By Alicia Venter | Peoria Times
For 40 years, Maricopa County residents have paid a half-cent sales tax that allowed for major transportation construction across the Valley, including the creation of the Loops 101, 202 and 303. This past election cycle, they decided there was no need for that to change.
Maricopa County citizens voted to pass Proposition 479, a continuation of an existing half-cent sales tax to fund transportation, during the Nov. 5 election, providing an avenue for the region to raise the necessary money to improve interstates, highways, local road and public transportation.
The tax is slated to bring billions of dollars into the county, and transportation improvements from that funding include, but not limited to, creating 331 new freeway and highway lane miles, creating 1,000 new or improved arterial lane miles and building 43 traffic interchanges in Maricopa County.
