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Chris Cargill
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Failure of Proposition 1 included $72 million electric trolley proposal studied by Washington Policy Center
SPOKANE – After months of public debate and extensive research, voters on Tuesday rejected a nearly $300 million plan to preserve and expand public transit in the Spokane area and build an electric trolley system in downtown Spokane. But that does not mean public transit can’t be improved and made more efficient.
“Our research indicates Spokane Transit is one of the state’s best-managed public transit agencies,” explained WPC Coles Center for Transportation Director Bob Pishue, the author of WPC’s Key Facts on Spokane Transit. The analysis offers practical recommendations for how Spokane Transit could reduce costs and still provide a valuable public service.
The most controversial part of Spokane Transit’s ballot measure was its $72 million, six mile-long electric trolley project. WPC produced extensive research on the trolley part of the proposal. The plan was to build a line from Browne’s Addition through downtown Spokane and east to Spokane Community College. Taxpayers would also have been responsible for most the $4.1 million per year cost to operate the electric trolley.
“Taxpayers were rightly concerned about this project,” explained WPC Eastern Washington director Chris Cargill. “Our research concluded there were other, less expensive options that were available to transit officials.”
Other parts of the proposal, however, may have been attractive to voters – including expanding typical bus service. That is understandable, given the cost to carry a passenger on an STA bus is less than $4.00 per trip – one of the lowest figures in the state.
Spokane Transit can and should build on its success and the trust it has built with citizens by doing several things;
- Work to further contract-out paratransit service that currently consumes 20 percent of operating expenses, yet only carries four percent of trips on STA services
- Expand the use of vanpools and work toward full cost recovery to make the vanpool program more self-sustaining
- Control the growth of administrative costs, as these present a growing part of STA’s budget (up 85% since 2004), directly competing with bus services provided to the public
After implementing these and other reforms, Washington Policy Center recommends Spokane Transit propose a smaller package that wouldn’t be used to prevent bus cuts, but instead expands bus services. Such a proposal should include a sunset clause but should not include plans for an electric trolley. It would also exercise budget discipline by not maxing out STA’s taxing authority.
“Spokane-area taxpayers want to know STA is providing a cost-effective service,” Cargill explained. “By taking these actions and then proposing a new plan, STA officials will prove they are serious about efficiencies and expanding service, and can be trusted with more of the public’s hard-earned money. Voters can then make the final decision.”