San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and Board of Supervisors President David Chiu proposed legislation that would put a $368 million general obligation bond referendum on the November ballot.
The bonds would finance the resurfacing of streets, repair of stairways and sidewalks, construction of curb ramps, and improvements to streetscapes. Newsom said the plan would stimulate the economy by creating 2,650 construction jobs.
“During tough economic times, infrastructure projects help with the recovery of our local economy,” the mayor said. “The Safe Streets and Road Repair Bond will stimulate our economy by creating jobs while providing needed repairs to our aging streets and fixing the infrastructure which our economy depends on.”
The bulk of the money —$209 million — would be used for street resurfacing. The city would use $93 million for streetscape improvement, such as landscaping, tree plantings, pedestrian lighting and sidewalk expansions, and it would spend another $30.6 million to rebuild curbs and ramps to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The balance would fund repairs to sidewalks, bridges, guardrails, tunnels, viaducts and other basic infrastructure.
The street bond proposal is part of the city’s 10-year capital plan, which also anticipates sending voters a $580 million bond proposal in June 2010 to fund earthquake safety and emergency response projects. San Francisco voters last November overwhelmingly approved an $850 million GO bond to replace San Francisco General Hospital.
