[Texgreen] Public enthusiastically supports public transportation nationwide

[Roger Baker]

http://www.lightrailnow.org/news/n_lrt_2006-11b.htm

Light Rail Now! website
Updated 2006/11/10

USA: Huge Net Gain for Public Transport in November 2006 Vote

Light Rail Now Project Team =95 November 2006

Despite several setbacks, the net result of the USA's nationwide vote =20=

of 7
November 2006 has been a huge victory for public transport. Major
funding measures were approved in California, Minnesota, Seattle, and
Salt Lake City; a light rail transit (LRT) plan was given the go-=20
ahead in
Kansas City; and, across the nation, many legislators and local =20
political
leaders more favorable to public transport assumed the reins of
governmental power.

The following are highlights of some key specific results from the =20
Nov. 7th
US elections with relevance for public transport.

California: Huge win with the passage of over $40 billion of public =20
works
bonds, including a $20 billion transportation package of which $4 =20
billion is
allocated to public transportation projects. For Los Angeles alone, =20
this will
mean an additional one billion dollars in new discretionary funding.

Minnesota: Major win for public transportation, as voters approved an
amendment to the state constitution that locks the state government into
spending more money on roads and public transit by restoring all money
collected from the sales tax on motor vehicles to transportation - a =20
move
that's expected to funnel an extra $300 million a year into =20
transportation
projects, including not less than 40% of revenues for transit  a =20
whopping
$120 million per year.

[PHOTO]
Minnesota's voter-approved amendment to dedicate 40% of motor
vehicle sales taxes to public transport could mean major influx of =20
funding
for expansion and improvement of services, such as Minneapolis LRT
system, shown here.
[Photo: Joe Kurland]

Seattle: Major win for public transit, particularly in the approval of
Proposition 2, which will permanently increase sales taxes by one-=20
tenth of
one percent to expand Metro bus service. Prop. 1, a nine-year property
tax increase, will address the city's backlog of street, bridge, and =20
sidewalk
repairs, plus a host of transit, bike path, and safety improvements.

Kansas City: A huge win for rail transit ... In what the Kansas City =20
Star
calls "a stunning upset", local activist Clay Chastain's persistent, =20
nearly
decade-long crusade for light rail transit (LRT) won Kansas City voter
approval, passing 54 percent to 46 percent. It was Chastain's seventh
ballot attempt in nine years. The measure approves a 25-year extension
of a 3/8-cent sales tax to help pay for a 27-mile light rail transit =20
line,
electric shuttle buses, and a cable-gondola system. The measure was
opposed by almost all of Kansas City's political establishment, along =20=

with
the Area Transportation Authority and the Regional Transit Alliance, and
some local leaders are expressing reluctance to implement the LRT plan,
despite voters' endorsement. However, campaign supporters are
determined to see it carried out.

[GRAPHIC]
Kansas City voters' thumbs-up to grassroots-initiated LRT plan could =20
lead
to revival of 2001 plan. Rendition shows simiulation of LRT system in
downtown Kansas City.
[Graphic: KCATA]

Spokane: A loss for rail transit, as voters rejected two "advisory"
questions which would have given a green light to the transit =20
authority's
plans for a $263 million diesel-powered light railway project. =20
Proposition 1,
asking if a funding package (probably including a local sales tax =20
increase
of up to 0.3 percent ) should be determined, was defeated 56%-44%. The
second question, asking if Spokane Transit should use its existing
resources to pay for engineering studies and design work, was defeated
54%-46%. The No vote to both questions probably kills the project for =20=

the
foreseeable future.

Sonoma-Marin (California) Area: A loss for rail transit, as Measure R,
which would have authorized a quarter-cent sales tax for 20 years to =20
build
and operate a diesel-powered rail transit line (plus pedestrian and =20
bicycle
facilities), narrowly failed with 65% of the vote, 2 points short of the
required 67% (2/3). Sonoma County voters gave the measure 69.3
percent approval but only 57.3 percent of Marin County voters approved
the measure. However, local rail advocates are planning to regroup, =20
with a
view to placing a rail plan back on the ballot in 2008.

Broward County (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida area): A loss for transit, as
voters overwhelmingly rejected increasing the local sales tax to improve
mass transit. A major component would have been a light rail starter
system.

Salt Lake City area: A big win for public transit, as Salt Lake County
voters approved, by 64 percent, Proposition 3, raising the sales tax =20
by a
quarter-cent to pay for rail expansion and road projects.

Grapevine (Ft. Worth, Texas area): Major win for rail transit, as
Proposition 1, an economic development one-half-percent sales tax,
which was largely focused on bringing regional passenger rail ("commuter
rail") from Ft. Worth to Grapevine, was supported by 73 percent of =20
voters.

Nationwide: Generally, a huge net win for public transport, as dozens of
Road Warrior legislators and local political opponents of public
transportation were replaced by others somewhat more favorable to
investment in surface public transport and other alternatives to private
motor vehicle and air travel.

For a complete tabulation of the results of all the transportation-=20
related
issues in this past November 7th election, the Light Rail Now Project
recommends the extensive listing provided by the Center for
Transportation Excellence, which can be viewed at the following webpage:

http://www.cfte.org/success/2006BallotMeasures.asp

NOTE: Much of the information in this report has been adapted with
permission from the Public Transport Progress Digest.