TRAFFIC SIGNALS are one of the uses for Measure M funds coming to local cities (Shutterstock).

The West Orange County cities of Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Stanton and Westminster recently received a total of $1.68 million in transportation funds from the Orange County Transportation Authority.

It comes from Measure M, the half-cent sales tax approved by voters in 2006. While much of the revenue from the tax goes to the operation of OCTA, a portion is devoted to “Local Fair Share Funding” for cities across the county.

The money is distributed every two months and is used for repairing potholes, repaving streets, synchronizing traffic signals, improving safety and other transit issues.

Garden Grove’s latest share is $541,641 with a to-date total of $29 million. Huntington Beach is getting $713,323 for a to-date total of $38 million.

Stanton gets $109,631 ($5.8 million to date) and Westminster receives $303,958 ($16.6 million to date).

“This program epitomizes the concept of putting local tax dollars to work,” said OCTA Chairman Gene Hernandez, also the Mayor of Yorba Linda. “Every two months, these locally generated dollars go back to the cities and the county as a stable and flexible source of funding for vital transportation projects.”