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Issue Archive
CFTE Update
October 12, 2006 - Vol. 4, No. 12
Any comments on the newsletter, our site, or resources you want
to be sure we know about, please e-mail us at info@cfte.org.
In this issue …
• Election Preview
•Ridership Continues to Increase Even as Gas Prices Fall
• Salt Lake Voters Support Increased Funding for Transportation
• Property Rights Initiatives Threaten Transportation
• FTA Issued Guidance on Coordinated Human Services Plans
• 2007 Transit Initiatives Conference Heads to the Lone Star
State
Election Preview
OVER 30 TRANSPORTATION MEASURES WILL APPEAR ON BALLOTS
With Elections a little less then 4 weeks away, transit campaigns
are in full swing. CFTE is following the progress of 30 transit
related ballot measures in regions across the country. As the campaigns
move into full gear, CFTE will be highlighting some of the key strategies
used by various campaigns.
Orange County , California - Renew Measure M Campaign
This is a measure to extend a half-cent sales tax that would raise
$11.9 billion for Orange County transportation projects.Key Strategy:The
Renew Measure M Campaign is implementing a direct mail campaign
to targeted districts. They have not made a final decision on whether
they will run television advertisements in the weeks before the
elections.
Minnesota Statewide -Minnesotans For Better Roads and Transit
-Vote YES
Voters will be asked to decide if they want a constitutional amendment
to dedicate all the revenue from the existing sales tax on new and
used vehicles to roads and public transportation.
Key Strategy: The VOTE YES campaign organizers have been traveling
the state talking with Minnesotans at community events, festivals
and meetings. They have kicked off statewide grassroots and media
campaign to encourage Minnesotans to VOTE YES on the amendment.
The main message is that a "yes" vote will get people
moving faster and safer in every part of the state.
Salt Lake County , Utah - Vote for #3
If the measure passes, Salt Lake County will raise about $50 million
annually with the new tax. A quarter of those revenues would be
earmarked for buying land for major highway projects, most likely
the planned west-side Mountain View Corridor. The other 75 percent
of the new tax revenues would be spent on transit or roads.
Key Strategy:A citizen-driven public awareness campaign is under
way to ensure that voters know that this is a vote to keep Utah
moving. Meanwhile, local elected leaders are making the rounds in
the business community, service clubs and other organizations to
voice their support of the tax and the reasoning behind it. Next
week, they plan to launch several radio and television ad
Broward County , FL - People for Progress Campaign
The ballot measure calls for the sales tax to increase to 7 cents
in January from the current 6 cents. if approved penny sales tax
is estimated to generate $260 million, per year for transportation
projects.
Key Message: Approving this measure is the only way to avoid total
gridlock on roads, considering an extra 600,000 people are expected
to live in Broward by 2030.
Check back often for regular news and election updates at www.cfte.org
Ridership Continues to Increase Even as Gas Prices Fall
COMMUNTIES HAVE MORE TRANSIT OPTIONS
In late September, the American Public Transportation Association
(APTA) released ridership data for the first half of 2006 and the
data is striking. Public transportation ridership has increased
by 3.2% in the first six months of 2006, as Americans took nearly
5 billion trips on public transit. This is more than double the
increase in the first half of 2005.Light rail (modern light rail,
streetcars, trolleys, and heritage trolleys) had the highest percentage
of ridership growth among all modes of transportation, with a 9.4%
increase. Some of the areas reporting the highest increases in light
rail ridership opened new services over the past year. The Santa
Clara Valley Transportation Authority of San Jose, CA showed the
largest increase at 33%.
Though most reports attribute the increase in ridership to congestion
and the rising gas prices, it should also be noted that communities
across the country have an increasing number of transit options.
Over just the last five years, communities in 33 different states
have approved more than $70 billion in new transportation investment,
much of it for public transportation. CFTE recently released a report
entitled Transportation Finance at the Ballot Box: Voters Support
Increased Investment & Choice which highlights this trend in
support of increased investment for transportation.
View the entire list of ballot
measures
Salt Lake Voters Support Increased Funding for Transportation
UTAH LEGISLATURE SWAPS BALLOT LANGUAGE
Utah and Salt Lake Counties have November ballots proposals to
boost sales tax by a quarter-cent to pay for mass transit and highways.
But only Salt Lake County is asking voters to approve a measure
the Legislature passed in a special session Sept. 19.The measure
approved by the Legislature allowed the sales tax measure to replace
a property tax proposal that would have committed $895 million to
build four TRAX light-rail lines that would connect West Jordan,
South Jordan, West Valley City, Draper and Salt Lake City International
Airport with the light-rail line that parallels Interstate Now voters
decide whether they will raise sales taxes by a quarter-cent, bringing
the portion dedicated to transit to three-quarters of a cent and
expected to raise about $50 Million. In a recent poll conducted
by Desert Morning News/KSL-TV voters support this proposal 2-to-1
in spite of the fact that they have not seen a final list of projects
that will be funded.
Utah County also has a sales tax increase measure on its Nov. 7
ballot. But it's not the same one Salt Lake County voters will consider.
Instead, it is the so-called Alexander tax named after. If voters
approved, the tax would generate an estimated $765 million with
most of those funds allocated for construction and early operation
and maintenance of a 22 1/2-mile commuter rail line from Provo north
to the Salt Lake County border
Read more
Election news.
Property Rights Initiatives Threaten Transportation
BALLOT MEASURES IN WESTERN STATES MAY COST TRANSIT
Six states in the Western U.S. have initiatives qualified for the
November ballot focused on property rights issues. The measures
appear at first to focus simply on reform of eminent domain. However,
on closer examination the ballot initiatives include provisions
known as regulatory takings that require compensation for any regulatory
action that diminishes property values. The takings language is
modeled on Oregon 's Measure 37 adopted in 2004. Ballot measure
opponents characterize the language as a "Trojan Horse"
strategy designed to use public concern over eminent domain to secure
passage of more radical takings provisions.
The takings language on ballots in Arizona , California , Idaho
, Montana and Washington (takings provisions in the Nevada measure
were struck down by the State Supreme Court), may have dramatic
impacts on transportation projects and funding. Takings provisions
significantly expand the costs for a wide array of infrastructure
projects and related land use rules. In California alone the costs
of the proposed initiative are projected in the billions of dollars
annually.
An independent study of the potential costs to taxpayers of California
's Proposition 90 found that by increasing the cost of public works,
like schools, roads, water systems, flood protection and utility
services, Prop. 90 would curtail infrastructure development. The
state transportation agency, CalTrans, is projecting that Proposition
90 will lead to more than $180 million in project schedule delay
costs over the next seven years, and another $43 million per year
in added litigation-related expenses -- without even considering
the higher property acquisition costs that the measure will require
the agency to pay for highway improvements.
Read more tranpsortation
news.
FTA Issued Guidance on Coordinated Human Services Plans
THE PROPOSAL RECOGNIZES THE NEED FOR FLEXIBILITY IN THE IMPLEMENTATION
PROCESS
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has issued a notice of
proposed guidance regarding how the new coordinated public transit
plans should be implemented. The Safe Accountable Flexible, Efficient
Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) required
that projects selected for funding be derived from a coordinated
public transit-human services plan. This notice includes interim
guidance for 2006 and proposed guidance for FY2007 created based
on the statute as well as issues raised and commented on during
the first comment period ending in March 2006. In the first round,
a number of commenters requested a phase-in approach noting that
the development of a coordinated plan could be timely. FTA has responded
by laying out the minimum criteria for FY 2007. Comments for must
be submitted by November 6, 2006.
For additional information and instructions on submitting comments
visit the DOT website. The docket number is FTA-2006-24037.
2007 Transit Initiatives Conference Heads to the Lone Star
State
SAVE THE DATE!
Austin , Texas -June 10 -12, 2007
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