Sir Francis Drake Boulevard is one of the busiest roads in Marin County carrying over 40,000 vehicles each day.
1/24/18: RM 3 - A New Way to Fund Some of Marin County's Most Important Projects
Regional Measure 3 (or RM 3) would increase Bay Area bridge tolls to fund significant transportation improvements and help solve some of the Bay Area’s growing congestion problems. The measure is expected to be on the ballot in June and would to generate up to $4.45 billion dollars to fund major transportation project in the toll bridge corridors.
There are several critical projects in Marin County that would receive funding from the Measure including:
- The Downtown San Rafael Bettini Transit Center Permanent Relocation – $30 million
- NB Highway 101 to EB I-580 Direct Connector Project – $135 million ($210 million for overall Richmond San Rafael Bridge Improvements)
- Marin-Sonoma Narrows HOV Lane & Multi-Use Path – $120 million
- State Route 37 Improvements – $100 million for Environmental Document (four counties of Marin, Sonoma, Napa, and Solano)
- San Francisco Bay Trail Improvements / Safe Routes to Transit – $150 million
- SMART Extension to Windsor and Healdsburg – $40 million
- North Bay Transit Access Improvements – $100 million
The toll increase being considered would increase incrementally in the amount of $1 in 2019, an additional $1 in 2022 and an additional $1 in 2025. The toll increase would require a 50% approval by voters. Projects funded by the toll revenue show a nexus – a benefit – to the toll bridge users who pay the fee.
The bridge toll increase would apply to the region’s seven state-owned bridges: the Antioch, Bay, Benicia, Carquinez, Dumbarton, Richmond-San Rafael, and San Mateo bridges. Cars passing over two bridges using Fastrak in the same day would receive a 50% discount on the second bridge. The toll increase does not apply to the Golden Gate Bridge.
All nine counties must take action to place the measure on the June ballot. The County of Marin Board of Supervisors is expected to consider the item on February 13th, 2018.
A recent poll revealed that a majority of voters in Marin and throughout the Bay Area are supportive of the toll increase to fund critical transportation improvements. In the poll, 59% of Marin voters indicated support without information about what projects would receive funding and 62% indicated support after hearing about the projects that would be funded by the measure.
Read the RM 3 Factsheet highlighting Marin projects
View the list of potential projects.
View the map of potential projects.
This page last edited: 2018-01-24