Would a sales tax increase of say .1% to .25% be enough to keep existing service running?
I think the public could support such a measure, but only if it were set to expire when state transit funding resumes.
TransitRiderOC is a website that promotes and critiques sustainable transport in Orange County. We report on, share, and discuss news that affects bicyclists, pedestrians, the car-free, and transit riders (including but not limited to OCTA, Metrolink, Amtrak, Santa Ana light rail, Anaheim Resort Transit, the Irvine Shuttle, and Laguna Beach Transit). We support improving Orange County's transportation with complete streets and public transit to improve our communities' health, economies, and environment. Find out how you can participate.
Comments
So we can pay for more things
So we can pay for more things like this?
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/freeway-county-buena-2495618-project-orange
I think the OCTA's priorities are out of whack. No wonder Leahy jumped ship.
As for voting on a new tax increase, it won't pass unless it funds some substantial freeway improvements which defeats the purpose of your plan. Orange County doesn't care about bus service and those who do ride the bus don't have the time or the energy to fight. They ride the bus, remember.
So basically we're
So basically we're screwed....
Despite Steven Chan's amazing
Despite Steven Chan's amazing design and effort this blog receives very little response. It even went ignored on MetroRiderLA for weeks without a single show of interest.
People just don't care about this topic. And the people who do rely on buses either don't care or don't have reliable Internet access. We're nerds, that's just the honest truth.
Well, OC disinterest is part of the reason why the blog exists.
Spokker's right. It's a given that transit is not a hot topic here in Orange County. All of my classmates who've signed petitions to improve transit here, for example, agree that the OC needs a lot of work, but we've all sucked it up and purchased cars. (It's hard to get from Long Beach clinic ending 12pm, and rush over to start in Santa Ana UCI Family Health Center at 1pm. We have no choice.)
And all the talk about taxes, BRT, etc. really won't do us any good until gas prices shoot back up (or there's a coup in the county government, and the new leaders reserve all freeway center lanes for buses, or something crazy like that). That seems to be the only way to get people in Orange County to even consider riding the bus.
Until then, I and other advocates still be riding and promoting riding transit with this blog as much as we can.