Measure T, Madera County’s $800 million transportation sales tax, explained

Madera County has some of the worst roads in the state of California. The fifth-worst out of the state’s 58 counties, to be exact. Transportation planners estimate Madera County’s average pavement condition is over 30% worse than down the road in Fresno County.

The cost of meeting the county’s road maintenance needs is daunting. At the current level of funding ($12-13 million a year), a third of Madera’s roads will fall into disrepair by 2028. Even increasing it by $4-5 million annually ($16-17 million a year) will still leave the roads in their bad existing conditions. And to improve road conditions to a level similar to Fresno’s? That will cost 400% more, $64 million a year for the next 20 years, $1.3 billion in total.

The $800 million Measure T spending plan on the Madera County ballot this fall will only cover a fraction of these road repair concerns. The plan’s street and road programs will bring in $15-20 million annually for road maintenance – enough for upkeep, but not enough to hit the $64 million goal that’s needed to improve the county’s road quality.

How much of the county’s transportation needs will be addressed in Measure T’s proposed spending plan? What can the plan accomplish? Is it enough to win over 66% of the county’s voters this fall?