The votes are in... and transit comes out a winner
Turns out, they would. The Center for Transportation Excellence tracked the transit ballot initiatives — all 32 of them — and when the site was updated mid-Wednesday morning, I was pleasantly surprised to see that of the 11 measures that had transit-rail implications, all but three were approved (and one of those — a Santa Clara Valley sales tax increase that would help fund a BART extension to the Silicon Valley — still was too close to call as of Nov. 6).
Among the "yeas": a half-cent sales tax in Los Angeles County that will provide $40 billion over 30 years for transit and road projects; a sales tax increase in the Seattle region to fund $17.8 billion worth of transit projects over the next 20 years; and a $10 billion statewide bond measure in California to provide initial financing for a high-speed rail system (my personal favorite ... more on that next week).
Maybe the insanely high gas prices earlier this year brought more attention to the need for transit alternatives. Maybe more voters are seeing transit as a solution to climate change. They might even have become more aware that investing in transit means investing in our economy. Whatever the reason, it's encouraging to see that, at a time when many people are pinching pennies and analyzing every dollar they spend, transit is a priority. I'm sure the significance isn't lost on transit officials. Let's hope it's not lost on members of Congress, either, as they begin discussions next year about a new surface transportation authorization bill.
Posted by: 
Angela Cotey | Date posted: 11/6/2008
Comments
Posted by Dodger in PDX on 11/7/2008 11:56:11 AM
Just today, the train kicked me out in town 25 blocks from the office cuz 2 cars had a head-on fender bender in a intersection ahead, blocking the train and putting me out on the sidewalk. No problemo....just walk 5 blocks and catch a bus. I got to work 10 minutes late. A meeting was already started, but they were not even done with the preliminary election gushing yet. The point is, multi-modal transportation is what our cities need and people are beginning to vote that way.
Posted by James Mancuso on 11/11/2008 11:32:07 AM
Investment in transit and rail passenger service is long overdue and it is about time we had an administration that has come to its senses, especially about rail. The outgoing administration sure has not, neither has John McCain who is clearly as hostile to Amtrak as the moronic Bush Administration has been.The insane gas prices are turning out to be a blessing in disguise. However, more needs to be done to get transit service, especially interurban to rural areas, too, especially in light of service cuts made by Greyhound which has been trying to become like the airlines lately.They seem to forget that you have to have branch lines to feed traffic to the mains. Why not take the laide off autoworkers and train them to build rail passenger cars and related equipment?
Posted by David Shorey on 11/11/2008 12:05:15 PM
We are a manufacturer of compenents for the rail industry and are very pleased to see the results of the elections have strongly supported rail. Public transportation and les urban sprawl in indeed the answer to decreasing environmental stress to our world and we wanr to be a strong part of this industry.
Posted by MICHAEL WILLIS on 11/12/2008 7:43:06 PM
"EXTREME TRAINS" hosted by Matt Bown on the ''History Channel''was absolutely the greatest TV show ever produced for the railroads, and there''s more on the way! The scene from ''HORSESHOE CURVE'' is an example of railway engineering of the highest degree. If politicians want to talk about re-building infrastructure & economic prosperity, the first place they need to look is the railroad industry.
Posted by Mike Wikman on 11/13/2008 12:36:09 PM
Saw Extreme trains the other night and I was suprised at the action in it. For a change they has som eone ( Brown)that knew what a railroad is and what it does. I liked the show because it showed the railroad as it is. The engineers for a change didn't make a fool of them selves They knew what they were talking about. They don't drive trains they operate locomotives that pull trains. Riding the cabs of the locomotives,watching what an engineer does, what grades are and the dynamic brake explaination was excellent. The Altoona shop and the Horseshoe curve was done well. I know they only had 40 minutes or so to do the whole show this is where the problem with me is. From Altoona to the Washington generating station zip too fast I would like to see a 2hour show about our facinating industry that I have been a part of for 54 years now
