Transportation Sales Tax

Blue and yellow light rail train at station in Minneapolis, Minnesota

The Advocacy Coalition Behind Minnesota’s Transit Funding Victory

The Minnesota State Legislature recently approved one of the most significant funding bills ever devoted to transit at the state level. The bill required rare political alignment and a new brand of advocacy.

August 16, 2023 - TransitCenter

Phoenix Freeway Interchange

Arizona Governor Vetoes Phoenix-Area Transportation Tax Vote, Shocking Local Leaders

Arizona state law requires Maricopa County to request approval from the state before it can send a transportation tax to the voters for approval.

July 11, 2022 - Axios Phoenix

Atlanta Public Transit

Light Rail Plans Could Become Bus Rapid Transit Plans in Atlanta

Light rail on the Clifton Corridor was once a centerpiece of a $2.7 billion, 40-year transit expansion plans funded by a voter-approved sales tax. Now MARTA is considering using bus rapid transit on the corridor instead.

April 5, 2022 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A "Road Work Ahead" lies neglected on the ground next to a street in Boise, Idaho.

State Law Preempts Federal Transit Relief Funding in Idaho

Idaho state law prevents local voters from implementing the sales taxes that generate revenue to match federal funding for transportation projects, taking local and regional projects out of the running for many federal grant programs.

October 5, 2021 - Magic Valley

King County Metro Transit

Transit Spending on the Ballot in Seattle and Washington

Voters in the city of Seattle will consider a sales tax to fund bus transit service, while voters around the state of Washington will have a chance to send new leaders to Congress.

November 2, 2020 - The Seattle Times

Polling Place

Election 2019: Planning and Development Related Results Roundup

Many states and cities around the country voted on November 5, 2019 to decide matters related to the future of the built environment.

November 6, 2019 - James Brasuell

Cincinnati Bell Connector

Management Divorce for the Cincinnati Streetcar

Efforts to bolster support for a countywide sales tax levy in Hamilton County, Ohio, are pushing the city to fire SORTA as the manager of the troubled Cincinnati Bell Connector.

September 24, 2019 - Cincinnati Business Courier

SORTA Metro

Bolstering the Case for Public Transit Investment by Connecting the Dots to Infrastructure

The Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority wants funding to revamp its bus system, but convincing voters of a tax's necessity will require bigger thinking.

September 20, 2019 - Cincinnati Business Courier

SORTA Metro

Swapping One Tax for Another to Fund Bus Improvements

Cincinnati area voters might get a chance to decide the future of transit funding in the city of Cincinnati and the county of Hamilton.

August 13, 2019 - WCPO

BART System

$100 Billion Bay Area Transportation Tax Considered for November 2020 Ballot

Two years after voters in the nine-county Bay Area agreed to hike tolls on the region's seven state-owned bridges, regional business leaders are hoping they will approve a one-cent regional sales tax to fund $100 billion in transportation projects.

July 28, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

Haymarket District

Lincoln's Growth Plan: Repaired Streets New Streets, Expanded Streets

Voters in Lincoln, Nebraska have decided to tax sales in the city to fund repairs of residential streets and to add new streets on the periphery of the city to encourage growth.

April 13, 2019 - Lincoln Journal Star

Minnesota Transportation

Major Bus Transit Investments Proposed for Minnesota

Bus transit advocates in the state of Minnesota are happy to see they have a friend in the Governor's Office.

February 26, 2019 - MinnPost

Downtown Denver

Colorado Voters to Decide How to Fund Roads on Election Day

Two transportation bonding initiatives will appear on the ballot on Nov. 6: A $3.5 billion measure would have debt repayments come from the general fund, while a $6 billion initiative would create a revenue stream by hiking sales taxes.

September 6, 2018 - The Denver Post

Atlanta

Gwinnett County to Vote on Joining MARTA

Transit activists celebrated the good news that residents will finally be given the opportunity to join the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority but bemoaned that they would have to wait till March 2020 to vote on the one percent sales tax.

August 5, 2018 - WSB-TV - Atlanta

Cincinnati Bus

No Transit Sales Tax Vote in Cincinnati

Transit advocates aren't happy after a promised sales tax levy vote to raise revenue for the Cincinnati Metro transit system was nixed from the fall ballot.

July 31, 2018 - The Cincinnati Enquirer

Atlanta to Use Transportation Sales Tax Money on Park Expansion

Transportation tax funding has suddenly been diverted to a park project in Atlanta, and a few voices want to know why. The project still gained approval, however.

May 25, 2018 - SaportaReport

MARTA Trains

Atlanta Has Big Transit Plans

Atlanta needs federal funding to make its light rail and bus service dreams a reality, but it already has $2.5 billion in sales tax revenue to work with.

May 24, 2018 - Atlanta

Downtown Nashville Bus

Editorial Support for the Let's Move Nashville Plan

The Let's Move Nashville plan would spend $9 billion (including $5.4 billion for capital costs) to build a new transit network in the quickly growing city of Nashville. Voters will decide if the plan is worth the cost.

April 22, 2018 - Tennessean

Atlanta Bus Parody

Atlanta Suburbs Reconsidering Public Transit

A sweeping set of bill approved by the State legislature could pave the way for a "transformational" investment in public transit throughout the Atlanta region.

April 13, 2018 - Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Nashville

Nashville Transit Tax Headed for May Ballot

An historic transit referendum will be on the ballot for Nashville residents in May after some final political maneuvering over the matter of the plan's cost.

February 12, 2018 - Tennessean

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HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

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