Coalition Supporting Regional Measure 3 Assembles to Bring Infrastructure Improvements and Increased Transportation Capacity to the Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today a coalition of leading planning, transportation, business, and labor organizations announced that they are actively supportive of Regional Measure 3 (RM3) and will lead the endeavor to bring necessary improvements to the Bay Area's transportation and infrastructure network, including traffic relief, BART expansion, and highway corridor improvements. The coalition including the Bay Area Council, Silicon Valley Leadership Group, and SPUR is dynamically engaged in working with the nine-county region to ensure communities have a promising transit future secured through the approval of RM3 by voters this June.

"We applaud and encourage the Metropolitan Transportation Commission's ongoing efforts to place RM3 on the June ballot. Traffic doesn't respect city or county boundaries. It's a regional problem requiring regional solutions. That's why we're excited that Bay Area residents will have an opportunity to vote for RM3, a measure funding large transportation improvements that will reduce traffic and expand transit choices along the most congested corridors in our region," said Silicon Valley Leadership Group CEO Carl Guardino, who's also a member of the CA Transportation Commission.  

"Bay Area commuters battling record traffic are desperate for big investments in our transportation system that will bring meaningful relief," said Jim Wunderman, President and CEO of the Bay Area Council. "Regional Measure 3 will invest $4.5 billion to clear highway bottlenecks, expand and modernize BART, bus and ferry transit services, and dramatically improve connections between buses, trains and bikes. With the leadership of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to place RM3 on the June ballot, voters will have the power to put traffic in our rearview mirror." 

"Thanks to the MTC's commitment to solving the Bay Area's growing congestion problems and its work with the state legislature to authorize RM3, we now have the opportunity to make a significant impact on the future of transportation and infrastructure in the Bay Area," reiterated SPUR President and CEO Gabriel Metcalf. "The revenues from the proposed toll increase will be used to finance significant improvements for our region and communities."

The Coalition:

The Bay Area Council represents more than 275 of the largest employers in the region as the region's voice of business and is a public policy advocacy organization for the nine-county Bay Area. The Council seeks to proactively advocate for a strong economy, a vital business environment, and a better quality of life for community members.

The Silicon Valley Leadership Group represents more than 370 of Silicon Valley's most respected employers on issues, programs and campaigns that affect the economic health and quality of life in Silicon Valley, including education, energy, environment, health, housing, tax policies, tech and innovation, and transportation.

The San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) is a respected civic planning organization known for their holistic approach to urban issues and developing solutions to the big problems Bay Area cities face.

Each of these organizations has consistently been involved in regional transportation initiatives and local programs that improve the quality of life for those that live and work in the Bay Area. The coalition is dedicated to continuing to support such initiatives with their joint partnership and by working with communities, transportation agencies, and employers to move the region forward with the passage of RM3.

To assist in carrying out an impactful effort to pass RM3, the coalition has selected a seasoned campaign team, who recently ran the successful nine-county Measure AA campaign. Measure AA was a ballot initiative to restore wetlands throughout the Bay Area generating $500 million over 20 years for critical tidal marsh restoration projects around the Bay Area.

This seasoned campaign team led by TBWB Strategies and Barry Barnes includes strategic partners Jessica Reynolds of Reynolds Strategies, Annie Eagan of Annie Eagan Consulting, Dan Kully of Kully Struble, and Adam Alberti of Singer Associates, Inc. The team's vast experience and recent success with Measure AA will support the coalition in leading a compelling RM3 campaign that will have high returns for the nine-county region.

The nine-county region of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma will need a majority of voters to approve RM3 to support the crucial and practical highway and transit improvements.

The funds as a result of RM3 will be used for multiple and diverse projects from ferry service expansion to increased BART capacity to valuable upgrades in transportation corridors that will relieve congestion.

Contact: Adam Alberti
Phone: 415.227.9700
Email: [email protected] 

SOURCE Bay Area Council, Silicon Valley Leadership Group, and SPUR