Our election includes many highly partisan contests. But one issue going before Santa Barbara County voters on Nov. 4 is in the unique position of being supported by a broad coalition of community, business, labor, environmental and political leaders - Measure A.

Measure A will provide $1.05 billion needed to build freeway and street improvements, perform local street maintenance, improve safety and traffic flow, and expand public transit services - all without increasing taxes.

The measure will extend the existing half-cent transportation sales tax originally approved by voters as Measure D in 1989, so it can continue providing funding for needed transportation projects through 2040.

The Automobile Club of Southern California worked along with many other local citizens and groups to ensure that Measure A would meet the transportation needs of Santa Barbara County in a responsible and fair manner.

Measure A allows us to control our own destiny by renewing a revenue resource that is locally controlled, and that can put us in a better position to qualify for scarce state and federal transportation dollars.

In fact, Measure A will allow Santa Barbara County to qualify for as much as $522 million in matching state and federal grants reserved for local governments with transportation sales-tax measures.

Projects that will be financed with Measure A revenue include: Highway 101 safety and traffic improvements at several interchanges in Santa Maria and Orcutt; $341 million in local street and transportation improvements designated by local city government, including $137.2 million for Santa Maria, and $104.98 million for unincorporated areas in northern Santa Barbara County; improved transit for seniors and the disabled; and safety improvements for bicyclists, pedestrians and children traveling to and from school.

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These are projects that will be delayed for years or never completed if we are not able to provide local funding for them, because federal and state transportation revenues for our county are extremely inadequate.

Measure A is accountable to the public. It has an independent oversight committee and a specific, responsible investment plan that fairly distributes funding throughout the county and balances funding among road and highway projects, public transit and other alternative transportation.

None of the money can ever be taken for use outside Santa Barbara County or diverted to non-transportation purposes. No more than 1 percent of the sales tax can be used for administration.

The Auto Club supports Measure A because it will help reduce congestion and improve mobility and safety, boost the local economy, and create a better quality of life.

We hope you will join us and the unprecedented countywide coalition of community, business, environmental, labor and political leaders in supporting Measure A.

Gary Newhall is Santa Maria district manager for the Automobile Club of Southern California.

October 19, 2008