As we’ve been repeating for months, voting is essential and elections have consequences. A huge thank you both to everyone who voted and to those who’ve spent countless hours calling, texting, knocking doors, and otherwise urging people to vote.
The November 5, 2024, election certainly had consequences for transit, both large and small, that I’ll summarize for you here.
Transit Wins Across Michigan, Mostly
Our friends at the Michigan Public Transit Association have been tracking the results of several local transit millage and authority questions:
- Barry County Transit successfully renewed their millage, with 58.5% voting in favor.
- Schoolcraft County Transit Authority approved a four-year renewal, with 68.2% supporting.
- Bay Metro Transit renewed their millage with 61% support.
- Midland County, Michigan County Connection renewed their millage with 75% of the vote in favor.
- The CATA – Capital Area Transportation Authority millage renewal/restoration in Ingham County was supported with a 69.4% majority.
- And voters also approved by a 58% majority the Ride Calhoun proposal to create a new county-wide authority
- Unfortunately, one transit millage was defeated, for a Shiawassee Area Transportation Agency (SATA) millage in New Haven Township, by a 43.6% to 56.4% margin.
Numerous Transit Wins Across the Nation
The American Public Transit Association reports that voters in November’s election have thus far supported 19 out of 25 measures in favor of public transit, with the results of 1 measure still outstanding. This brings the win rate for transit ballot measures in 2024 to 86.7%, passing 46 of 53 measures considered. (Details available in APTA’s 2024 election scorecard)
These ballot measures authorized $24.9 billion by voters to make transit improvements, bringing the total funding for public transit in 2024 to over $25 billion. These results show that residents understand the importance of putting our public transit systems on the road to recovery—because good public transportation means a brighter and easier future for communities.
- Nashville voters approved a $2.3 billion half-cent sales tax increase to fund accelerated expansion of Nashville’s bus system, build out dozens of miles of sidewalks and bike lanes and upgrade nearly 600 traffic signals to better handle vehicle congestion. It passed with 65.5% support!
- Columbus, Ohio, passed a .5% sales tax increase that will help fund bus rapid transit lines through the LinkUS program. It will increase the sales tax in Columbus from 7.5% to 8%. Then COTA would receive 1% of that sales tax, up from .5% currently. It passed with 57.3% of the vote.
- Maricopa County AZ extended their countywide half-cent sales tax through 2045 to fund the maintenance and operation of public transportation and light rail.
- Seattle passed an 8-year $1.55 billion Transportation Levy to use property taxes to fund improvements to the city’s transportation infrastructure, including building sidewalks, paving streets, repairing bridges, and improving transit connections. It passed with 66.8% support.
- Arlington and Fairfax Counties in VA approve bonds to finance capital projects or the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and other transit, pedestrian, road or transportation projects, including constructing and improving transit facilities and equipment. They passed with 79% and 66% respectively.
- Richland County, South Carolina passed with 61% support a 25-year 1% sales tax to fund community and countywide transportation projects. 22% of the revenue will go to funding COMET, officially the Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority public transportation system.
- However, two suburban Atlanta counties once again voted against transit measures.
While southeast Michigan had no transit measures to vote on, Wayne County hopes to put a countywide measure on next year’s ballot. No word on when the RTA might give voters another chance to invest in great transit.
Trump Returns to the White House with Congressional Allies
Please note: TRU is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that does not get involved in electoral campaigns or political parties.
That said, looking back at the last Trump White House gives us a good prediction of where transit may stand over the next four years, as do proposals from the current GOP. According to one expert:
- The first time in office, Trump repeatedly tried to cut transportation spending. His first budget included:
- 13% cut to transport spending
- No new support for new transit lines
- No funding for long-distance Amtrak (50% cut in funding)
- Trump admin used competitive transport grants to reward projects involving road expansion, rather than transit/bike/ped projects. Compared to the Biden admin, Trump also rewarded projects in whiter & higher-income areas. IIJA (infrastructure law) & IRA funded $566 billion in federal transportation spending. Of that, 23% is awarded by discretion, essentially giving the White House & DOT control.
- House GOP just this year proposed:
- A 36% cut in transportation competitive grant programs
- A 44% cut in housing competitive programs, including elimination of YIMBY program
- Prohibiting greenhouse gas tracking requirements, NYC congestion pricing & more
- The next president & Congress won’t just be making annual decisions about funding allocations. They’ll also play a big role in shaping the next transportation law, set to be passed in 2026.
That said, state and local governments have a lot of freedom to spend federal funds as they wish. They’ll decide how to enact laws and how to spend funds.
Electoral Races Split
As previously noted, TRU is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that does not get involved in electoral campaigns or political parties. That said, we know the results of state and federal elections removed several strong transit champions from elected leadership and that some newly elected candidates are less sympathetic to transit needs. TRU will advocate to and work with anyone who may support our mission. Yet our fight may be even more challenging than before.
I’ll paraphrase Martin Luther King and Obama in reminding you that while the arc of the universe bends towards justice, it does not bend on its own. It depends on us. Without the slow and often unglamorous work of building power at the local level, there cannot be hope for the fundamental change we need in the nation and world at large. Small victories may ripple outwards to form mighty waves. A bus boycott in a small Southern city, instigated by a soft-spoken but politically engaged seamstress on her way home from work, can be the spark that ignites a bonfire of resistance and collapses an entire system of oppression.
We’ll keep fighting every day to ensure everyone has the mobility they need. Thanks for being part of the TRU community.