A Round-up of Transportation Measures on the Ballot in November- Governing
By Jared Brey
The news has been pretty bad for public transit since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many commuters stopped riding buses and trains in 2020 and a big portion of them have not returned. Nationally, transit ridership is about 76 percent of pre-pandemic averages, up from a low of about 20 percent in early 2020.
The biggest transit systems have faced budget crises stemming from the loss of fares. Some have gotten significant new funding support from state governments. Others remain at the brink of disaster: budget cuts, service cuts, lower revenue and more service cuts. The cost of building new transportation infrastructure, already higher in the U.S. than many other countries, has also risen since the pandemic.
When voters are asked directly to pay more in taxes for improved transit service, they typically say yes. Voters approved nine out of 10 transportation funding measures proposed last year, according to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). They approved 87 out of 101 proposals in the three years prior. At least 18 transportation measures will be on local ballots in November, asking voters to pay more for buses, trains, trolleys, roads, bike lanes, traffic signals and sidewalks.
