Transportation Sales Tax Measures

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

BART Train

Competing Funding Strategies Promoted for Bay Area Transit Mega-Measure

Two Bay Area transportation sales tax measures affecting three Bay Area counties performed poorly on Super Tuesday, but it hasn't deterred the groups backing a nine-county mega-measure. Progressive groups are proposing non-sales tax alternatives.

March 9, 2020 - The Mercury News

Interstate 580

Counties Outside of Bay Area Eye Transportation Mega Measure in 2020

Northern San Joaquin Valley transit officials are eying a $100 billion Bay Area transportation measure to potentially fund a $1 billion rail tunnel for two commuter railroads to bring workers to the East Bay and Silicon Valley.

September 5, 2019 - The Sacramento Bee

Carpool Lane

Funding Approved for Interstate 10 Express Lanes in Southern California

Construction of 10 miles of dual express lanes on I-10 received the go-ahead last month after a TIFIA loan closed for $225 million of the $925 million project planned by the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority.

May 16, 2019 - Inland Empire Community News

Refueling

A Small but Significant Fuel Tax Hike for Arkansas

The 3 cent gas tax and 6 cent diesel tax increases are among the lowest of any states that have hiked fuel taxes since 2013, but combined with other revenue sources in the legislation, plus an upcoming sales tax ballot measure, it's historic.

April 20, 2019 - Talk Business & Politics

The Peninsula

Late Election Result: Transportation Sales Tax Appears to Pass in San Mateo County, Calif.

Transportation advocates have been patiently waiting since Nov. 6 for the results of a half-cent, 30-year county sales tax measure, 50 percent of which would benefit Samtrans bus and Caltrain needs and 5% bike/ped. It needs 66.67% of votes to pass.

December 3, 2018 - Curbed SF

Welcome Sign

Another Major Statewide Transportation Funding Loss on Election Day

Similar to Missouri voters, who rejected a 10-cents per gallon tax hike placed on the ballot by the state legislature, Colorado voters rejected two competing initiatives to finance transportation improvements placed on the ballot by citizen groups.

November 13, 2018 - Denver Business Journal

Gas and Bikes

Voters in Four States to Decide on Transportation Sales and Fuel Taxes

Californians will determine whether to repeal recent fuel tax and user fee increases; Missourians to vote on a 10-cent gas tax hike over 4 years; Coloradans whether to hike the sales tax, and the most interesting measure will be decided in Utah.

September 28, 2018 - Governing

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

Gaslamp Quarter

Power Shifts to Cities in San Diego County's Embattled Regional Planning Agency

Larger cities in California's second most populous county will be given more power thanks to a bill that reforms the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG). One result may be that more public transit measures appear on the ballot.

October 16, 2017 - The San Diego Union-Tribune

MARTA Green Line

Setting Aside Transit Sales Tax Revenue for Affordable Housing

With a new wave of transit and active transportation investment coming to Atlanta, thanks to two new sales taxes, advocates are mobilizing to ensure that the investments won't leave low-income residents behind. It's a concept worth considering.

June 29, 2017 - Streetsblog USA

Caltrain

The County Transportation Authority That Saved the Caltrain Electrification Project

Up against an unexpected federal requirement to produce substantially more funds for a crucial rail project, San Mateo County's transportation authority showed the importance of "self-help" counties that control local transportation sales tax funds.

January 16, 2017 - The Daily Journal

Green Line, Los Angeles

Review of November 2016 Transportation Ballot Measures

About 50 transportation measures appeared on local ballots on November 8, 2016. To date, Planetizen reviewed outcomes in nine regions in six states. Here we compare the measures in terms of revenue, taxes, projects, and reasons for failure.

January 12, 2017 - Planetizen

San Luis Obispo County Leaders Ponder What's Next After Transportation Measure Fails

The November 8 sales tax measure fell 0.37 percent short, but there's new hope from Sacramento with the reintroduction of a gas tax measure. Democrats now hold the bare supermajority in both the Assembly and Senate needed to pass tax increases.

December 28, 2016 - The Tribune

Ventura County Transportation Commission

What it Takes To Pass a Transportation Sales Tax Measure in California

Ventura County's transportation sales tax measure failed after receiving almost 57 percent of the vote, illustrating the difficulty in passing tax measures intended for transportation improvements in California.

December 6, 2016 - Ventura County Star

God Rides BART

Bay Area Sends Mixed Message on BART Funding

BART won big on election night with the passage of Measure RR, a $3.5 billion infrastructure bond measure. But the San Francisco Chronicle observes that results from two other local ballot measures suggest a mixed message on the rapid transit system.

December 2, 2016 - San Francisco Chronicle

Broward County Voters Approve One Sales Tax Measure but Reject Another; Neither Passes

Had it not been for the political compromise that enabled it to be placed on the ballot, voters would have narrowly passed a county transportation sales tax measure. In neighboring Palm Beach County, a straight-forward sales tax measure passed.

November 28, 2016 - South Florida Business Journal

Atlanta streetcar

Election Outcomes Put Atlanta Metro Region on Two Different Transportation Paths

Three sales tax measures in Fulton County all won on Nov. 8. Two city ballot measures sets a course for investment in public transit and active transportation for Atlanta, while Fulton County will invest in road projects to reduce traffic congestion.

November 28, 2016 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Subdivision

A Message to Suburban Counties: Invest in Transit or Get Left Behind

An op-ed directs a pointed pro-transit message to Gwinnett County near Atlanta.

September 21, 2016 - SaportaReport

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