2030 Transit Plan

[charlotte49ersuptown]

are we the first community to try to repeal its rapid transit tax or have other cities done the same thing. Seems that these guys must have looked at other cities and their tactics for getting support and votes.

[monsoon]

are we the first community to try to repeal its rapid transit tax or have other cities done the same thing. Seems that these guys must have looked at other cities and their tactics for getting support and votes.

[guy4charlotte]

I wonder if someone can call the elections office and have their named removed from the petition once they figure out they were duped by this underhanded tactic?

[RiverwoodCLT]

I know I will vote to kill this turkey. These people can not see beyond the nose on their faces. LRT is being built for the future of Charlotte transportation. Where do they plan to find a ride when gas is $5.00 per gal? There will not be buses or LRTs for them to ride.

[Justadude]

I find it sickeningly ironic that "maximum consumer choice" is used as a justification for LIMITING the number of transit options. What kind of "choice" is involved in having only one option???

[sax184]

We are not the first. Orlando in the early 2000s or late 1990s got approval from the feds to build a LRT, but local funding was killed, I don't remember the details, and it also killed that project.

[Spartan]

Here's a fun fact to share with your friends and these anti-transit whakos: Every $1 invested in transit generates $4 - $9 in local economic activity. Waste of money? Hmm.....

[charlotte49ersuptown]

I checked out Orlando and they only had a plan for LRT with no federal money secured. After the vote nixed the sales tax for transit, the half a million that had been saved up went to the feds, not back to Orlando. Also, the LYNX got its transit budget cut by over 80%. I checked out there website. The system looks like ours before the CTC Uptown. If this vote passes, I am heading out of dodge while I still can.

[monsoon]

Actually you are incorrect.

The federal government had agreed to pay 55% of the cost of building their light rail. That is more than what the government agreed to pay for the South LRT and we don't have that kind of commitment for the rest of the system. You can read more here. The point is that if the tax is repealed, then like Orlando, it's unlikely that enough funding will be available to build the rest of the system for the foreseeable future. If can happen and it has happened.

[uptownliving]

The difference between Orlando and Charlotte is that the County Commision was the one that voted to nix the rail plan in Orlando whereas the Mecklenburg County commision voted just a few months ago to continue supporting the 1/2 Cent Sales tax. The majority of our local elected officials "see the light" on transit for our region and suport it.

Unless there is a huge backlash against the current petition drive and thousands of people mail in to have their names removed then it will be on our ballot for a vote this November. In my gut I think there is enough support locally to keep the 1/2 Cent Sales Tax in place...but it will make for interesting politics none the less.

[cinco]

well it looks like the "O" finally got hip to doing what journalism is supposed to do - regarding this issue. i hope this is just scratching the surface... obviously i'd love for someone @ the observer, who has a loud voice and is pro transit, to really pick up the pen and start fighting these people.

http://www.charlotte.com/109/story/41404.html

* to all @ the observer who are reading this * i highly recommend you watching the FRONTLINE 4 part series on the future of news. it should be mandatory viewing for all who work in media...

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/newswar/

[monsoon]

Yes, Jim Puckett. who unsuccessfully tried to gain an at large seat on the Mecklenburg County Commission, wrote a short editorial that appears in today's Observer where he claims the paper was being hypocritical by writing that article. They don't like being called out on their tactics in deceiving voters to sign this petition.

On a related note, Neo has been working on the transit facts site. Please have a look and if you would like to contribute, please let us know. There is a thread in the information section about it.

TransitFacts.com

[guy4charlotte]

If anyone who read Tommy Tomlinson's "In my Opinion" column today could actually tell me what his opinion is on light rail that would be great.

http://www.charlotte.com/201/story/42550.html

This guy makes Paula Abdul seems downright opinionated...

[e2ksj3]

Yes, Jim Puckett. who unsuccessfully tried to gain an at large seat on the Mecklenburg County Commission, wrote a short editorial that appears in today's Observer where he claims the paper was being hypocritical by writing that article. They don't like being called out on their tactics in deceiving voters to sign this petition.

On a related note, Neo has been working on the transit facts site. Please have a look and if you would like to contribute, please let us know. There is a thread in the information section about it.

TransitFacts.com

[charlotte49ersuptown]

I have been researching and still haven't found anyone other than us that has tried to do this. It is always elected officials or lawsuits that try to get mass transit money pulled. This is amazing, the first thing that Charlotte does on its own for the first time and it has to be the dumbest thing I have ever heard of in my life. If this vote passes, it is going to reaffirm my belief that the public is stupid.

[nyxmike]

Assuming this will go on the ballot, what does everyone think the chances are of it passing and the transit tax is repealed? I'm thinking it is going to be a very close vote.

[atlrvr]

I think it really depends on who shows up to vote.....if they surveyed 100% of the population then I would say no way that it would be overturned, but on these issues, the people with a mission are usually more passionate than those enjoying the status quo. At least it will be on the ballot during a normal city election, so that should help turnout. My guess, if it is properly worded on the ballot, and fairly addressed inthe media beforeheand, that the tax will be upheld by a small margin (I'm thinking in the 53% vs. 47% range.

[queensguy06]

So what is the current status of the Multi-Modal station? According to the NCDOT rail division, this project is expected to begin construction either this year or next. However, I have a feeling it is still several years away from actual ground breaking. Anyone know more on this project?

[monsoon]

Assuming this will go on the ballot, what does everyone think the chances are of it passing and the transit tax is repealed? I'm thinking it is going to be a very close vote.

[nowensone]

I think we should begin a separate drive to mirror this one, which will be based on the premise that if somehow enough votes are gathered to bring this to vote, it should be a null situation since enough voters were against the building of the arena and it was built anyway. Mind you, I am not against the building of the arena, but I think we can all agree that the transit tax (and transit itself) is vastly more important than an arena.

[monsoon]

We can of course, but the arena was deliberately financed by complicated methods that are not subject to a tax repeal and which were designed to hide the costs of building it. That and the current deal to bring baseball into the center city are also putting a very bad taste in people's mouthes in that they don't have any say in how tax money is spent, and this unfortunately may spill over onto a transit tax vote since that one is subject to a citizen's repeal.

I would not underestimate how these decisions might affect the public and an anti-tax turnout in a referendum. Let's keep in mind the current tax was voted in by 58% in a time when the above kind of shady deals had not happened.

[e2ksj3]

I'm trying to figure what happens if the 1/2 cent tax is repealed. Like you guys said, that also funds the buses, so what happens to them? What about the current development along the corridors, could this potentially scare developers ( as well as potential residents for the new development like in NoDa) away.

The anti-transit crowd hasn't given us a solution, well one that will work long time. I don't get why people aren't thinking about this and reading up before hand before they sign anything. If we keep building more roads, they will quickly be outdated, and the feds will eventually start pulling future road funding which could cripple the area.

If this is repealed, I hope the city do something drastic to save transit here, be it increasing other taxes to get money. I just really fustrates me how people are so easily manipulated by people. Sign this, and it will help lower taxes, come on, it's only 1/2 cent, how cheap can you be, lol, Geez.

[sax184]

I'm trying to figure what happens if the 1/2 cent tax is repealed. Like you guys said, that also funds the buses, so what happens to them? What about the current development along the corridors, could this potentially scare developers ( as well as potential residents for the new development like in NoDa) away.

The anti-transit crowd hasn't given us a solution, well one that will work long time. I don't get why people aren't thinking about this and reading up before hand before they sign anything. If we keep building more roads, they will quickly be outdated, and the feds will eventually start pulling future road funding which could cripple the area.

If this is repealed, I hope the city do something drastic to save transit here, be it increasing other taxes to get money. I just really fustrates me how people are so easily manipulated by people. Sign this, and it will help lower taxes, come on, it's only 1/2 cent, how cheap can you be, lol, Geez.

[Neo]

The anti-transit crowd hasn't given us a solution, well one that will work long time. I don't get why people aren't thinking about this and reading up before hand before they sign anything. If we keep building more roads, they will quickly be outdated, and the feds will eventually start pulling future road funding which could cripple the area.

Don't forget that we have a pollution problem that must be fixed else money to our roads will be cut. Adding more roads to our system in lieu of mass transit can only harm this.

[MZT]

High gas prices, might help support the sales tax. At least for those who think about the long term and would prefer to use the transit system versus keep gassing up at $3/gal.