Thank you to everyone who saw past the misleading and deceptive rhetoric surrounding Measure B and voted No on November 8, 2016. Measure B failed with 35.19% of voters voting No.

Measure B was not about fixing our roads.  Measure B was not even about providing mobility solutions for now and the future.  Measure B was about building more transportation infrastructure including roads, bridges, and light rail to support failed decisions in land use planning.  One victim of these poor decisions could be the American River Parkway, an iconic river parkway that represents the best in forward thinking planning for healthy and vibrant communities.  The River and Parkway have been a part of the fabric of Sacramento residents' lives for the past 52 years.  While speaking to a neighborhood association adjacent to Discovery Park during the No On Measure B campaign, the Association's Board President remarked that we cannot forget that the Parkway connects our communities.  Yes.  It does. 

Next steps?

Save The American River Association will continue to follow the planning process for an unnecessary new car bridge across the American River, through Discovery Park.  The CEQA process will march on despite the lack of funds from Measure B.  We will also continue to work with our partners in smart transportation solutions for now and the future to hopefully, one day, present voters with a transportation tax of some sort that will protect our environment, provide mobility solutions for everyone, and be a wise use of hard earned taxpayer dollars.

SARA'S ARGUMENT AGAINST MEASURE B

On the November 8, 2016 election ballot, Sacramento County voters will be asked to approve Measure B — a county-wide, half-cent sales tax increase that would raise $3,614,000,000.00 over 30 years for transportation projects. Why is this a bad plan?

Measure B would help fund a new $70-$100 million car bridge over the river and through Discovery Park. This new bridge would destroy 5 acres of prime riparian forest in the American River Parkway. The Parkway preserves some of the last remaining five percent of this distinct and critical habitat in California. It's irreplaceable.

There are better options.

A little more than a mile upstream, four bridges cross the River and Parkway on State Route-160. Caltrans' studies and the City of Sacramento's own American River Crossing Alternative Study (2012-2013)  found that these bridges are in need of replacement and/or major rehabilitation. The core of Measure B is the promise to voters to “Fix It First.” Why is Measure B spending millions of dollars on a destructive new bridge when there are nearby river crossings, including Northgate Boulevard in critical need of work to make them safe and reliable for all modes of travel? 

Measure B would raise the sales tax to 8.5%-9% in Sacramento County for 30 years. In 2004, voters approved Measure A — a half-cent sales tax for Regional Transit, roads and highway construction, and maintenance. Give Measure A a chance to fulfill its promises to relieve traffic congestion, increase access to transit, and maintain our roads before raising our sales tax for another 30 years.

How Measure A funds have been spent should inform voters’ decision on Measure B.

To help voters make an informed choice on Measure B, Eye On Sacramento has examined how those local governments, which would see their transportation sales tax revenues doubled by Measure B, have been spending their Measure A funds. Have they been prudent and responsible? Or have they been wasteful and pursuing the wrong priorities? Read the report.

Measure B is the fuel that continues to run sprawl development like Folsom's south of Highway 50 expansion.
Read more.

• Read SARA's article in RiverWatch about why Measure B is a bad plan.
• Find out why Sacramento Transit Advocates and Riders (STAR) is opposed to Measure B.
• Read details of SARA's review of Measure B in our Letter to County Supervisors [June 14, 2016]
• Building transportation infrastructure based on denial is a disaster. Local governments are stuck in a time warp when it comes to transportation policy, offering 20th century solutions to 21st century challenges: Read the article written about LA's Measure M: L.A.’s Measure M: Long Range Spending Based on Short Term Thinking

Area of Discovery Park where the new bridge under Measure B would be constructed.