Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Seattle

If You Pay Sales Tax at Amazon.com, Your Transit System Could Improve

A bill moving through Congress could help struggling transit systems around the country.

A bill to allow sales taxes to be charged on internet sales could mean more funding for transit in Seattle -- and lots of other places. Photo: ##http://seattletransitblog.com/2009/03/03/taxing-authority-for-transportation-agencies/##Seattle Transit Blog##

The Senate approved the Marketplace Fairness Act on Monday, a bill that would impose sales taxes on most items sold online to residents of the 45 states (and the District of Columbia) where stores charge sales tax.

PubliCola at SeattleMet highlighted the benefit to public transportation: "Local transit agencies rely heavily on sales taxes — in King County, for example, sales taxes contribute 54 percent of Metro funding — so a larger sales tax base translates into more funding for transit infrastructure."

In fact, it could mean an additional $45.4 million each for Seattle's metro and Sound Transit between 2014 and 2017. "For cash-strapped systems like Metro, that windfall could mean the difference between systemwide cuts and the first new service in years," according to the SeattleMet article.

Seattle's not the only city that stands to see a windfall for transit. More than a dozen other cities fund their public transportation systems using sales taxes, including Boston, Dallas, and San Francisco [PDF].

The Senate's filibuster-proof 69-27 majority vote was a good sign, but the House is more divided on the bill. It's not clear when the House will bring the measure up for a vote.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Ambulance Data Reveals That Boston Drivers Are 4 Times More Likely to Run Over Pedestrians From Black Neighborhoods

"Overall, residents of predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods are about four times more likely than residents of predominantly white neighborhoods to be struck as a pedestrian."

July 1, 2025

Tuesday’s Sprawling Headlines

Sprawl seems to be having a moment, but it remains a very shortsighted and environmentally disastrous way to solve the housing crisis.

July 1, 2025

Does Constant Driving Really Make Our Country Richer?

A new study reveals that constant driving is making America less productive and prosperous — and getting people on other modes could help right the ship.

July 1, 2025

This Threatened Toronto Bike Lane Gets More Rush Hour Traffic Than the Car Lane

Toronto leadership claim "no one bikes" on their cities' paths — but the data shows otherwise.

July 1, 2025

How to Do High-Speed Rail Right

At the APTA conference in San Francisco, representatives from France, Germany, and Japan revealed the secrets behind their high-speed rail success stories.

June 30, 2025

‘We’re Not Copenhagen’ Is No Excuse Not to Build a Great Biking And Walking City

A team of researchers identified eight under-the-radar cities leading the local active transportation revolution — and a menu of strategies that other communities can and should steal.

June 30, 2025
See all posts