Measure C

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Measure C, Contra Costa County's transportation sales tax measure, passed in 1988. It provided for a half-cent on the dollar sales tax for twenty years (through March 2009), to pay for an ambitious list of transportation projects and programs included in a voter-approved Expenditure Plan (attached). The measure was estimated to generate $1 billion over 20 years for a BART extension, freeway improvements, better bus service, enhanced bicycle facilities and more transportation options for senior citizens and people with disabilities.

Measure C also included a provision unique among other sales tax measures throughout the state - a program to link planning for growth and development with transportation. The Contra Costa Transportation Authority was formed to manage this billion-dollar public investment, oversee the design and construction of new projects, and carry out what would be the county's first Growth Management Program.

Accomplishments

Over the past  20 years, the Authority has:

  • Extended BART to North Concord/Martinez and Pittsburg/Bay Point
  • Widened segments of Route 4 East
  • Reconfigured western Route 4 West for safety reasons and to increase capacity
  • Connected the Richmond Parkway with I-80 and the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge
  • Provided nearly $200 million to agencies for maintenance and improvements to local streets and roads
  • Created a $32 million expansion of transit service for seniors and people with disabilities
  • Provided over $33 million in bus transit enhancements

In addition, the Growth Management Program has fostered a spirit of cooperation among the cities and county in terms of working through issues related to new development and transportation.