June 14, 2010
Comment on Santa Fe Trail Connection

Tulare County residents have until June 16, to suggest what should be studied as part of an upcoming Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the planned Santa Fe Trail Connection.

The goal of the project is to create Tulare County’s first regional class I bicycle path/multi-use trail and preserve the historic Santa Fe Railroad corridor. Class I bike paths/multi-use trails are off-road trails that are separate from traffic and can be used for non-vehicular modes which include walking, running, cycling, rollerblading and equestrian.

Public feedback will guide the preparation of the environmental impact report. The report will examine impacts of a bike path that will travel along the historic Santa Fe Railroad corridor along with alternate routes suggested during this public comment period.

Comments can be e-mailed to chchavez@co.tulare.ca.us or mailed to Christine Chavez, 5955 S. Mooney Boulevard, Visalia, CA 93277.

June 8, 2010
Measure R committee names new chairman
The Measure R Citizens’ Oversight Committee has a new chairman and vice chairman.

Tom Barcellos, who serves on the committee as the Tulare County Farm Bureau representative, was elected as chairman during the committee’s June 7 meeting in Visalia.
Ty Holscher, who serves as the City of Tulare’s representative, was elected vice-chairman.

The next Citizens’ Oversight Committee meeting will be Monday, Aug. 9. For details,
click here.

May 28, 2010
Public invited to Santa Fe Trail meeting
Tulare County residents are invited to a meeting on Thursday, June 3, to discuss what they would like studied as part of an upcoming environmental impact report for the Santa Fe Trail.
 
A 4:30 p.m. open house will precede the 5:30 p.m. meeting at Mooney Grove Park inside the Tulare County Museum of Farm Labor and Agriculture’s Learning Center Room, 27000 S. Mooney Boulevard.

Comments can also be e-mailed or submitted in writing by June 16 to or Christine Chavez, 5955 S. Mooney Boulevard, Visalia, CA 93277.

May 27, 2010
Frequently asked questions about Measure R
Click here and get the answers to Measure R’s most frequently asked questions.

May 27, 2010
Measure R accomplishment’s celebrated
Tulare County officials celebrated Measure R’s accomplishments on May 18 with cake during a Tulare County Board of Supervisors meeting. Measure R, a half-cent sales tax approved by voters in 2006, has boosted transportation funding for the county by 400 percent and doubled the amount of road projects started in its first three years.

May 20, 2010
Measure R: The Success Story
For a look at the successes of Measure R in its first three years, click here.
Expenditure Plan posted

May 17, 2010
TCAG delivers monthly Measure R update
Overall, $17.4 million has been received in Measure R revenues in fiscal year 2009-10. This figure is consistent with the Measure R Expenditure Plan projection of $21.8 million.

The Tulare County Association of Governments is also working with the County of Tulare Treasurer’s Office to facilitate a $20 million loan to keep Measure R regional projects on track. The agreement will be submitted for approval at the Tulare County Transportation Authority’s June meeting.

Additionally, the Tulare County Transportation Authority will soon get a look at the 2010 Measure R Strategic Work Plan. It is the master plan for the delivery of Measure R projects in the upcoming five-year period. It is expected to be approved this summer.

The next Measure R update will be delivered on Monday, June 21, at the Tulare County Board of Supervisors’ Conference Rooms A&B, County Civic Center, 2800 W. Burrel Ave., Visalia.

Ben Maddox under construction  
Nearly 100 people attended the Ben Maddox Way Overcrossing Improvement Project on Jan. 8, which broke ground at Noble Avenue and Ben Maddox Way following a short ceremony at Visalia Ford. Work continues on the project, which will take the overcrossing from four to eight lanes relieving traffic congestion in one of the county’s highest-volume intersections and upgrading three existing traffic signals. It is expected to be complete in 2011.

The project was originally fully funded as a Measure R regional project slated for construction in 2012. However, the City of Visalia moved this project up two years thanks to $6.4 million in stimulus funds and a $1.6 million federal earmark of SAFETEA-LU funding secured by Congressman Devin Nunes, R-Visalia. Local funding, including Measure R funds, will fill in any funding gaps. To date, the project will be the largest project funded by stimulus funds in Tulare County.  

Measure R pays for Mooney Widening
Measure R is helping pay to complete the Mooney Boulevard/SR-63 Widening Project. The Tulare County Transportation Authority recently amended the 2008 Measure R Strategic Work Plan to allow Measure R funds to be used to widen a “bottleneck” portion of the road just north of Packwood Creek from two lanes to three lanes.

City of Visalia regional project breaks ground
On Feb. 20, nearly 100 people turned out to celebrate the ground breaking of the Santa Fe Bridge Project, the newest regional project funded by Measure R. “Measure R has been a great partner to the City of Visalia in this project,” said Adam Ennis, Engineering Services Manager. “We are certainly very thankful for the help that Measure R is providing us.” The project will involve replacing the existing railroad bridge with a five-lane vehicle overcrossing. The project has been awarded to Agee Construction and work is expected to begin in March. Construction should wrap up by May 2010. The Santa Fe Bridge Project is the City of Visalia’s first regional project funded by Measure R. Other City of Visalia regional projects funded by Measure R include the widening of Plaza Drive from SR-198 to Avenue 304, the Lovers Lane/SR-198 Interchange and the Ben Maddox/SR-198 overcrossing. In the next five years, Measure R will provide an estimated $320 million to fund construction projects in Tulare County. In the next year work will also begin on other Measure R regional projects such as the widening of Scranton and Indiana in Porterville; the Ben Maddox overpass at Noble Avenue; and the Avenue 416 bridge study.