Visalia Road Projects total $348m in next few decades.

In my campaign I had talked about how the creation of a Business Incubator would create more jobs with a lot of less money. Lasting jobs that promote local small businesses. They are also used for neighborhood revitalization. I will post more about this later.

Stay Safe

Dominic



November 21, 2009

Visalia road projects could increase with Measure R funding

By Eric Woomer
ewoomer@visalia.gannett.com

Measure R road improvements are expected to total more than $348 million for Visalia during the next 30 years.

Visalia has plans for more than 30 projects over the next couple of years, according to the Tulare County Measure R expenditure plan.

Plans include numerous bike paths throughout Visalia, traffic signals that offer better traffic flow and less idle times, better traffic circulation around Visalia's industrial park, as well as more than 17 road projects in the Visalia area.

"We are going to spend over $250 million in the area surrounding the industrial park," said Ted Smalley, executive director of Tulare County Association of Governments. "We want to make it attractive to businesses."

Smalley also said that several of the projects would be complete in the next few years. The next road project to start will be the Ben Maddox/Highway 198 interchange. The project is slated to start in January and will cost $2.8 million.

Typically, the projects begin within six months of going out to bid. But some can take up to a year.

"If bureaucracy doesn't get in the way we should be able to start many projects on time," he said.

Measure R is a half-cent sales tax increase that was passed by voters and designed to be used solely on transportation-related matters throughout the county.

The Santa Fe Street overcrossing is being funded entirely by Measure R money.

"We want to make sure the roads and [transportation] services meet the capacity the city will have in 30 years," Smalley said.

Bike trails are often seen in larger numbers in big cities. Visalia is trying to move that way, according to Measure R Oversight Committee member Karen Cooper.

"One of my main concerns is the availability of bike trails and public transportation. We need to make sure people who want to ride bikes have a safe way to do it and people who need the bus have it available," she said.

The city plans to create eight bike trails, as well as make enhancements to current bike trails. Some of the bike trails that are scheduled include K Street, Cameron Creek, St. Johns, Mill Creek and Modoc Creek.

"There are a lot of people who want bike paths and that's what we want to make sure we oversee," said TCAG's Elizabeth Wright.