STATE |
CITY |
SUBJECT |
DATE/COMMENT |
AZ |
Tucson |
Two proposals will appear side by side on the November ballot. Citizens
for a Sensible Transportation Solution gathered enough signatures
to force an election on half the plan, which calls for a 13-mile light-rail
line, expansion of bus lines and money for neighborhood street repairs.
Forty percent dedicated to improving Sun Tran and Van Tran services
and creating a 47-mile "rapid bus" service, and 22 percent to design,
build and operate a 13-mile light rail "starter" line. |
ON BALLOT 11/4/03
Defeated 64% to 36%
|
AZ |
Tucson |
The other ballot measure is the funding mechanism. A 0.3-percentage-point
increase in sales tax and a 3-percentage-point increase in sales tax
on construction. Revenue from these increases would be expected to
raise $1 billion over 20 years. |
ON BALLOT 11/4/03
Defeated 63% to 37% |
CA |
San Francisco |
A proposal to continue the current ½% sales tax, and replace
the current transportation spending plan with a new 30-year plan.
The new plan would provide funding for maintenance of local streets,
transportation for the elderly and disabled, construction of a Central
Subway, bus system upgrades, a Caltrain extension to a new Transbay
Terminal, projects to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety, support
for regional transportation systems (BART, Caltrain, and ferries),
and replacing the roadway to Golden Gate Bridge. The proposal would
allow the San Francisco Transportation Authority to spend up to $485.175
million per year and issue up to $1.88 billion in bonds, to be repaid
from sales tax revenue. |
ON BALLOT 11/4/03
Approved 74.9% to 25.1%
|
CO |
Lone Tree |
The citizens of Lone Tree, a suburb of Denver,
will decide whether to be annexed into the Regional Transportation
District and to pay a .06% sales tax to pay for bus service |
ON BALLOT 11/4/03
Approved
|
ME |
Statewide |
Bond issue would raise nearly $63.5 million for improvements to
highways, bridges, rail corridors and other transportation facilities.
Passage of this bond initiative would make the state eligible for
$217 million in matching federal funds. |
ON BALLOT 11/4/03
Approved 66% to 34% (pending final count) |
MI |
Grand Rapids |
Voters will decide whether to impose a property tax levy that would
raise nearly $9 million for expanded bus service. The tax rate would
be based on a .95 mill per dollar of value on area properties |
ON BALLOT 11/4/03
Approved 2-1 margin |
MO |
Kansas City |
Proposed 3/8-cent increase to the city's current ½-cent transportation
sales tax. If approved, the increase would last five years and generate
about $22 million annually. More than a third of the bus routes in
Kansas City will be eliminated unless voters approve the tax. Nearly
half of the remaining bus routes in Kansas City would face sharp cuts
in trips beginning next year. As many as 150 people could lose their
jobs. The Area Transportation Authority faces a $12 million shortfall
in 2004 - 21 percent of its budget - mainly because of declining tax
revenue in Kansas City. The plan would add 12 new bus routes and increase
trips or add larger buses to 13 existing routes. |
ON BALLOT 11/4/03
Approved (pending final count)
69% to 30% |
MO |
Kansas City |
Transit activist Clay Chastain has a competing measure on the ballot
for a ½-cent transportation sales tax increase for 12 years to build
a system involving light rail, electric buses, street cars, bike lanes,
express buses and a transit hub at Union Station. Not approved by
ATA. |
ON BALLOT 11/4/03
Defeated (pending final count)
37% to 62% |
MO |
Clay County |
A proposal to allow Clay County to levy a property tax at the rate
of 5 cents per each one hundred dollars assessed to provide transportation
services to persons sixty years of age or older. |
ON BALLOT 11/4/03
Approved 57% to 43% |
NJ |
Edgewater |
Voters will be asked, "Should the Borough of Edgewater act to establish
ferry service without parking facilities from the Grand Cove marina
and/or other sites in the Municipality of Edgewater to New York City?"
The ballot question would be non-binding. |
ON BALLOT 11/4/03
Approved: 55% to 45% |
OH |
Marblehead |
Voters will decide the fate of a ferry departure tax at the polls.
Passengers age 12 and older would pay 50 cents per trip, while younger
children would pay 25 cents per trip. If approved by voters, departure
tax revenues will be earmarked for Marblehead EMS, police, streets,
sidewalks, storm drain culverts and other services and improvements. |
ON BALLOT 11/4/03
Approved: 67% to 33% |
TX |
Volente |
The Village Council will ask voters whether Volente should stay
within the Capital Metro's service area. Volente officials have developed
renewed warmth for Capital Metro after learning that the money the
village gets from the transit agency could be three times the money
it gives in sales taxes. The council for the 2-square-mile hamlet
on Lake Travis, which incorporated in February, voted in July to hold
the referendum. |
ON BALLOT 11/4/03
Approved: 85% to 15%
|
TX |
Houston |
Referendum for the Houston-Harris County Metropolitan Transit Authority.
Includes $640 million of revenue bonds. The MTA board of directors
voted Sept. 22 to change ballot language for the referendum item,
that includes the issuance of as much as $640 million of revenue bonds.
Although Texas law requires ballot language to be finalized 45 days
prior to an election, officials from Metro were able to vote 9/22
instead of 9/20, which was the actual 45-day deadline, because when
such deadlines fall on the weekend they can be extended until the
next business day. Metro had originally written ballot language that
did not include detailed information about the 22 miles of rail line
the city hopes to construct with a combination of bond proceeds and
federal funds. According to FTA, because the ballot did not identify
specific rail segments at issue, section 163 of the pending House
Transportation Appropriations bill would prohibit FTA funding of the
design, construction, or maintenance of any segments pursued under
the authority of that vote. Language sponsored by Rep. John Culberson
(R-TX) would prohibit funding "any segment of a light-rail system
in Houston that has not been specifically approved by a majority of
the participating voters." |
ON BALLOT 11/4/03
Approved 52% to 48% |
UT |
Summit County |
A ¼% sales tax increase to fund an expanded and free bus
system in the Snyderville Basin from Kimball Junction to Park City’s
Main Street and nearby ski resorts. Summit County Commissioners will
also have to ask voters to approve a taxing district to collect the
tax revenues. |
ON BALLOT 11/4/03
Approved 70% to 30% |
WA |
Kitsap County |
Legislation passed in Spring 2003 (HB 1853) paved the way for Kitsap
Transit to ask voters this fall to raise their sales tax to pay for
passenger-only ferries (POF). Proposition 1 would fund foot ferries
from Kingston and Southworth to Seattle. Second-phase routes funded
by Prop. 1 could connect Poulsbo to Seattle, and Bremerton to Bainbridge
Island. |
ON BALLOT 11/4/03
Defeated 64% to 35% |
WY |
Cheyenne and Laramie Counties |
Residents will vote on about $59 million worth of projects, including
$4.41 million for public safety, $11 million for public transportation
(Norris viaduct), $4.5 million for the Greenway, $3.05 million for
quality of life, $8 million for public health and welfare and $26.9
million for a new Laramie County Central Library. (See Wyoming Tribune-Eagle).
|
ON BALLOT 11/4/03
Various Approved
Greenway extend: 61% to 39%
Parks Improve:
63% to 37%
Norris Viaduct/Bridge
68% to 31%
|
