Bay Area and California transportation measures

Sonoma and Marin Measure Q — the ¼¢ train sales tax — passed. This provides funding to operate a 70 mile commuter rail service from Cloverdale in Sonoma County, through Santa Rosa, Petaluma, into Marin County through Novato and San Rafael to the Larkspur Ferry Terminal. The sales tax will also fund construction of a bike and pedestrian path along the entire length of the rail corridor. SMART, which already owns the rail right of way, says the trains will be up and running within 5 years with onboard WiFi and snacks and bikes permitted on board. They’ll use Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) trains, which are self propelled trains that combine the locomotive and passenger car into a single standard gauge unit. More. See also some excitement from the Wine Country.

California Proposition 1A — High Speed Rail (HSR) from San Francisco to Los Angeles — looks like it will pass. Although HSR for the entire distance is a long ways off, because HSR will run along the Caltrain corridor from San Francisco to Gilroy, Bay Area transportation officials expect HSR funds can be used to help electrify the Caltrain Corridor over the next five years. More.

Santa Clara Measure B — the VTA sales tax hike — seems to be failing. And good riddance.

Monterey Measure Z — general transportation funding — is failing.

Los Angeles Measure R — LA transportation funding — is passing. More.

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