Transportation Finance at the Ballot Box:
Voters Support Increased Investment & Choice
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One of the most important recent stories in transportation
policy and finance has been largely hidden. That story is the unprecedented
rise in the use of voter-approved ballot measures to generate local
and state funding. Over the last six years a significant and ever
increasing share of transportation financing has been generated
through voter-approved ballot measures. Not only are more communities
turning to the ballot box to fund transportation but also those
ballot measures are succeeding at an astonishing rate. Since 2000,
few issues have proved to be as consistent a winner at the ballot
box as measures related to transportation. A look at these measures
clearly demonstrates the willingness of voters across the nation
to support expanded choice and investment with their tax dollars.
Key Findings from CFTE’s new report on transportation ballot
measures from 2000 – 2005, Transportation at the Ballot Box:
Voters Support Increased Investment & Choice:
• Voters in 33 states have approved 70% of all proposed transportation
ballot measures generating well more than $70 billion in investment.
• More than 200 ballot initiatives related to transportation
have been put before voters in just the last six elections with
the annual number of measures steadily increasing.
• Transportation measures since 2000 have passed at a rate
far greater than initiatives generally (70% to 34%).
• 80% of these transportation ballot measures authorized
some form of financing additional investment.
• Sales tax proposals were the most common type of financing
initiative, accounting for nearly 40% of the total.
• Property tax measures have the highest victory rate of
any financing type with a success rate of more than 80% since 2000.
Voters are sending policymakers a clear message: we want better
options and a better system … and we’re willing to pay
for it.
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