Measure B’s ticket to ride

In 2002, the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics issued a report: “Transportation difficulties keep over half a million at home.” In 2001, before leaving the sprawling suburbs of Houston, Texas, I was in that number.

The reason I was able to achieve independence in an isolated area is specifically because that region—unlike most metro Texas regions—understands public transportation’s value.

Now, the future everywhere looks even better; millennials have made it clear they don’t care to drive—ridesharing services such as Lyft and Uber wouldn’t exist otherwise.

But now I live in Sacramento, a region that often struggles with its developer-applied “world-class city” status without giving thought to how that plays out for everyone, especially within marginalized communities. A robust public transportation system is a must for any metropolitan region.

The goal is simple: Keep everyone moving.

Measure B, on the ballot this Election Day, is an opportunity to invest in an infrastructure that does just that. As a public transportation advocate, I’m disappointed that the ballot’s funding split between roads and public transit favors a “car culture” mentality, but I do see something more in it.

Seventy percent of our public transportation is provided by bus through local neighborhoods. With Measure B, local neighborhoods would receive great benefits, both in terms of street repair and the development of more “complete streets” with a focus on safety for bus riders, cyclists and pedestrians.

With $952 million from Measure B and a “Fix-It First” approach, the base-level infrastructure of the entire system gets priority. Regional Transit has committed to the purchase of “low-floor” light rail vehicles to replace aging trains, meaning there will be no steps to overcome for boarding or disembarking.

For the mobility challenged, such as me, this is huge. Each replaced train will also more than double the mobility device capacity. I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve been left behind by trains that have exceeded capacity. And, the new train design allows for more independence because passengers will not have to rely on an operator to manually deploy a ramp.

Additionally, $126.49 million is earmarked for Paratransit Inc.’s Americans with Disabilities Act transportation services. Paratransit is the lifeline to the world that so many with disabilities lacking transportation options dream of accessing. The funds from Measure B allow Paratransit Inc. to keep its fleet running, provide passenger trainings and make improvements to ride scheduling processes.

Measure B is more than just modernization. A yes vote shows commitment to transportation as a holistic concept.

And it’s just the first step.

We can take this shopping list in the Measure B plan and help shape the outcome through the public process. We can focus the implementation of these funds in a way that’s better for all. The roads and transit have to work for everyone. When we have future conversations about transportation funding, we can demand a change from the car culture we’ve been saddled with and move toward a more mobile future for all.