I just want to clarify that the numbers below are not quite correct.
Almost, but not quite.
33% for commuter rail
25% for existing bus service (city of Madison and the other communities
that currently contract with Metro for service.)
25% for city, county, town, and village road MAINTENANCE *
17% for bus expansion, rail expansion, and bicycle facilities +
* I specifically asked this question of Mayor Dave when he called me.
This is NOT to be used for road expansion, but maintenance only. This
follows the "fix it first" line that most multi-modal advocates follow.
IE - fix the roads we have before we build new or expand. Now, I
acknowledge that funds that are currently being used to pay for the
local share of road maintenance may now end up being freed up for
expansion, which is what Mike is concerned about. The funds for road
maintenance are essentially the carrot to get towns and small villages -
which are unlikely to have transit anytime soon - to vote for the sales tax.
+ This 17% can be used for any of the categories listed, although I am
fairly certain there will be a designated percentage for bike facilities
in the final agreement. Bus expansion can be to new communities, not
currently served. Rail could be commuter rail extensions, or street cars.
Finally, I know for a fact that Mayor Dave has every intention of
improving Metro service within the city - better coverage, more frequent
service, etc. - by spending property tax money freed up by the sales tax
revenues.
My biggest concern about this proposal is governance. Who will
appoint/elect the people that will make spending decisions? What will be
the balance of power between county, city, small cities and villages,
and towns/rural? The governance of the RTA will decide the balance of
service between urban/core riders, commuters from outlying areas coming
into the central city, express routes between outlying destinations, and
transit dependent riders that may not have any other transportation
options.
Carry on with the discussion. Just wanted to add some clarification and
other points to ponder.
-- Robbie
Michael D. Barrett wrote:
The recent press accounts of the RTA proposal cite these figures as
the modal split for sales tax-generated monies:
* 33 percent to be spent on commuter rail service.
* 25 percent to be spent on bus service. Currently, the city of Madison
operates the Madison Metro bus service.
* 25 percent to be spent on town and village roads.
* 17 percent to be spent on other rail service.
--
Robbie Webber
Bicycle Friendly Communities Coordinator
Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin
www.bfw.org
608-251-4456 (office)
608-233-1390 (home)
608-225-0002 (cell)
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