Friday, October 31, 2008

Election Night Reminder

We're going to be liveblogging the national election. I encourage folks to come by election night to find out what is going on with transit issues around the country. Here's what we're covering.
St. Louis - An election is being held to give Metro a half cent more in order to keep up with operating expenses and expand Metrolink, the region's light rail system. It's called Proposition M.

Santa Fe - A Sales Tax to extend Rail Runner into the city from Albuquerque.

Oakland/Berkeley - AC Transit is looking to raise the parcel tax $48 annually to pay for operations. This measure is called VV. KK is also on the ballot and would allow AC Transit to build BRT on Berkeley streets.

Los Angeles - This would be a half cent sales tax for capital expansion. It's called Measure R.

Sonoma Marin - SMART will go back to the polls to ask for an 1/4th cent sales tax to build a commuter rail line. It is called Measure Q.

Honolulu - Island residents are being asked whether they approve of a steel on steel transit system.

Kansas City - A half cent sales tax is on the ballot to build a starter light rail line.

Seattle - Prop 1. I'm not going to be covering this as much except for some crucial updates. I'm sure the boys at STB got it covered.

High Speed Rail - $9.9 billion dollar bond for a statewide high speed rail line. This one is Prop 1a.

6 comments:

meghan said...

Milwaukee also has a transit referendum on the ballot.

Anonymous said...

Dont forget the San Jose VTA measure for BART

Here's all the transportation measures on the ballot this year (dont mind the 2006 in the url, its all about 2008)...
http://www.cfte.org/success/2006BallotMeasures.asp

Recent column from LA Times Architecture Critic on LA's Measure R...
Measure R is more than roads and rails
The vote on transportation funding has implications for how we build, perceive and experience L.A.

Pantograph Trolleypole said...

Ah yes VTA. I'll be watching that one as well. I also forgot that some of the Milwaukee money is for transit too. Grr Scott Walker.

Anonymous said...

I plan to check in here on election night, but you have it a bit backwards on Measure KK in Berkeley. KK requires that every time the Berkeley City Council wants to make a street lane change to improve transit and cut greenhouse gas emissions, the Council will have to put it on the ballot.

So if passed, KK would actually make it more difficult for AC Transit to build BRT (or light rail). You can find out more at http://noonmeasurekk.wordpress.com/

Anonymous said...

wow i didnt realize there were libertarians whackos in berkeley. that has all the smell of a bill sizemore-type measure

Unknown said...

Berkeley is more NIMBY than libertarian. Many of them don't want anything that will alter the character of the city.