Measure D (Transportation)
[ SBN-P, 4/13/2005 ]:
Council turns down bid for more buses, for now
By JOSHUA MOLINA
NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Meeting centers on Measure D
The Santa Barbara City Council rejected calls from activists to boost funding for bus service, but agreed at Tuesday's meeting to take another look at the issue before it adopts its 2006 budget.
Alternative transportation activists want the city to give an extra $1 million to the Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District to increase bus service, but council members were reluctant to do so now. They want more time to study how the money would be spent.
In addition, officials plan to examine all possible sources of revenue to increase transit funding, including the possibility of raising downtown parking fees.
"I don't think anybody here wants to hand out $1 million to MTD," said Councilman Das Williams. "We want to know what we are going to get for it."
The City Council voted 6-0. Councilwoman Iya Falcone was absent.
Although Tuesday's meeting centered around how to spend the last five years of Measure D money, a half-cent sales tax designated for transportation projects approved by voters in 1989, the conversation quickly turned to the future of the fund.
The measure expires in 2010, and city officials are sweating over the renewal of Measure D. A new sales tax measure is set to go on the ballot in 2006. But before that, cities throughout the county will have to agree on a proposal that voters will approve. Otherwise, all jurisdictions will lose the funding.
"It is a critical piece of the transportation funding puzzle in Santa Barbara County," said Gregg Hart, spokesman for the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments, a regional organization that distributes transportation dollars.
Like housing and the environment, transportation is an issue that ignites passion and debate among South Coast residents.
With congestion on parts of Highway 101 starting to resemble Los Angeles freeways, people are scrambling to figure out a solution to nightmarish traffic snarls.
Some people want to widen the 101. Others believe that a commuter train service from Ventura County to Santa Barbara is the answer. Many alternative transportation advocates say faster bus services and more routes would encourage people to give up their cars and never even get on the highway.
In order to get the renewal on the November 2006 ballot, officials will decide in the next year how much of the money should be spent on roads, buses or even commuter rail.
The original measure was approved by 55 percent of voters. But this time, because of changes in state law, a two-thirds approval is required to adopt a local sales tax. Fearful that the measure might not pass, backers are looking to get it on the ballot in 2006, to allow more time to try again if it fails.
Many activists want money for buses.
"We need to get past the mind-set that public transportation is something for the transit-dependent," said Dan Milstein, executive director of the Santa Barbara County Action Network. "Public transportation is for all of us. And if we're doing it right, public transit should be convenient enough to make us want to get out of our cars."
The City Council's focus on Tuesday was on how to spend its $4.8 million allocation of Measure D money for the next fiscal year. About $1.3 million of that will go toward mass transit. The rest will go toward street repairs, sidewalks, bridge replacements, new asphalt and other road projects.
Alternative transportation advocates wanted the city to set aside an extra $1 million, but the council didn't go along. Activists said Santa Barbara's quality of life hinges on relieving traffic congestion.
"We need to be investing all we can afford to invest in public transportation," said Ariana Katovich. "Santa Barbara, if you haven't noticed, is a mess at 5 o'clock Monday through Friday."
e-mail: jmolina@newspress.com
[ SBN-P online edition:
Council turns down bid for more buses, for now ]
Council turns down bid for more buses, for now
By JOSHUA MOLINA
NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Meeting centers on Measure D
The Santa Barbara City Council rejected calls from activists to boost funding for bus service, but agreed at Tuesday's meeting to take another look at the issue before it adopts its 2006 budget.
Alternative transportation activists want the city to give an extra $1 million to the Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District to increase bus service, but council members were reluctant to do so now. They want more time to study how the money would be spent.
In addition, officials plan to examine all possible sources of revenue to increase transit funding, including the possibility of raising downtown parking fees.
"I don't think anybody here wants to hand out $1 million to MTD," said Councilman Das Williams. "We want to know what we are going to get for it."
The City Council voted 6-0. Councilwoman Iya Falcone was absent.
Although Tuesday's meeting centered around how to spend the last five years of Measure D money, a half-cent sales tax designated for transportation projects approved by voters in 1989, the conversation quickly turned to the future of the fund.
The measure expires in 2010, and city officials are sweating over the renewal of Measure D. A new sales tax measure is set to go on the ballot in 2006. But before that, cities throughout the county will have to agree on a proposal that voters will approve. Otherwise, all jurisdictions will lose the funding.
"It is a critical piece of the transportation funding puzzle in Santa Barbara County," said Gregg Hart, spokesman for the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments, a regional organization that distributes transportation dollars.
Like housing and the environment, transportation is an issue that ignites passion and debate among South Coast residents.
With congestion on parts of Highway 101 starting to resemble Los Angeles freeways, people are scrambling to figure out a solution to nightmarish traffic snarls.
Some people want to widen the 101. Others believe that a commuter train service from Ventura County to Santa Barbara is the answer. Many alternative transportation advocates say faster bus services and more routes would encourage people to give up their cars and never even get on the highway.
In order to get the renewal on the November 2006 ballot, officials will decide in the next year how much of the money should be spent on roads, buses or even commuter rail.
The original measure was approved by 55 percent of voters. But this time, because of changes in state law, a two-thirds approval is required to adopt a local sales tax. Fearful that the measure might not pass, backers are looking to get it on the ballot in 2006, to allow more time to try again if it fails.
Many activists want money for buses.
"We need to get past the mind-set that public transportation is something for the transit-dependent," said Dan Milstein, executive director of the Santa Barbara County Action Network. "Public transportation is for all of us. And if we're doing it right, public transit should be convenient enough to make us want to get out of our cars."
The City Council's focus on Tuesday was on how to spend its $4.8 million allocation of Measure D money for the next fiscal year. About $1.3 million of that will go toward mass transit. The rest will go toward street repairs, sidewalks, bridge replacements, new asphalt and other road projects.
Alternative transportation advocates wanted the city to set aside an extra $1 million, but the council didn't go along. Activists said Santa Barbara's quality of life hinges on relieving traffic congestion.
"We need to be investing all we can afford to invest in public transportation," said Ariana Katovich. "Santa Barbara, if you haven't noticed, is a mess at 5 o'clock Monday through Friday."
e-mail: jmolina@newspress.com
[ SBN-P online edition:
Council turns down bid for more buses, for now ]
Posted by Malcolm on
4/13/2005
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