SAN FRANCISCO—Mayor Edwin Lee and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors has introduced a proposed $500-million general obligation bond for the November ballot that would go toward infrastructure projects aimed at significantly improving San Francisco's transportation network—without raising property taxes. The bond would increase MUNI reliability and travel speed, upgrade transit stops and stations, improve pedestrian and bicycle safety and prepare for growth on the city's busiest travel corridors.

Key investments planned for the bond include:

• MUNI Forward Rapid Network capital projects and other transit-improvement projects: $230 million
• MUNI maintenance facility upgrades: $70 million
• Pedestrian safety enhancements: $68 million
• “Complete Streets” projects, including new or enhanced bikeways: $52 million
• Transit-stop accessibility improvements: $30 million
• Traffic-signal replacement: $22 million

The bond will not raise property-tax rates and would include citizen oversight and regular audits to assure accountability and transparency. It is one of several recommendations of the SF 2030 Transportation Task Force, which Lee convened last year, as GlobeSt.com reported in February, to examine the city's transportation-infrastructure needs and prepare for its future. The task force found that to meet current need and future demand, the City requires a $10-billion investment in transportation infrastructure through 2030.

The City has identified $3.7 billion in funding, leaving a $6.3-billion funding gap over the next 15 years. The bond measure, which will begin to address the transportation-funding gap and allow the City to invest in much-needed local infrastructure, is part of its 10-year capital plan, which prioritizes critical capital projects that impact public safety and improve neighborhoods.