TIC Conference Presentations Available Online

The 2011 Transit Initiatives and Communities Conference was attended by over 130 people from 21 states and the District of Columbia. CFTE would like to give a big thank you to the excellent speakers and engaged, enthusiastic participants that came together in St. Louis to share strategies for successful transit ballot measure campaigns!
Presentations, materials and Twitter stories from each session have been posted on our website.  If you missed TIC this year, stay tuned for announcements of webinars and local workshop! The next TIC Conference will be held in 2013!

Next Transit Ballot Measure on August 2
MILLAGE INCREASE VOTE IN CRAWFORD COUNTY, MI 

A small property tax measure is scheduled for the ballot in Crawford County, MI on August 2. This is a special election for several local ballot measures. The transit measure asks voters to approve a 0.7027 mill increase to the current transportation levy for Crawford County Public Transportation System. The five-year levy would be used to pay for the operating costs of the county's Dial-A-Ride service.  If the millage is approved the county would collect about $400,000 in the first year. 

Crawford County is not the first Michigan community to go to the ballot this year. In early May, voters in five communities approved increases or renewals to local property tax levies to support transit. Heading into this election, the year's success rate stands at 87%.

November Election Outlook
2 MEASURES CONFIRMED, SEVERAL PENDING

Two measures have been formally approved for the November 8, 2011 ballot. Voters in Clark County, Washington will be asked to support a 0.2 percent sales tax increase for C-TRAN bus service and voters in Durham County, North Carolina will be presented with a half-cent sales tax measure to increase bus service and support the development of commuter and light rail over the next fourteen years. 

Several other communities are also likely to place transit measures on the November ballot.  In a unique approach, local officials in the town of Avon, Colorado are considering a 0.4 percent sales tax increase and a 1 percent lodging tax increase to fund the town's bus system. Combined, they would raise about $1.35 million. Local officials are expected to make a decision in August on whether to place this measure and a separate 0.33 percent lodging tax increase for marketing and special events on the ballot.

Voters in Seattle and King County, Washington may be asked to approve new car fees in November. An $80 annual fee in Seattle would go towards investments in transit, bike/ped infrastructure, safety improvements and road repair. King County is considering a separate $20 fee to avoid Metro Transit service cuts.  If the county-wide fee is not approved, voters may see up to a 17 percent cut in bus service.

Transportation Reports You May Have Missed: 

CFTE is actively updating its list of transportation-related reports for communities preparing education or ballot measure campaigns. Some recent releases:

U.S. PIRG recently took a look at the role of public-private partnerships in the development of high-speed rail in High-Speed Rail: Public, Private or Both? Assessing the Prospects, Promise and Pitfalls of Public-Private Partnerships.

EMBARQ and the World Resources Institute published a report this month on The Role of Driving in Reducing GHG Emissions and Oil Consumption: Recommendations for Federal Transportation Policy.