Public Transportation Is On the Ballot Across America

Here are just a few of the races we'll be watching on Tuesday.

12:01 AM EDT on November 1, 2024

While the media is focused on Trump and Harris in the days leading up to the general election, communities across America are also casting their votes on something else important: their public transportation future.

And it didn’t just start in November. Of the 27 transit-related ballot measures that were proposed during primary and special elections so far this year, a staggering 26 have passed — and at least 21 more are on the horizon on Tuesday. If all of them win, Americans could enjoy an additional $59 billion in dedicated, multi-year transit funding.

Here are nine of the most important races to watch.

In Washington state, the passage of Initiative 2117 threatens to prohibit the implementation of the 2021 Climate Commitment Act (CCA), a suite of laws intended to shrink greenhouse gas emissions. The CCA would fund nearly $1.3 billion for bike and pedestrian projects, including the completion of key segments on the 42-mile Eastrail, a bike and pedestrian trail built on a historic railroad train. Opponents say Initiative 2117 will also have direct repercussions on the climate by causing more air pollution.
In Seattle, Proposition 1 will replace the expiring Move Seattle levy, which was approved in 2015, with a new levy called Keep Seattle Moving. Prop 1 would create a $1.55 billion investment in bike infrastructure, creating more bike lanes in South Seattle including a seven-mile protected lane from Capitol Hill to South Beacon Hill. The levy will also improve transportation maintenance with over a third of levy dollars earmarked for road and bridge maintenance.
In California, proposition 4 is mostly aimed at helping the Golden State confront the growing problem of wildfires, with a $10 billion general obligation bond that will fund water projects, forest health, and reducing the risk from sea level rise. Some of the money, though, would help address the causes of wildfire — human-caused climate change — by devoting nearly $2 billion to the construction of new bike trails, and the maintenance and improvement of existing trails.
In the city of San Francisco, Proposition K will close a two-mile stretch of San Francisco’s Great Highway to car traffic and turn it into into an oceanfront park. Car-free events along the Great Highway are already beloved by around 10,000 people every weekend — but only during the weekend. According to the organization “Yes on K – Ocean Beach Park”, the measure does not impose any additional costs as The Recreation and Parks Department already maintains the space with its general opening budget.
In Maricopa County, Arizona, proposition 479 would extend a critical half-cent sales tax that funds transportation projects through 2045, generating an estimated $14.9 billion in 2020 dollars. Even if 40 percent of the sales tax will be designed for freeways and highways, 37 percent will be allocated to public transportation, and proponents say it could support 11.9 miles of new light rail, 28.3 miles of bus rapid transit and 4.4 miles of new streetcar lines.
Since 1999, the Regional Transportation District in Denver has been exempt from a Colorado law that limits how much money government agencies are allowed to keep and spend. This exemption could be permanent if measure 7A passes. If measure 7A is not approved, proponents say, the transit agency will lose about $50-$60 million a year, which will be refunded to the taxpayers — putting more money in their pockets, but subtracting public transportation for everyone.
At a whopping 906,418 inhabitants, Columbus, Ohio, is among the only U.S. cities of its size without a rapid transit system. But it is also one of the fastest-growing regions in the country, and advocates say the need for better public transportation is crucial — especially since 85.6 percent of the Columbus population drives alone for their commute, and the region is projected to gain 726,000 new residents in 25 years. To address that future congestion nightmare, Issue 47 proposes to increase the current local sales tax by half a penny while doubling the Central Ohio Transit Authority’s share from 0.5 percent to 1 percent. If the initiative is approved, the Central Ohio Transit Authority will increase transit service by 45 percent – including new rapid bus lines — and will also fund 500 miles of new sidewalks, multi-use paths, bikeways, and more.
In 2024, Forbes ranked Nashville as the city with the hardest commute, with an average driving time of nearly 30 minutes each way. But this could change with the passage of the Choose How You MoveTransportation Improvement Program on the November ballot, which will allow the city to provide 24/7 transit service and 54 miles of upgraded transit corridors. Not only will transit service will be improved, but initiatives for sidewalks and bikes will be offered, too, including 86 miles of sidewalks 35 miles of new and upgraded bicycle facilities. The projects will be funded by a half-cent sales tax increase, securing over $150 million per year in new local revenue for transportation.
Gwinnett County, Georgia, in the suburbs of Atlanta, will hold its latest transit referendum this November , which would establish a one percent sales tax for 30 years to finance 75 transit projects, including fast, high-capacity bus service.