Passenger Bus, Rail and Motorcoach Industry News

If approved, the tax would pay for the construction of 24 miles of light rail and an expanded bus system for the Pinellas County Transit Authority.

Gov. Mark Dayton's task force on transportation is calling for an increase in local sales taxes, gas taxes and vehicle fees. He created the task force last year in response to more demand for new revenue sources to pay for transit and highways.

Dianne Falk received praise from a paratransit driver after she and her husband Stuart appear in campaign posters for a tax to pay for transit. The Falks got involved in the campaign after the service to their nursing home was eliminated due to budget cuts.

Looking into cutting in half or eliminating bus service in the most populous county it serves due to falling sales tax projections and previous service reductions causing a drop in ridership. However, if approved in November, a measure to increase the sales tax may help the struggling agency.

Supporters of the sales tax knew it was a tough sell, but told PBA-30 they were shocked by the margin of defeat, which with seven out of 10 counties reporting, was 63% to 37%.

Would tax local employers $1 to $2 a month per employee and raise the $2.5 million in revenue needed annually to run and maintain a new Washington MAX line.

A growing number of riders prompted the agency’s proposal to approve a new sales tax to fund the system and eliminate the portion of the property tax now dedicated to transit. Shift may boost revenue enough to enable the purchase of 250 more buses and add new routes.

While local sales tax revenue provided the majority of the agency's $275 million budget in 2010, it’s not clear that the agency will have the revenue required to operate the commuter and light rail extensions, which are currently under construction.

Expecting 13 percent more commuters to use public transportation next year. Projected revenue increases are based on an expected rise in TRAX ridership — and higher fares — after the completion this summer of two highly anticipated light rail projects.

The half-cent sales tax, collected over the past two decades, provided $1 billion for Metrolink service and senior and disabled bus fare stabilization. On April 1, the first half-cent of what is estimated to be $15 billion over the next 30 years will be collected for Measure M2.