Transportation Sales Tax Measures
Transit Spending on the Ballot in Seattle and Washington
Voters in the city of Seattle will consider a sales tax to fund bus transit service, while voters around the state of Washington will have a chance to send new leaders to Congress.
Competing Funding Strategies Promoted for Bay Area Transit Mega-Measure
Two Bay Area transportation sales tax measures affecting three Bay Area counties performed poorly on Super Tuesday, but it hasn't deterred the groups backing a nine-county mega-measure. Progressive groups are proposing non-sales tax alternatives.
Counties Outside of Bay Area Eye Transportation Mega Measure in 2020
Northern San Joaquin Valley transit officials are eying a $100 billion Bay Area transportation measure to potentially fund a $1 billion rail tunnel for two commuter railroads to bring workers to the East Bay and Silicon Valley.
Funding Approved for Interstate 10 Express Lanes in Southern California
Construction of 10 miles of dual express lanes on I-10 received the go-ahead last month after a TIFIA loan closed for $225 million of the $925 million project planned by the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority.
A Small but Significant Fuel Tax Hike for Arkansas
The 3 cent gas tax and 6 cent diesel tax increases are among the lowest of any states that have hiked fuel taxes since 2013, but combined with other revenue sources in the legislation, plus an upcoming sales tax ballot measure, it's historic.
Late Election Result: Transportation Sales Tax Appears to Pass in San Mateo County, Calif.
Transportation advocates have been patiently waiting since Nov. 6 for the results of a half-cent, 30-year county sales tax measure, 50 percent of which would benefit Samtrans bus and Caltrain needs and 5% bike/ped. It needs 66.67% of votes to pass.
Another Major Statewide Transportation Funding Loss on Election Day
Similar to Missouri voters, who rejected a 10-cents per gallon tax hike placed on the ballot by the state legislature, Colorado voters rejected two competing initiatives to finance transportation improvements placed on the ballot by citizen groups.
Voters in Four States to Decide on Transportation Sales and Fuel Taxes
Californians will determine whether to repeal recent fuel tax and user fee increases; Missourians to vote on a 10-cent gas tax hike over 4 years; Coloradans whether to hike the sales tax, and the most interesting measure will be decided in Utah.
Colorado Voters to Decide How to Fund Roads on Election Day
Two transportation bonding initiatives will appear on the ballot on Nov. 6: A $3.5 billion measure would have debt repayments come from the general fund, while a $6 billion initiative would create a revenue stream by hiking sales taxes.
Gwinnett County to Vote on Joining MARTA
Transit activists celebrated the good news that residents will finally be given the opportunity to join the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority but bemoaned that they would have to wait till March 2020 to vote on the one percent sales tax.
Power Shifts to Cities in San Diego County's Embattled Regional Planning Agency
Larger cities in California's second most populous county will be given more power thanks to a bill that reforms the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG). One result may be that more public transit measures appear on the ballot.
Setting Aside Transit Sales Tax Revenue for Affordable Housing
With a new wave of transit and active transportation investment coming to Atlanta, thanks to two new sales taxes, advocates are mobilizing to ensure that the investments won't leave low-income residents behind. It's a concept worth considering.
The County Transportation Authority That Saved the Caltrain Electrification Project
Up against an unexpected federal requirement to produce substantially more funds for a crucial rail project, San Mateo County's transportation authority showed the importance of "self-help" counties that control local transportation sales tax funds.
Review of November 2016 Transportation Ballot Measures
About 50 transportation measures appeared on local ballots on November 8, 2016. To date, Planetizen reviewed outcomes in nine regions in six states. Here we compare the measures in terms of revenue, taxes, projects, and reasons for failure.
San Luis Obispo County Leaders Ponder What's Next After Transportation Measure Fails
The November 8 sales tax measure fell 0.37 percent short, but there's new hope from Sacramento with the reintroduction of a gas tax measure. Democrats now hold the bare supermajority in both the Assembly and Senate needed to pass tax increases.
What it Takes To Pass a Transportation Sales Tax Measure in California
Ventura County's transportation sales tax measure failed after receiving almost 57 percent of the vote, illustrating the difficulty in passing tax measures intended for transportation improvements in California.
Bay Area Sends Mixed Message on BART Funding
BART won big on election night with the passage of Measure RR, a $3.5 billion infrastructure bond measure. But the San Francisco Chronicle observes that results from two other local ballot measures suggest a mixed message on the rapid transit system.
Broward County Voters Approve One Sales Tax Measure but Reject Another; Neither Passes
Had it not been for the political compromise that enabled it to be placed on the ballot, voters would have narrowly passed a county transportation sales tax measure. In neighboring Palm Beach County, a straight-forward sales tax measure passed.
Election Outcomes Put Atlanta Metro Region on Two Different Transportation Paths
Three sales tax measures in Fulton County all won on Nov. 8. Two city ballot measures sets a course for investment in public transit and active transportation for Atlanta, while Fulton County will invest in road projects to reduce traffic congestion.
A Message to Suburban Counties: Invest in Transit or Get Left Behind
An op-ed directs a pointed pro-transit message to Gwinnett County near Atlanta.
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
