We Shouldn't Be Surprised That Most Transit Referendums Won

Last week a number of cities across the country took it upon themselves to improve their transit networks. Of the 20 transit referendums on November ballots tracked by the Center for Transportation Excellence, 14 are considered wins for transit, for about a 70 percent success rate. A sales tax in Pierce County, Washington, remains too close to call but appears to be failing.

The wins generally fall into three categories: metro areas that approved property or sales taxes in support of transit efforts, that defeated attempts to withdraw from regional transit authorities, or that passed bonds to fund capital projects. One of the biggest wins occurred in Arlington County, Virginia, where voters passed a $32 million transit-friendly bond by an 80-20 vote. A penny sales tax that will support pedestrians, bike riders, and buses, slipped by 53-47 in Richland County, South Carolina.