While emotions run high in the aftermath of an election, we are doing our own “happy dance” in Fremont with the passage of Alameda County Measure BB. Why, you ask? You know that we have big plans in Fremont for strategically urban growth, which depends on infrastructure funding to leverage transit. Enter Measure BB.

This ballot measure augments and extends the existing half-cent transportation sales tax by another half-cent through March 31, 2045. Recognizing that transportation needs, technology, and circumstances change over time, the policy document that guides this sales tax allocation spans 30 years, programming nearly $8 billion in new transportation funding. At a high level, the funding will:

  • Expand BART, bus and commuter rail for reliable, safe and fast services
  • Keep fares affordable for seniors, youth and people with disabilities
  • Provide traffic relief and upgrade infrastructure
  • Improve air quality and provide clean transportation
  • Create good jobs within Alameda County

More specifically, several critical projects in Fremont were included in the expenditure plan and will help further our goals of developing the Downtown and Warm Springs Innovation District.

Several other projects included in the plan benefit the City significantly. These include local freeway and interchange improvements, Capitol Corridor improvements, and increased operating funds to enhance AC Transit bus service.

In addition, the plan includes additional funding for programs with funding automatically passed on to the cities. This means an 80 percent increase in our local street and road funding and bicycle/pedestrian funding. The City’s paratransit funds will increase by almost 90 percent.

As we continue to position Fremont as a choice location for business, Measure BB provides the funding required to facilitate the job growth we anticipate from an infrastructure perspective. With the region’s current surge in employment, and the related traffic congestion, this should come as welcome news to Fremont companies, and we hope it will be an important consideration as they grow and expand.