Measure M: Streets and Watershed Bond
Measure M provided funding for improvements to City streets and for the installation of green infrastructure.
About Measure M
Measure M provided $30 million of funding from bond revenue to improve Berkeley’s streets and install green infrastructure to protect water quality in the Bay. Berkeley voters passed Measure M in November 2012 with 73% approval. The original ballot question read:
Shall the City of Berkeley issue general obligation bonds not exceeding $30,000,000 for street improvements and integrated Green Infrastructure such as rain gardens, swales, bioretention cells and permeable paving, to improve roads, reduce flooding and improve water quality in the creeks and Bay?
Status
Measure M helped to fund 63 street improvement projects and 11 green infrastructure projects with $30 million in Measure M funds. These projects helped improve City streets, protect neighborhoods from flooding, reduce pollution, and improve water quality.
Progress on Measure M projects
All Measure M projects are now complete, and have made our streets and neighborhoods easier and safer to navigate, as well as more resilient and environmentally-friendly. Some notable projects are listed below.
Panoramic Hill Rehabilitation Project
The project rehabilitated approximately 1.3 miles of pavement in the Panoramic Hill district. This project also included improvements to drainage, sidewalks, curbs, gutters, driveways, curb ramps, retaining walls, signing, and striping.
Green Infrastructure Improvements
Green infrastructure helps filter and absorb stormwater, rather than letting it all run off into storm drains, which can cause flooding and pollute the watershed. Measure M helped to fund 11 green infrastructure improvements citywide, including:
- Rain garden at Presentation Park in Central Berkeley
- Bioswales at the intersections of Vine and Spruce (North Berkeley) and Rose and Hopkins (Northwest Berkeley)
- Permeable pavers and/or pavement at Eunice and Milvia (North Berkeley) and at Milvia and Hopkins (North Berkeley)
Woolsey Street Low Impact Development (LID) Green Infrastructure Project
This project installed 90,000-gallon cistern and a 140 feet long bio-swale to help filter and absorb stormwater. As a result, storm water that enters the bay is cleaner, and the area is less prone to flooding.
Improvements to Berkeley streets
Measure M helped to fund improvements for 63 streets in Berkeley.
Management and oversight
The Department of Public Works manages the street improvement and green infrastructure projects funded by Measure M. Decisions about how to prioritize streets for paving were guided by the Street Maintenance and Rehabilitation Policy.
Goals and priorities were discussed with the Public Works Commission (as the lead commission), Community Environmental Advisory Commission, Transportation Commission, and the Parks & Waterfront Commission. City Council reviewed and approved all projects receiving Measure M funding.
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