Transportation Benefit District Formation Explored
If you follow transportation happenings, you've probably heard talk recently of forming a local 'TBD', or Transportation Benefit District.' The TBD would be a way to raise money for much-needed transportation projects, and would add at least an extra $20 to your bill every time you license your vehicle. Local lawmakers can implement a TBD without voter approval for an amount as small as $20. If they decide to get more ambitious and ask for more money though, you- the voter- will be consulted.
A meeting was held last week to discuss the possibility of forming a TBD.
Here's a synopsis of that meeting from the Spokane Valley Herald.
About SRTC
SRTC is the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for Spokane County. Urbanized areas with populations exceeding 50,000 people are required to have an MPO. SRTC was formed to address the county's transportation planning needs. It provides coordination in planning between the public, cities, small towns, the county, the state, transit providers, and tribes.
SRTC offers services including transportation monitoring, transportation modeling, census information analysis, travel demand forecasting, historical traffic count analysis, geographic information systems, and trip generation rates.
3 comments:
Why don't they just put in some more red light cameras?
Sorry, I couldn't resist.
While I understand the desire to spend more on transportation projects, I just have to sit here and shake my head over the willingness of politicians to take other people's money and spend it. *sigh*
Good one, Steve. Unfortunately, the money from the red light cameras doesn't pay for most transportation projects, just the ones that calm traffic, not ones that rebuild and improve roads in other ways. So red light cameras wouldn't work for this purpose anyway.
As for spending people's money, that's a huge item they're considering now. They can get $20 extra per car license without going to a ballot. But $20 each won't provide much bond money. So you would automatically think they'd ask for more money right? Well, if they do that, it has to be approved by voters. And with the economy the way it is now, there aren't a lot of people who are going to volunteer to pay even MORE taxes.
Sorry Steve, got carried away and forgot to get to my point, which was: it's a fine line area decision makers are walking.
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