San Diego Councilman Todd Gloria has coined the catch phrase “sexy streets” as a way of getting people excited about infrastructure improvements around San Diego. But he says it’s time to start talking about how to actually address the city’s nearly $1 billion backlog of infrastructure projects.
Gloria said he wants to present a comprehensive program to voters in two to four years.
He’s open to suggestions on how to fund the repairs and upgrades. But he said the ideas have to come from the community and voters have to know what they’ll be getting.
“As a resident of Hillcrest, I will receive 10 miles of repaved roads, 3,000 linear feet of new sidewalks, a new fire station and a library,” he said.
Gloria listed San Antonio and Phoenix as possible models for a program in San Diego. The TransNet sales tax may also be an example. In 1988, and again in 2004, voters approved a half-cent sales tax that benefits local transportation projects.
Gloria said creating the right program for the city will take time. But he said San Diego is competing against every other city in the world for business and people won’t come here if the city is falling apart.
