Sonoma County Transportation Authority Logo
photo credit: SCTA

Many more millions will be pouring into local transportation projects after the Sonoma County Transportation Authority secured $67 million in project funds earlier this month.

The funding comes from both grants and a variety of tax streams like Measure M and Measure BB also known as Go Sonoma.

Speaking about the projects SCTA Chairman and Santa Rosa city council member Chris Rogers said: "Thank you to the community, because these projects would not be moving forward had they not supported a reauthorization of this tax measure," Rogers said.

Rogers said selected projects are in line with initiatives like Sonoma Climate Mobilization and the Vision Zero Action Plan - which aims to eliminate traffic fatalities.

"Every single project that we approved was driven by local jurisdictions telling SCTA and RCPA what would be the most impactful for them to be able to not just meet our current transportation needs, but also to invest in the infrastructure that we all need in the future," Rogers said.

Rogers said the funding goes beyond simple road repair and rehab.

"Forty percent of the funding that was allocated in this first round is specifically for pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, which we hear our communities are desperate to build," Rogers said. "Particularly as we address climate change."

Rogers said SCTA has increased its focus on improving transit.

"Some of these funds are going to make sure that we deliver a better service that is more reliable for people and gets us where we need to go in terms of getting people out of single occupancy vehicles," Rogers said.

This round of funding is just the start Rogers said.

"Each of these funds that we're allocating can be a piece of getting those projects off the ground or doing the environmental work early on, or the early utility work, whatever we need to actually get these projects built," Rogers said.

Projects set to receive funding include Petaluma's transit service expansion, bike lane construction and road rehabilitation on Bodega Avenue in Sebastopol, and the Highway 101 Bike and Pedestrian Overcrossing at Copeland Creek in Rohnert Park.