Posts Tagged "ballot measures"
Local communities in Utah and beyond will decide their transportation funding fate this November
As November approaches, voters in a majority of Utah’s counties will be weighing a decision to approve a .25-cent increase in their counties’ sales tax to fund transportation projects in those counties. This is just one of many notable ballot measures for transportation on the horizon for this fall and next year.
Phoenix voters approve a plan to raise money for transportation; vastly expand the city’s light rail and bus networks
On Tuesday night, voters in Phoenix, AZ, approved a slight increase in the sales tax to help fund a 35-year, $31.5 billion package to greatly improve and expand Phoenix’s light rail and bus systems, as well as other transportation improvements. The vote is further evidence that voters are willing to tax themselves for transportation — especially when they know what they’re getting.
Compromise in Washington State clears the way for a transportation funding package
Washington State Governor Jay Inslee and state legislative leaders indicated today that they have reached agreement on a $15 billion transportation package that also provides $15 billion in local funding authority for Sound Transit, the regional transit agency for the Puget Sound (Seattle) region. The deal looked almost dead last week, but a last-ditch compromise could give Seattle-area residents a little more control over their transportation future.
New training academy brings together key leaders from three ambitious regions
Twenty-one local leaders representing three regions with ambitious plans to invest in public transportation gathered today in Raleigh, NC, to kick off the first yearlong Transportation Innovation Academy, sponsored by T4America and TransitCenter.
Important transportation ballot measures decided yesterday
Though there were some significant defeats for promising transportation-related ballot measures yesterday, they continue to be approved at very high rates and a few key wins carry some important impacts for years to come.
Massachusetts vote a bellwether for efforts to raise state transportation revenue
In 2013, the Massachusetts legislature came together on an ambitious plan to necessary revenues for transportation, passing a three-cent gas tax increase as well as indexing it to inflation. In what makes this one of the most interesting ballot measures to watch, just a year after the legislature approved it, voters on Nov. 4 will decide whether or not to repeal part of the package.
Voters in two states consider measures to restrict funding to transportation uses
Facing the uncertainty of stable federal transportation funding and often unwilling to raise their own taxes to fund transportation, some states have seized upon the idea of protecting their transportation revenues for transportation uses. On Nov. 4, Maryland and Wisconsin voters will be deciding on similar measures that would put transportation funds into protected accounts that can’t be appropriated for non-transportation uses.
Transportation-related measures we’re tracking in the 2014 elections
In just a few weeks on November 4, ballot measures and races with huge transportation implications will be decided at ballot boxes across the country. Some of the notable measures we are keeping an eye on would raise new revenue for transportation at the state or local level, while others redirect existing dollars. We’ll tell you more about each as we approach election day.
Want to learn more about state and local transportation funding?
This afternoon, along with the Center for Transportation Excellence, we’re hosting a half day event to examine state and local transportation funding campaigns at the ballot box and beyond. While many of you who might like to attend won’t be there in the room with us, you can follow the conversation from us and hopefully many of the participants on Twitter.
Locals encountering help or hindrance from states on their transportation plans
Several places have been in the news lately as they find their ambitious efforts to solve transportation challenges hinging on legislative action this lawmaking season. In some, state legislators are helping out with enabling legislation, but in others they are challenging the concept of local control and threatening needed investment.
It’s past time to elevate the national conversation about infrastructure beyond just the price tag. Learn more about T4America's three simple principles for federal transportation investment.
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