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Issue Archive
CFTE Update
March 29, 2007 - Vol. 5, No. 3
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In this issue …
•Raynham Council Looks to Voters to End Debate
•Georgia Considers Asking Voters to Determine
Transportation Funding
•Americans took 10.1 Billion Trips on Public Transportation Last Year
•Democrats Seek to Equalize Transit Benefit
•FTA Fiscal Year 2007 Apportionments and Allocations Released
•Register Now for the 2007 Transit Initiatives Conference
Raynham Council Looks to Voters to End Debate
IS THE STOUGHTON EXTENSION INEVITABLE?
The township council of Raynham, MA voted earlier this month to
place three nonbinding transportation related questions on the
ballot of the April 28 annual town election. The three questions
are intended to gauge how voters feel about the proposed MBTA commuter-rail
extension from Stoughton to Fall River and New Bedford.
Gov. Deval Patrick has requested that Transportation Secretary Benard
Cohen develop a plan and schedule for the Stoughton extension by April 4 that
includes both cost and impact. However there has been an ongoing debate among
the town council about whether they should fight this proposed extension. Now
the council is turning to the voters to advise if they should continue to fight
this battle.
Raynham voters will be asked if they favor the Stoughton extension
that would run through Easton, Raynham and Taunton before splitting
into two lines in Berkley and then continuing on to Fall River
and New Bedford; if they oppose the extension; or if they oppose
the extension, but feel that construction is inevitable.
If voters feel the project is inevitable, then the town would focus
its efforts on minimizing the impact to residential and business
abutters, improving traffic circulation within the town and insuring
that the rail passes under Route 138.
For more information on 2007 transportation
ballot measures
Georgia Considers Asking Voters
to Determine Transportation Funding
LEGISLATORS MULL OVER REGIONAL SALES TAX REFERENDA
Georgia legislators are considering two proposals aimed at asking
voters to raise sales tax to fund transportation investment. One
measure would amend the state constitution to allow for a statewide
vote on a 10-year, 1-cent statewide sales tax estimated to raise
about $2.2 billion a year. Projects would be selected and managed
by a newly created entity.
A competing plan, promoted by a coalition of business groups and livability
advocates, would pay for a mix of transportation projects in metro Atlanta
with a one-cent regional sales tax approved by a referendum. HB 434 would allow
contiguous counties in metro Atlanta, or elsewhere in the state, to form self-taxing
districts exclusively for transportation purposes. If voters approve the tax
and the plan on how to spend it, sales taxes within the district could be increased
by up to a penny or gas taxes could be raised by as much as 10 percent.
Georgia joins a number of other states considering allowing regional
or local special option sales taxes to cover transportation costs. Similar
tax legislation is pending in North Carolina and Virginia, and
proposed legislation allowing a Boise-area tax district to be considered
by voters by narrowly defeated in an Idaho legislative committee.
Proposals to raise various taxes and fees are also under consideration
in Minnesota, Pennsylvania and elsewhere
For more information on 2007 transportation
ballot measures
Americans took 10.1 Billion Trips on Public Transportation
Last Year
PUBLIC TRANSIT USE IS UP 30 PERCENT SINCE 1995
In early March, the American Public Transportation Association
(APTA) announced that Americans took 10.1 billion trips on local
public transportation in 2006 – the first time in 49 years.
Over the last decade, public transportation’s growth rate
outpaced the growth rate of the population and the growth rate
of vehicle miles traveled on our nation’s highways.
Public transit use is up 30 percent since 1995. That is more than
double the growth rate of the population (12 percent) and higher
than the growth rate for the vehicle miles traveled on our roads
(24 percent) during that same period. In 2006, public transit ridership
grew 2.9 percent over 2005. To put the 10.1 billion public transportation
trips in perspective, transit trips outnumber domestic airline
trips by 15 to one.
Public transportation is a proven way to meet our nation’s
goals,” said APTA’s President William Millar. “As
Congress looks to find ways to reduce America’s dependence
on foreign oil and reduce emissions causing global warming, we
call on them to increase investment and include incentives to encourage
further use of public transportation.”
- Atlanta , GA, From
July to December 2006, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA)
passenger counts grew by 7.2% and passenger revenue increased
by 3.8% over the same period last year
- St. Louis, MO, In the St. Louis region, Metro’s
ridership increased 7.87 percent from 2005 to 2006.
- Salt Lake City, UT. The number of trips taken
on Salt Lake City's light rail rose 14% in 2006 to a record.
The rising demand led the Utah Transit Authority to buy 29 used
rail cars from San Jose, Calif. Officials haven't had time even
to paint the new cars that have gone into service. Instead, they
plastered stickers over the old labeling to get the cars on the
rails as soon as possible.
- San Francisco, CA The number of trips on the
Bay Area Rapid Transit train system also rose to a record last
year. BART also has been increasing the number of cars, lengthening
trains in the system.
To view APTA’s comprehensive ridership
data.
Democrats Seek to Equalize Transit Benefit
LEGISLATION WOULD INCREASE TRANSIT COMMUTE BENEFIT
Earlier this month Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) introduced new legislation "Commuter
Benefits Equity Act of 2007" (H.R. 1475) which would increase
the transit commute benefit to equalize it with the parking benefit.
Identical legislation (S. 712) has been introduced by Senator Chuck
Schumer (D-NY) indicating that there is much interest in the 110th
Congress to equalize the tax commute benefit.
Currently commuters can receive up to $110 per month in transit
benefits, but the monthly parking benefit is $215
"Establishing parity between commuter benefits and parking
benefits will provide American workers with an incentive to utilize
transit for their commute to work," said U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern
(D-MA). "Enactment of this legislation will help ease congestion,
improve air quality, and reduce dependency on foreign oil. It also
makes sense for employers who can use it as an effective employment
recruitment and retention tool."
H.R. 1475 is currently under the jurisdiction of the House Committee
on Ways and Means, and the Committee on Oversight and Government
Reform.
For more transportation news.
FTA Fiscal Year 2007 Apportionments and Allocations Released
TRANSPORTATION FUNDED AT AUTHORIZED LEVELS
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has issued the Fiscal
Year (FY) 2007 Apportionments and Allocations Notice. The notice
provides specific details regarding how the $8.975 billion will
be distributed for federal transit programs under the FY 2007 Continuing
Appropriations Resolution (P.L. 110-5, H. J. Res 20) which the
president signed on February 15. The resolution, a spending bill
that completes all unfinished FY 2007 appropriations bills including
the FY 2007 Transportation Appropriations bill, was approved by
Congress on Feb 14th. The inclusion of $8.975 billion for transit
programs is the same level authorized by the Safe, Accountable,
Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users
(SAFETEA-LU, P.L. 109-59). This was exciting news for Transportation
Advocates because most domestic federal programs did not receive
an increase and instead had funding frozen at FY 2006 levels, but
transit and highway programs were spared from the freeze.
FTA was given the authority under the continuing resolution to
allocate and distribute all FY 2007 New Starts/Small Starts funds,
and the agency received similar discretion to allocate just less
than half of the $901 million of Bus and Bus Facilities and Clean
Fuels grant funds after SAFETEA-LU earmarks are honored. FTA was
granted this authority because the FY 2007 continuing resolution
contained no earmarks. The new Democratic leadership of the 110th
Congress has agreed to establish new restrictions on earmark requests
that are included in FY 2008 bills.
FTA did not indicate in the Apportionments Notice how those funds
will be distributed for New Starts/Small Starts projects. FTA did
give details regarding a selection process for $12 million in Alternatives
Analysis funds that were not earmarked by SAFETEA-LU.
View the full
notice
Register Now for the 2007 Transit Initiatives Conference
REGISTER ONLINE NOW!
Austin, Texas – June 10-12, 2007
Downtown Austin Marriott Courtyard
To view the preliminary
program and register for
the conference..
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