Measure BB could pay to connect Dublin Boulevard to Livermore | Tim Talk | Tim Hunt | PleasantonWeekly.com |

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About this blog: I am a native of Alameda County, grew up in Pleasanton and currently live in the house I grew up in that is more than 100 years old. I spent 39 years in the daily newspaper business and wrote a column for more than 25 years in add...  (More)

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Measure BB could pay to connect Dublin Boulevard to Livermore

Uploaded: Sep 18, 2014

Some interesting news emerged from the Tri-Valley Mayor's Summit at the Blackhawk Museum Wednesday where I served as moderator.
After consultation with the executives from the five Tri-Valley chambers, I posed a serious of questions including one about Measure BB that would double the sales tax from a half-cent to one-cent for transportation operations and improvements in Alameda County. It would run for 30 years (nearly a working career for most people).
The three Alameda County mayors, John Marchand (Livermore), Tim Sbranti (Dublin) and Jerry Thorne (Pleasanton) strongly supported the measure—Thorne was the lone mayor to oppose the prior measure because it had no sunset date. I am still not sure why 15 or 20 years was not sufficient, but Jerry is impressed with the oversight group and lauded the agency for combining the former half-cent agency with the county commission to because their mission was the same.
The down payment on BART to Livermore of $400 million is included—just how expensive that extension to the Airway Boulevard area will prove to be remains for the engineering, but it is quite challenging because the median of I-580 IS NOT designed to carry BART and that's where it is planned to go. That would mean elevated BART tracks or moving several lanes of the freeway to new right-of-way on either side of I-580 to accommodate the BART tracks. The prior extension from San Leandro to Dublin/Pleasanton was built in a median that was designed to accommodate BART.
Equally importantly, Sbranti explained that there could be a way to connect Dublin Boulevard with North Canyons Parkway (Livermore) to create an arterial north of I-580. Both Livermore and Dublin have declared the Doolan Canyon area open space, so the normal financing method of leveraging new development to pay for road improvements will not be an option.
Tim indicated that given the heavy truck traffic on I-580 serving the port of Oakland as well as retail outlets through the Bay Area (coming from distribution centers in the San Joaquin Valley), the cities could tap into funds in the sales tax measure allocated specifically to move goods.
That's good news if the mayors can run down those funds. I-580 is the key goods movement corridor (just look at those container trucks coming to and from the port of Oakland).
One other interesting goods movement question—posted by San Ramon Councilman Dave Hudson, their resident transportation expert—was connecting Byron and eastern Contra Costa County with I-5 to create a second major goods corridor into the Bay Area and scape that traffic off of I-580. It would run through three counties—San Joaquin, Alameda County (briefly) and Contra Costa before connecting with Highway 4. Distributing that non-port traffic could alleviate a decent percentage of trucks serving retailers.


Looking for something to do Saturday that will stretch your mind, consider the TEDxLivermore Uncork Your Creativity event at Las Positas College. The organizers have lined up an impressive roster of speakers that includes Meg Lowman from the California Academy of Sciences, Lindsay Shepherd from GoldieBox (the toy company whose mission it is to get girls interested in careers in science, technology and engineering; Maestro Michael Morgan from the Oakland East Bay Symphony and Todd Johnson, the organizer of design labs at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland and the Silicon Valley Global Innovation Summit to name a few.
For details and the full lineup, please see

Comments

Posted by Michael Austin, a resident of Pleasanton Meadows,
on Sep 18, 2014 at 9:05 am

Michael Austin is a registered user.

On any given day in the US 50 million tons of freight and cargo travel across the Nations freeways. The value of all that freight is estimated at $35 billion dollars daily.

I propose a one percent freight surcharge be imposed on all of that freight. That would resolve all the money issues. Fix and maintain the freeways. Provide for all the inter city transportation needs.

The trucking industry will not notice this one percent freight surcharge.


Posted by San Ramon Observer, a resident of San Ramon,
on Sep 18, 2014 at 12:59 pm

San Ramon Observer is a registered user.

Oh they will notice it, Michael. They will spend it fighting any such law! Remember rule #1. No good deed goes unpunished.

Roz


Posted by Michael Austin, a resident of Pleasanton Meadows,
on Sep 19, 2014 at 10:43 am

Michael Austin is a registered user.

Roz:

I believe the trucking industry will pass the surcharge fee on to the consignee. That is only $10.00 per $1,000.00 of freight and cargo.

The trucking companies are really fat. They will make noise initially, but will just pass it onto the consignee.


Posted by Cholo, a resident of Livermore,
on Sep 20, 2014 at 12:55 pm

There are lots of fat cats that move about quietly in the shadows, removing multi-billions of dollars from the pockets of fellow Americans.

Some of the greedy pull in more in annual bonuses to pay for maintaining post offices, roads, schools, and perhaps a few extra perks for the fixed income needy/veterans. I have no problem sharing their wealth!

Also, it may be possible to toss in wealthy individuals/homeowner's to chip in to their fair share to help maintain our beautiful state.


Posted by Cholo, a resident of Livermore,
on Sep 20, 2014 at 2:40 pm

During a lame duck session, the Guv of Michigan found a way to stick it to Democrats!

If you prefer that CORPORATIONS and not just trucking company's pay, check the video re: Guv of Michigan: Web Link

keep an open eye...


Posted by No, a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood,
on Sep 22, 2014 at 5:58 pm

Good idea!


Posted by Deport Cholo, a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood,
on Sep 24, 2014 at 10:24 am

Cholo,

"Sticking it to the corporations" is a left-wing loon folly. Anything you stick them with gets passed on to the consumer in higher prices, lost jobs, and higher taxes to individuals. Bottom line - YOU pay when that sort of "sticking" occurs. Left-wing loons can't seem to get that through their heads, and since they are controlling the federal government and the California government, corporations are moving overseas, and also leaving California in droves.


Posted by June, a resident of Alisal Elementary School,
on Sep 24, 2014 at 11:05 am

I support connections from I580 to Route 84 whether it be a BART station or arterial. Connections to Dublin Blvd. and the north side of I580 is icing on the cake. This is all worthwhile to support Measure BB,HOWEVER, the Bay Area needs another freeway. Connecting Gilroy through Pigeon Pass to I5 will divert huge amounts of traffic traveling between the South Bay and the Central Valley. Yes, that's right. This is the same proposal that got former Congressman Pombo in political trouble with his constituents. He was ahead of his time. The population and growth will increase in the Bay Area and Los Angeles, so it is in our best interest to face facts and built it.


Posted by Cholo, a resident of Livermore,
on Sep 24, 2014 at 6:08 pm

If corporations are indeed leaving California, PLEASE provide hard numbers to prove your case.

Percentages are NOT HARD NUMBERS.

i rest my case...

yup...tax the corporations and the quality of live will improve in CA!

VIVA CALIFAS! VIVA!


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