The Center for Transportation Excellence (CFTE) is a clearinghouse for information in support of quality transportation choices. CFTE brings together campaign experts, local officials, transit agencies and transportation advocates to discuss campaigns and methods to advance transportation funding. CFTE is committed to equipping local leaders with the information they need to be successful with their public transportation initiatives and ballot measures; particularly through tracking state and local ballot measures. Since 2000, CFTE has monitored more than 530 ballot measures. In that time, transportation measures have had a 13 year approval rate of 72 percent.
Thirty-three transit measures have already gone to the ballot this cycle with a success rate of 79 percent. This Election Day brings transit advocates 28 additional measures to watch, including three measures that could result in new rail lines in Texas, Florida and Georgia. Austin, Texas, will vote on a bond to build an urban rail corridor, which will be the first light rail in Austin. Pinellas County, Florida, voters are asked to approve the Greenlight Pinellas plan with a new funding mechanism for expanded bus service and light rail. Clayton County, Georgia, residents will vote to join MARTA, which could bring the first commuter rail line to the state.
Visit our elections Web page to learn more about what initiatives have already occurred this year as well as what we will see on this Election Day. The elections page will be updated as the results are tallied.
For live coverage of returns, follow CFTE on Twitter as well as our Facebook page.
Following this week’s elections, CFTE will host a webinar Monday, November 10, at 3:00 to discuss how transit faired at the ballot and what the key lessons learned are. Register for this free webinar today by clicking here.
Ashley Robbins | Policy Manager
Ashley Robbins is the transportation policy manager at Advocacy Associates and manages the Center for Transportation Excellence. A psychologist by training who fell in love with transit advocacy, she moved to Washington, D.C., from Atlanta, Georgia, in 2014 to become a policy wonk. You can follow her on Twitter as @CCTgirl.