Public Transit funding is over $2 billion per year, yet only carries 2.4% of all trips
Andrew Austin at the Transportation Choices Coalition responds to my recent study that shows public transit is not underfunded in Washington State. Austin takes the opposite approach and claims transit is underfunded and that agencies need even MORE public subsidies, this time from the state.
Transportation taxes and fees at the state level are paid by drivers. This means drivers generally pay for the roads they use, both capital and annual operating expenses. Transit on the other hand is subsidized by the general public, mostly through higher sales taxes. Transit users only cover about 20% of annual operating costs, while taxpayers subsidize the remaining 80%, and 100% of capital expenses.
Transportation Choices Coalition wants even more public taxes, but this time they want drivers to pay for it. Austin argues that statewide drivers should further subsidize local transit agencies by raising the taxes and fees drivers pay….things like licenses, car tabs, studded tires, and charges for how much their passengers weigh.
Drivers have their own unmet infrastructure needs. And as such, all transportation taxes and fees paid by drivers should be used for highway purposes only, while alternative travel modes should be funded by their own users (which reduces the public subsidy) or through local options that apply to the general public, like sales taxes.
Austin’s point, counter-point is amusing but some of them are just flat incorrect and others are irrelevant and don’t really prove anything wrong with my conclusions. Most readers will be able to judge for themselves whether $2 billion per year for a system that only carries 2.4% of all daily person-trip-demand is adequate.
Read the full study here:
Comments
Apparently 'Andrew' doesn't want to hear opposing views
Michael,
I read with interest your column on Public Transit (http://www.washingtonpolicy.org/blog/post/public-transit-funding-over-2-...). It all makes so much sense; the organizations get our money but it doesn't necessarily equate good transit policies to get us moving; hence the players always whine that they need more money. As of February 20th, Community Transit will be eliminating some runs and extending times between runs. Some of the canceled runs are the 'bread and butter' runs; i.e. commuter runs. How much sense does that make? This is the second time in a year we've had to 'adjust' to their what we call mismanagement. It's forcing 'more' not less vehicles onto the road since many no longer can just walk out their doors and catch a bus; they now have to drive to the park and ride or take two buses instead of one, thus lengthening the commute or worse, forcing those that only had one vehicle or no vehicle, to purchase one. So this is our reward for moving near a bus route. Take two buses and I'll call you in the morning.
So I attempted to comment on 'Andrews' site about 'transportation choices' only to find hours later it never was published. Surprise? No. These individuals have one-way thought and are not interested in contrasting information or views that get in the way of their ideology. My point may not have been spot on but it's what we've experienced in the system.
http://transportationchoices.org/blog/washington-policy-center-only-half...
Attempted to post:
Conclusion: The Washington Policy Center's claim that transit funding is adequate and does not need any additional investment is a FACT, not a MYTH. The real story is that the little lib that could keeps pushing the raping and pillaging of the taxpayers in order to promote 'zero growth' and force others onto failed transportation systems. Everywhere you look more bus routes are being eliminated, especially 'commuter' routes, i.e. the bread and butter routes, in order to 'justify' the absurd funding of such projects as the Mountlake Terrace P&R. Add to that the almost never utilized 'Swift buses' and it displays waste in spending dollars.
The advocates of such idiocy in transportation policies are the ones less likely to have to use them as they want 'others' to ride the system. That is the elite's telling you what to do and not do anything about the real problem of mismanagement; especially with Community Transit. We're throwing too much money down the rat hole of the transit systems at the expense of the taxpayers and in particular of those that subsidize the 'feel good' nonsense.
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Thank you for trying to keep the voters informed and keep the light shining on the powers that be that hold the purse strings and want more where that came from.
digger