On the Issues:
Transportation

Approximately $3.3 Billion is budgeted to be spent on transportation per year in the nine county bay area. Ninety-one percent of this money is budgeted to maintain existing systems. Yet this still is not enough money. We are funding transportation systems that fundamentally do not work, and instead of focusing on how we fix the systems, we are focusing on ways to collect more taxes and fees for transportation. The Bay Area's Public and Private Transportation Systems are a disgrace. The Federal Government, State Government, and Local Government have failed in setting up a viable, scalable, sustainable transportation system. There is a lack of cohesive leadership. Our incumbent seems to believe transportation is either a local issue, or at times a reaction issue from the Federal Government (e.g. Federal money allocation for pedestrian safety in 2000 after pedestrian/vehicle deaths have risen sharply over the past three years). At the Federal level, San Francisco needs:

• A true regional transportation vision and master plan for both short term and long term transportation issues.
• A defined commitment of Federal investment for transportation to maintain and enhance livability, commerce, and safety over 20 years.
• Relaxation in how the Department of Transportation allocates Federal funding, including redefining funding allocations for Urban Areas in a way that does not promote sprawl and rewards land-use characteristics as well as transportation mobility.
• Federal grants, credits, and initiatives applying technology to solve transportation problems and devise new and creative solution for moving people and goods cleanly, quickly, pleasantly, and safely.