeting of the Moraga Town Council, "Rheem Boulevard, Glorietta and the Saint Mary's Road-Glenside-Reliez Station-Olympic route." But the committee was divided. "It is a fact of life that these roads are used by commuters from different cities," said Metcalf, "but representatives of Lafayette and Orinda to the Lamorinda Action Plan meeting pointed out that residents living along these roads consider them as neighborhood streets, not commute paths."
"Do we want to ruffle feathers (in Lafayette and Orinda), or do we want to take a backseat on this?" asked Councilmember Dave Trotter. The Moraga Town Council gave its support to the new concept for Moraga Way, Moraga Road, the regional trail, and Mt. Diablo Boulevard. On Jan. 27 the Lamorinda Program Management Committee agreed to implement the plan.
What Are Measures C and J?
In 1988 Contra Costa County voters approved Measure C, a 0.005 percent local sales tax that generated $1 billion in funding for transportation projects and programs over 20 years. Measure C also created the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA), with a board of 11 elected officials and three ex-officio members to guide the expenditure of the sales tax proceeds in accordance with the voter-approved expenditure plan. In 2004 the voters also approved Measure J extending the sales tax for 25 years, through 2034, and generating an additional $2 billion.



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