Our Moment to Address the Roads We Use Every Day
By now, you have received your ballot for Propositions 418 and 419, the RTA Next plan and the extension of the existing half-cent sales tax. Some of you have already voted, and I sincerely thank you for being engaged. For those who are still deciding, I want to speak directly to our community here on the southeast side.
Out here, roads are not theoretical. They are daily life. Mary Ann Cleveland Way, Colossal Cave Road, and Houghton are the
corridors that move our families, support our jobs, and ensure first responders can reach us when we need them most.
The RTA Next plan includes widening Mary Ann Cleveland to four lanes through both the City and County portions, along with intersection and drainage improvements. It includes widening Colossal Cave Road and adding a grade-separated railroad crossing, which is critical as growth continues and congestion increases. That investment also helps unlock nearly 2,000 acres of already-zoned state land that could support future job creators and expand our local tax base.
In addition to these major corridor projects, the plan includes $177.6 million for pavement rehabilitation on existing arterial and collector roads, with the potential for up to $80 million more. That means curb-to-curb reconstruction and rehabilitation of key roadways we use every day.
-Nikki
