Jump to content

Would you support a regional "Transit" Sales Tax?

GRDadof3

By GRDadof3
in Grand Rapids

Would you support a regional "Transit/Non-Motorized" Sales Tax?  

107 members have voted

  1. 1. Would you support an increase in local sales tax to provide support for...

    • Increased metro-wide mass transit?
      31
    • Increased recreational amenities (parks/trails expansion) in Kent County?
      6
    • Yes to all
      55
    • No to all
      14
    • Another source should be investigated
      10

  2. 2. Would you support a local sales tax increase of..

    • .25% to increase sales tax to 6.25%, or $20 Million/year?
      18
    • .50% to increase sales tax to 6.50%, or $40 Million/year?
      26
    • 1.00% to increase sales tax to 7.00%, or $80 Million/year?
      40
    • I wouldn't support any sales tax increase
      15
    • I think another funding source should be looked at
      13

  3. 3. Would you ride mass transit if service ran in your area

    • Yes, I would ride mass transit and support a tax increase
      75
    • No, I would not ride mass transit and not support funding at all
      7
    • No, I would not ride mass transit but would support funding for transit
      11
    • Other
      14

Recommended Posts


  • Replies 58
  • Created
  • Last Reply
GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

Posted
  • Author
Posted
You're right. It's not the same. But your Portland ridership figures stress my point: the investment of billions on light-rail and street car is heavily leveraged an existing bus network laid over an existing urban street grid of existing neighborhoods and districts. The difference is in Portland, there's intense demand to live and work in that urban core. In Portland, it's unfashionable to live in the suburbs, not to mention frustrating. Interstate 5 and its ancillary routes 405 and 205 are parking lots most of the day. Portland's three light rail lines work because there's a concentration of ridership headed to same place, which they've ingeniously marketed as Fareless Sqaure. You can get on and off anywhere within the core for free.

Say you were to lay out three light rail lines in Kent County like Portland has: a Yellow, a Blue and a Red (that goes to the airport). Were would put them and why? Would you run them as far out as Sparta, as Rizzo suggests could supported by countywide taxation?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

Posted
  • Author
Posted
I would highly recommend that any effort to create a tax source for transit, should NOT be complicated by fixing other tax issues in the process or including other non-transit purposes with it. The tax should be designed so that it is specific to transit and nothing else. Add in other stuff and that opens all kinds of avenues for critics to get it killed or bad politicians to raid it for other purposes.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Rizzo City

Rizzo

Posted
Posted

That's why I'm thinking that you shouldn't have both at the same time. I think a county sales tax would have to be instrumental if Chairman Morgan gets a 'go' from the County Wide Transit sub-committee. I just don't think you can fund a county wide system through a 'buy in' program.

A regional or county sales tax would give ITP an enormous amount of breathing room. ITP is a phenomenal organization and I'm working on the theory that a phenomenal organization with more means will outdo itself. More funds delivered to ITP will intern remove the chicken-egg scenario. I'm banking that with more funds, ITP can create and deliver more of a product that can be more user friendly, attractive and county wide intern developing a more mainstream user base.

EDIT: I wonder if any local construction companies are capable of working on a LRT line here. If we can complete a transit project with using as much local talent that might also be a great case.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

Posted
  • Author
Posted
That's why I'm thinking that you shouldn't have both at the same time. I think a county sales tax would have to be instrumental if Chairman Morgan gets a 'go' from the County Wide Transit sub-committee. I just don't think you can fund a county wide system through a 'buy in' program.

A regional or county sales tax would give ITP an enormous amount of breathing room. ITP is a phenomenal organization and I'm working on the theory that a phenomenal organization with more means will outdo itself. More funds delivered to ITP will intern remove the chicken-egg scenario. I'm banking that with more funds, ITP can create and deliver more of a product that can be more user friendly, attractive and county wide intern developing a more mainstream user base.

EDIT: I wonder if any local construction companies are capable of working on a LRT line here. If we can complete a transit project with using as much local talent that might also be a great case.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Veloise City

Veloise

Posted
Posted

More rep info here:

http://lwvmi.org/resources/citizen.html

... there is already a Senate Joint Resolution sitting in Lansing that would allow local counties to collect their own sales tax. It now sits in the Senate Finance Committee where it is reviewed and possibly amended. It has been there since May 2006, and nothing has been updated on it since. My guess is that is has been shelved with the SBT replacement getting all the attention. If you are interested in sticking a cattle prod to our public officials to get this thing moving, start writing those emails! The goal is to get this Senate Joint Resolution (or an amended one with different tax levels than .5% on transit and .5% for road improvements), passed through congress so that Kent County can at least put it to the voters.

Reference this Senate Joint Resolution, SJ 47, dated May 17, 2006:

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(eiyhz245y...Name=2006-SJR-L

...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
snoogit Town

snoogit

Posted
Posted

Big big big front page article in the press today about the proposed hybrid BRT, and Street car system :yahoo:

Theres some details about a BRT route between 60th st., and West River Drive? Although I still think they need an east-west BRT connector. Allendale to Ada would be great, and about equal distance as 60th to WRD. I know I'd park in the new Walker Fire Department lot, take the BRT to downtown, and hop on a streetcar to work everyday if the East-West connector existed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

Posted
  • Author
Posted

The current BRT route proposal goes past St Mary's, through Michigan Hill, and then loops back to the ITP station. Not a perfect solution, but since they're not going to be building a "fixed lane", then it's not like it's irreversible as things expand.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/169/3701317...bf1512e6b_b.jpg

GrandRapidian also posted the article in the main thread, and there's a link to the Press to give them feedback on the streetcar line.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
michaelskis Hamlet

michaelskis

Posted
Posted

It is no secret that I am fully on board of a regional mass rail or streetcar system. I just wonder if it would be a good idea to have an arm running up and down Fulton to lake drive with a stop in the commercial area of EGR.

I think that a lot of people would support the slight (1%) tax in downtown. I was also wondering is there a hotel tax in downtown? That could also help.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.