Mayor Lee & Supervisors Introduce $248 Million Road Repaving & Street Safety Bond for November 2011 Ballot

Proposed Measure will Repave Streets, Fix Potholes, Improve Streetscapes, Seismically Strengthen Deteriorating Bridges & Overpasses Throughout SF Neighborhoods

San Francisco, CA – May 18, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — Mayor Edwin M. Lee today introduced a proposed $248 million bond measure for the November 2011 ballot that will repave streets and eliminate potholes in neighborhoods throughout San Francisco and seismically strengthen and repair deteriorating bridges, overpasses and staircases, all without raising property tax rates and subject to independent oversight and regular audits. Recommended as part of the citywide Ten-Year Capital Plan to improve and invest in the City’s infrastructure, the Road Repaving & Street Safety Bond will also improve streetscapes for pedestrian and bicyclist safety, improve traffic flow on local streets and install sidewalk and curb ramps to meet the City’s obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The measure is co-sponsored by Supervisors David Chiu and Scott Weiner with Supervisors John Avalos, David Campos, Eric Mar, and Ross Mirkarimi also signing on.

“After decades of underfunding street repaving and deferring repairs to critical bridges and overpasses in our City, we face a crisis on our streets that costs drivers and bicyclists hundreds of dollars a year and puts public safety at risk,” said Mayor Lee. “This bond is an important step toward fixing our streets, improving our streetscapes and creating a safer driving, cycling and pedestrian experience for all San Franciscans.”

“With more than half our streets deteriorating, we must make long-overdue and urgently needed repairs to our streets and sidewalks now,” said Board President Chiu. “Whether you walk, bike, drive or take the bus, this bond will help reduce your travel time and create improved, safer streets for everyone.”

“Drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians across San Francisco experience first-hand the hazards of our pothole-filled streets and buckling sidewalks every day,” said Supervisor Wiener. “Waiting to address the backlog of urgently-needed repairs only makes the inevitable fix more expensive. This bond will repave our streets, fix potholes and strengthen our bridges while holding the line on property tax rates.”

The proposed $248 million Road Repair & Street Safety Bond will:

Repave our Streets and Eliminate Potholes
More than half of San Francisco’s 850 miles of streets are deteriorating, with pothole-filled streets and sidewalks buckling throughout the City. This bond will allow the City to undertake long-overdue and urgently needed repaving now to create a safer driving, walking and biking experience for everyone. Delaying these repairs even longer will only makes them more expensive in the future, costing up to five times more than fixing now.

Seismically Repair and Repair Deteriorating Bridges, Overpasses & Staircases
This bond will also repair and seismically strengthen and repair deteriorating City-owned bridges, overpasses and staircases throughout San Francisco.

Create Safer Streets for Pedestrians, Bicyclists and People with Disabilities
The bond will help redesign our streetscapes to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety and install sidewalk and curb ramps to comply with the City’s obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to help people who use wheelchairs, walkers, canes, scooters and parents with strollers. It will also upgrade traffic, pedestrian, and transit signals and provide other safety features that improve traffic flow and decrease congestion.

Hold the Line on Property Tax Rates & Create Jobs
The bond measure has been specifically designed to ensure that property tax rates for San Francisco homeowners will not increase as a result of this bond. By complying with the City policy of only issuing new bonds as old ones are repaid, this measure’s full costs can be funded at current tax rates with no increase. The bond will also create more than 1,000 construction and other jobs in related industries to boost San Francisco’s economic recovery and put residents back to work.

“The investment from this Road Repaving and Street Safety measure will help repair and improve some of the City’s most important assets for years to come,” said Department of Public Works Director Ed Reiskin. “As stewards of the public right of way, Public Works is committed to ensuring that our aging streets and infrastructure are well maintained and safe—benefiting every San Francisco resident, business, and visitor, and every mode of travel.”

To read the Bond Report, go to http://onesanfrancisco.org/cpc-meeting-may-16-2011/

The bond measure must next be discussed at a hearing of the Board of Supervisors Budget & Finance Committee before being considered by the full Board for the November 2011 ballot.