Growth Management

Measure C (1988) - the Transportation Improvement and Growth Management Program (GMP) contains two key components: first, a half-cent sales tax program that generates $1 billion in new revenues for transportation improvement projects and programs; and second, a GMP that is designed to help Contra Costa County plan for and accommodate the continued increases in population, households, and jobs that are expected to occur through the year 2035. The GMP provisions were originally added to Measure C (1988) because a previous ballot measure, which contained only a transportation improvement program, failed.

The overall goal of the GMP, as stated in Measure C, is to "achieve a cooperative process for Growth Management on a countywide basis, while maintaining local authority over land use decisions and the establishment of performance standards." One of the key principles underlying Measure C is that growth management was needed to ensure that "future residential, business, and commercial growth would pay for the facilities required to meet the demands resulting from that growth," while sales tax revenues would be used to alleviate existing congestion.

The GMP has made real improvements in managing growth in Contra Costa County. Most importantly, the GMP:

  1. Gives local jurisdictions several new forums in which they cooperate to address transportation land use issues, and develop joint objectives and plans to achieve them.
  2. Creates a regional mitigation program that, through the imposition of new transportation fees, has generated almost $250 million to fund improvements needed to meet the demands resulting from growth. (You can download a summary of the program's current status here.)
  3. Subject local land use decisions and actions on jobs and housing to increased scrutiny by the public and adjoining jurisdictions.
  4. Provids a consistent set of tools and performance standards for streets and public services under which projects and changes to general plans are thoroughly evaluated.

To learn more about the specific requirements of the GMP, and to view a side-by-side comparison of the Measure C GMP with the new Measure J program, click here.

To learn about the traffic study requirements of Measure C/J, click here.