Since it has struggled with aggressive transit foes over half-cent sales taxes and light rail, Charlotte, North Carolina's transit system is launching a campaign to dispel myths about transit with crisp, clear infographics.
"Charlotte, North Carolina, hasn't forgotten its last big fight over light rail. In 2007, before the LYNX blue line opened, a small but strong anti-transit group (rallying cry: 'Stop the Train') tried to repeal the half-cent sales tax that helped pay for the line. That effort was crushed in a referendum vote, but with construction on the blue line's extension beginning this summer, the city's transit agency has prepared for another assault just in case," writes Eric Jaffe.
"The result of that concern is 'Truth About Transit' — a series of crisp and approachable infographics designed to dispel popular distortions about the impact of public transportation."
"Heard that only bus riders switch over to light rail? You might be surprised to find that 72 percent of LYNX riders used to commute by driving alone. Told that public transit accounts for only 2 or 3 percent of daily trips in the metro Charlotte area? You might like to know that city transit actually attracts up to 17 percent of commuters in certain major job corridors. Think light rail ridership projections are overblown? You might be happy to discover that Charlotte's initial weekday figures beat estimates by 53 percent."
FULL STORY: Charlotte Fights Its Anti-Transit Foes ... With Infographics
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