CFTE Update
Issue Archive
CFTE Update
Voters Approve Over $40 Billion in Transportation Investment
2006 Continues the Trend of Transportation Investment at the
Ballot Box
Voters Approve Approximately 70% of Transportation Measures Nationwide
On November 7, voters approved over $40 billion in new transportation-related
investments. Voters in 13 states approved 21 of the 30 transportation
ballot measures that were decided as of press time, including 7
statewide initiatives. Nine measures were defeated and three are
undecided as of press time for a total of 32 that were considered.
Tuesday's elections continue the growing trend of securing additional
transportation funding at the ballot box and the strong voter support
for these measures. With this year's results, voters have approved
more than $100 billion for transportation since 2000.
Once again in 2006 voters in states and communities across the
nation approved new investments in vital transportation projects.
For the year, more than $43 billion for transportation projects
have been approved by the electorate. Overall this year approximately
69% of transportation measures were approved. The track record for
transportation measures suggests that people are, contrary to conventional
wisdom, very willing to increase local taxes to improve transportation
when the benefits are clear. People want change and choices in transportation
and the ballot box results prove it.
"Yesterday's results prove that people are supportive of transportation
ballot measures regardless of the broader electoral conditions,"
said CFTE's Jason Jordan. "It doesn't seem to matter what "kind"
of election it is -- presidential, midterm, high voter turnout,
low voter turnout. Even as overall power shifts in across the nation,
people clearly want to stay the course on transportation funding.
Congress should take this as a message that transportation is important
to the American people - it's part of the "real work" that Congress
should be doing as they move forward."
"By overwhelmingly passing state and local transit-related ballot
initiatives, Americans have made it clear to their elected officials
that they want broader travel choices," said Bill Millar, President
of the American Public Transportation Association. "Yesterday's
elections results show that public transportation is very important
to the American people."
In California, voters approved over $30 billion in transportation
investments, including an historic statewide bond initiative. All
10 county-level measures in California received a majority of the
vote, although five did not pass due to the state's unique supermajority
requirement. Other significant results include the approval of a
sales tax measures in Salt Lake and Utah Counties (UT) to more quickly
complete the popular new light rail service in the region.
In Minnesota, voters approved a constitutional amendment that will
ensure vehicle-related taxes and fees would be spent on improving
transportation. New Jersey voters approved a constitutional amendment
increasing the amount of state gas taxes dedicated to the state's
Transportation Trust Fund. Property tax measures were approved in
two Michigan communities, and Seattle (WA) approved more than $500
million for a multi-modal repair and improvement package.
Earlier this year, CFTE released a report examining transportation-related
ballot measures over a five year period from 2000 to 2005. The report,
"Transportation Finance at the Ballot Box: Voters Support Increased
Investment," outlined the striking rise in the use of voter-approved
ballot measures to generate funding for transportation choices.
According to the report, voters in 33 different states have approved
70 percent of all proposed transportation measures generating funding
conservatively estimated in the excess of $70 billion. Transportation
measures have passed at twice the rate of all ballot measures. More
than 80 percent of all transportation ballot measures between 2000
and 2005 have specifically authorized financing and 2006 continued
this trend with record levels of funding on the ballot.
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