Measure U Ordinance

Over the last year NVTA and its Joint Powers Authority City/Town/County partners have devised an approach to replace Measure T with Measure U, the Napa Valley Transportation Improvement Act.  The primary reason is to improve the partners’ pavement condition index scores and to fund critical regional traffic congestion relief projects to leverage federal and state grant funding.   Measure T in its current state is a 1/2 cent pay-go sales tax which increases each year at roughly the same pace as the consumer price index of 4.6%[1].  This method cannot keep pace with the growing cost of construction which is increasing at 10.7% and the differed maintenance of local streets and roads. [2]

If approved by the voters in November 2024, Measure U will be a 30-year measure operating from July 2025 – July 2055, and will generate approximately $25 million annually and allow jurisdictions the ability to bring money forward to tackle long awaited transportation improvements. The majority of funds will go directly to the jurisdictions for local street and road improvements.  Funds will be distributed on a formula basis tied to sales tax generation for all jurisdictions, and 50/50 sales tax revenue and lane miles for the unincorporated county. The local streets and roads portion of funds includes maintenance and upgrades to infrastructure within the roadway, such as sidewalks, curbs, gutters, as well as complete street amenities and any other statutory or policy upgrade requirements.  In addition, up to $56 million dollars can be used on critical highway projects in the south county like the Airport/State Route 29 intersection and SR 29 improvements in American Canyon.  There is also a highway operations and emergency evacuation component that could be used for improvements up valley.

The NVTA-TA Board released the draft Measure U Ordinance and Expenditure Plan at their February 2024 meeting for circulation amongst the member jurisdictions’ governing bodies and approval of the Expenditure Plan.  As of April 16, 2024, all member jurisdictions have approved the draft Expenditure Plan.  The NVTA-TA Board approved the final Measure U Ordinance and Expenditure Plan at the June 26, 2024 meeting.

[1] State of California Department of Real Estate average construction cost increase for the period 2021-2023.

[1] State of California Bureau of Labor Statistics Bay Area CPI Average.