Simultaneous to the passing of Proposition #1A in California, citizens of three metropolitan areas approved funding for exciting new rail projects. In Los Angeles County, CA, Measure R provides the local resources needed to finance new transportation projects, as well as accelerate those already in progress through the use of a half-cent sales tax increase. The measure is expected to generate $40 billion for congestion relief projects.
In Honolulu, HI, voters approved a 20-mile elevated light rail system that will assist in alleviating vehicular traffic on the island due to new home construction in central Oahu and the Ewa Plain. The project cost is estimated at $3.9 billion and is expected to receive $1.2 billion in federal funding. This will be the largest public works project in the state’s history.
Voters in counties near Puget Sound in Washington State approved a $22.8 billion transit expansion package, which will be financed through a one half percent increase in sales tax for King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties. The package will add 34 miles of light rail and it is expected to relieve congestion, reduce air pollution, and provide a needed alternative to vehicular transport.