Measure FF: Sidewalk and Street Repairs Parcel Tax
Measure FF provides funding for repairs to city streets and sidewalks, safety improvements, and environmental enhancements.
About Measure FF
Measure FF will provide an estimated $15 million annually for 14 years (estimated $267 million over the 14-year duration, including inflation) to make repairs to streets, sidewalks, and pedestrian paths. Berkeley voters passed Measure FF in November 2024 with 60% approval.
The original ballot question for Measure FF: Sustainable and Accountable Funding for Equitable Street Transformation, Revitalization, Enhancements, and Essential Traffic Safety (SAFE STREETS) Initiative Parcel Tax Measure read:
Shall the measure creating a special parcel tax for the purposes of street, sidewalk, and pedestrian path repair, repaving, and reconstruction, safety improvements, and environmental infrastructure, at a rate of $0.17 per square foot of improvements to dwelling units and $0.25 per square foot of improvements to other property, which may be increased annually for inflation; and generating approximately $15 million annually for 14 years, provided other funding for street maintenance is maintained, be adopted?
Status
The City will use funding from the Measure FF tax to improve streets, sidewalks, safety, and the environment. When funds become available in Fiscal Year 2026, the City will distribute them to projects:
- 60% for streets and sidewalks, with:
- 45% for streets
- 15% for sidewalks and pedestrian paths, until the backlog of damaged sidewalks and pedestrian paths is eliminated.
- 30% for safety improvements
- 10% for environmental enhancements, fees, and other permissible uses, including auditing costs, updating the City’s Transportation Element of the General Plan, reviewing and updating the City’s public works project delivery process, and public art, subject to certain conditions.
Pedestrian safety
Pedestrian safety projects will include those located in ten priority street segments as included in The City of Berkeley 2020 Pedestrian Plan.
Bicycle safety
Prioritization for bicycle safety will be given to the Tier I projects located in Appendix E of The City of Berkeley 2017 Bicycle Master Plan.
Green infrastructure
Measure FF funding will support creation of green infrastructure to treat stormwater runoff when an acre or more of pavement is reconstructed. This is a requirement from the State of California.
Management and oversight
Oversight
The SAFE STREETS Citizen Oversight Committee (SSCOC) will oversee management of the Measure FF funds.
The SSCOC will consist of seven members:
- Two members of the Transportation and Infrastructure Commission
- One member of the Environment and Climate Commission
- Four members of the public who are Berkeley residents (members of the public are required to have a background in civil engineering, transportation engineering, infrastructure program management, or the implementation of municipal bond or tax measures)
In addition, the City manager will submit an annual performance report to the City Council, staff will hold public workshops to solicit input, and the City Auditor will perform an audit once every three years.
Maintenance of current funding
The measure requires that the City maintain existing funding from other sources at least at the current annual amount of $15.3 million for street maintenance, adjusted for inflation (except for budgetary or other states of emergency as noted in the measure).
Resources
Projects funded by Measure FF will be guided by existing adopted plans created through public engagement, including: