Measure K drives Progress In Motion and enriches our lives

A safe, reliable transportation system is essential for moving people and goods throughout the region. Everyone who lives, works and travels in San Joaquin County depends on Measure K to provide that system and that progress in motion.

Measure K, the half-cent sales tax that was approved by voters in 1990 and renewed in 2006, has delivered a broad range of improvements and is a driving force for enriching the lives of county residents. In Fiscal Year 2022-23 alone, nearly $61 million went to projects and programs that are important to everyone – safe crosswalks, bike lanes, and railroad crossings, street and road improvements and maintenance, highway interchanges, and bus and rail transit. Money raised by Measure K helps to enhance traffic safety, ease traffic congestion, reduce the number of vehicles on the road, increase mobility and equity, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and improve air quality. 

Measure K drives the region’s progress in motion in many ways. The largest portion of the money raised goes to repairing and resurfacing streets and adding safety features to roads throughout the county. SJCOG’s member jurisdictions  ̶  San Joaquin County and the cities of Stockton, Lodi, Manteca, Tracy, Ripon, Escalon and Lathrop  ̶  were able to seal streets and roads, repair or add curbs, sidewalks, and striping to make streets and roads safer for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. Nearly $29.23 million went to those projects in Fiscal Year 2022-23 alone.

Filling potholes is not all that Measure K does. The money raised helps to pay for capital improvements and operation of bus and rail transit in San Joaquin County. Nearly $18.72 million in Fiscal Year 2022-23 helped to support the San Joaquin Regional Transit District, Lodi GrapeLine, Escalon eTrans, and Ripon Blossom Express. Over the years, Measure K has paid for new buses, bike racks on buses and at bus stops, transit transfer centers, and park-and-ride lots for commuter services throughout the county.

Rail transit is a vital part of travel throughout Northern California. A portion of that nearly $18.72 million in Fiscal Year 2022-23 helped the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission and the Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) operate engines and passenger cars to carry riders to jobs, entertainment and recreation. In the past, Measure K helped to buy locomotives and passenger cars and build the ACE Regional Maintenance Facility to maintain and store ACE and Amtrak San Joaquins equipment. Measure K funding was used for an expansion of the facility that is expected to be one of the busiest in the state.

This portion of Measure K funding also pays for improvements – sidewalks, curbs, bike lanes and more – directly benefiting pedestrians and cyclists. Encouraging active transportation by foot, bicycle or any other human-powered transportation for commuting to work, running errands, or simply getting around helps to remove vehicles from the road, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve air quality. It also promotes a more active, healthier lifestyle for county residents.

Improving traffic safety and reducing congestion is another major focus of Measure K funding. It pays for street and highway improvements that enhance safety and allow traffic to flow more freely, which means vehicles are less likely to be idling in gridlock so there are fewer greenhouse gas emissions and cleaner air for everyone in the San Joaquin Valley. Nearly $12.3 million  in Measure K funding went to congestion relief projects in Fiscal Year 2022-23, such as interchange improvements at State Route 99 and Turner Road in Lodi and future improvements at State Routes 99/120 in Manteca.

And $749,851  in Measure K funding went to Smart Growth Incentives for infrastructure enhancements such as street calming, walkable communities, transit amenities, and alternative transportation. These incentives help local agencies to better integrate transportation and land use, and support infill development, neighborhood revitalization, and downtown improvements.

But there is more to Measure K and the progress in motion it provides by building, repairing and sustaining a transportation system to move people and goods.

Measure K makes San Joaquin County a “self-help county” – state and federal transportation funding programs are more likely to match local transportation funds. Measure K is paying for transportation improvements and transit in the region, while also drawing necessary state and federal matching money for those improvements.

Measure K is a savvy investment that pays huge dividends to county residents with a stronger county transportation system, jobs, and more. It is an investment made possible by voters in 1990 and again in 2006. We continue to be humbled by voter support for these vital regional projects and programs, and in the trust voters have placed with us to manage Measure K. We will continue to work to earn your support and trust as we continue Measure K’s progress in motion.