Richland County transit tax update - June 17

[nxylas]

June 17th at 6pm. That's when Richland County Council meets to decide whether to put a referendum on the ballot in November to levy a 1% sales tax that will pay for a whole host of road improvements and, more importantly, shift the county's transportation policy from the current car-based one to a "complete streets" philosophy embracing cars, buses, bikes and pedestrians as having equal value. As someone who relies on the buses to get around in Columbia, the stakes couldn't be higher for me. If the referendum is passed, the bus system is transformed from its current skeleton service into one that is actually adequate for the county's needs (I'm talking in terms of the whole of Richland County rather than just Columbia because one of the priorities is getting transit service to places like Blythewood that don't currently have any). If it fails, then it is unlikely to survive beyond 2009. So I urge anyone living or working in Richland County who sees the value of public transprtation (even if they are not bus users themselves), anyone who cycles and would like more bike lanes, anyone frustrated by the lack of sidewalks outside downtown Columbia and a few former streetcar suburbs, or anyone who simply wants better roads to be at that meeting and to write their councilcritter beforehand urging him or her to vote yes to getting this question on the ballot come election time. Apologies for the run-on sentences, I tend to get rather heated when discussing this issue.

[nxylas]

1. OK, forget my previous message

I just talked to Bob Liming, who's a member of the county's transit committee, and he says that the council meeting is only the first reading of the bill, and that there's no great advantage to members of the public being there. He also says that he can't imagine the question not getting on the ballot, and when it does is the time to begin any "vote yes to amendment x" campaign. Campaigning will probably begin in earnest early next month, and I'll keep you all posted when it does.

[nxylas]

2. Public hearing tentatively scheduled for July 15th

That's not set in stone yet, I'll let you know when something more definite is posted on the CMRTA website.