Placer County voters in November are expected to be asked to raise the sales tax by one-half cent, bringing it to 8 percent.

The money would be used to address existing and future traffic and congestion issues, as well as improve public transportation. Three percent of the tax revenues would be earmarked for improvements in the Lake Tahoe area; including for bike and pedestrian trails.

Late last month the Placer County Board of Supervisors and the Placer County Transportation Planning Agency board voted to unanimously to support the plan. The supervisors need to take one more vote to make it a reality.

PCTPA estimates that over the next three decades, $3.5 billion will be needed to fund priority transportation projects. Existing funding mechanisms will covert $1.4 billion of those costs. The proposed tax increase would generate another $1.6 billion over 30 years.

Over the next 30 years, PCTPA projects 70,000 new homes, 180,000 additional residents and 32 million additional square feet of commercial and office space in Placer County.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report