Mayoral candidates don't agree on extending JTA gas tax in 2017

[thelakelander]

I've mentioned this plenty of times in the past, since MJ went live in 2006.  Whether its a streetcar starter, integrating the skyway with the existing bus system or simply getting a demonstration BRT line up and running efficiently without federal money, the clock is ticking for JTA to prove their worth to the community.  This is something that a public advertising campaign isn't going to solve as long as the only system we have running on our streets is the discombobulated one we have now.  Read it and weep:

The tax steers about $30 million each year to JTA, about one-third of its operating budget. The agency says it would have to greatly scale back operations without the money.

Hogan and Brown said if the city extended the tax rather than let it expire, that amounts to a tax increase.

Hogan said the city "needs to cut wasteful spending to free up funding, not continue the unfair tax burdens."

Brown said JTA should use more fuel-efficient buses and look to the private sector for support of transit.

Audrey Moran said eliminating the tax entirely would hurt JTA's ability to run its bus service, which she said is crucial to helping the jobless connect with employment opportunities.

Rick Mullaney said he "would not necessarily be opposed" to an extension.

Warren Lee also would support an extension.

Hogan said eliminating unneeded transportation projects would offset the loss of gas tax money.

full article: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2011-03-20/story/mayoral-candidates-dont-all-agree-jta-gas-tax-extension#ixzz1H8mf2pRC

[Lunican]

Here is the general consensus of the TU commenter's. I guess they don't realize how much their roads are costing us.

Why tax me to pay for a bus? If you decide to ride the bus then pay your way. Hey I've got an idea why don't we raise taxes to pay my car note, insurance and the cost of maintaining my vehicle! Yes I understand that people who don't have jobs are struggling etc ride the bus but again yet another program for the less fortunate that I MUST be taxed for. Folks pay your way live the American dream on your own coat tails not mine.

[BridgeTroll]

I am not opposed to the tax.  I am opposed to the way we are taxed.  More specifically... Once upon a time we approved a $.06 tax on gasoline sales to fund... something transportation related.  I'm guessing it was important at the time... Hell it was probably very heatedly debated.  Apparently the next Mayor and I'm guessing city council will vote to approve an extension.  We will not get to vote on it... nor will we have any say in where it goes and what it will be used for.  Rather than going into JTA's general operating funds... I would like to see the 30 million targeted towards a specific and identifiable use.  I would also like to see the folks decide 30 mill for 20 new buses, 30 mil for a streetcar starter, 30 mil for the S-line starter, 30 mil for skyway upgrade... etc.

I and others like me are not opposed to the $.06... we would like to see what it accomplishes rather going down some giant dark hole at JTA for "operating expenses"

[Charles Hunter]

But without money from somewhere going to "operating expense" the already poor bus service will become worse.  We talk about the need to reduce the wait time between buses - without this money, the wait time between buses - if you even have a bus route - will get even longer.

[simms3]

I am opposed to expanding bus service in any way, shape, or form until we build bus shelters that will actually allow people to ride the bus.  Our bus system is a complete waste until we make the bus at least "kinda" attractive to ride.  Covered shelters with benches and a route map or electronic marquee with updates on times is a priority, then we can expand the service

[mfc]

Plain and simple. The gas tax will need to be extended for the very reasons Moran stated. Matt carlucci

[buckethead]

60¢ each time you fill a 20 gallon tank seems like a pittance. Sadly, too many don't see the simple fact that roads are subsidized sooo much more than transit.

I hope these fine folks at the tU boards are up in arms over each new bridge, interchange and repaving.

Our State and local governments seem driven by consumption and short term infrastructure.

Pave, then pave again. Dismantle rail which encourages denser (cheaper in terms of infrastructure) population.

We move away from urban cores, then bitch about a few pennies going to those filthy poor people who actually ride buses.

Consider it an interest only loan for the infrastructure that subsidized your neighborhood's existence,.

Not to mention the real estate owner who sold the land which benefited from the inflated value afforded by the infrastructure. (Most likely a well connected person willing to seek out subsidization on a much grander scale)

/rant

BT is right too. JTA needs to be accountable to the public as well. Too often money spent by JTA seems wasteful and ineffectual. 

[BridgeTroll]

Plain and simple. The gas tax will need to be extended for the very reasons Moran stated. Matt carlucci

Really?  Seems kinda hard to audit or visualize...

Audrey Moran said eliminating the tax entirely would hurt JTA's ability to run its bus service, which she said is crucial to helping the jobless connect with employment opportunities.

I would prefer... " We will spend 30 mil on x...y... or z.  AND we will revisit the tax in two years.  If the taxpayers are dissatisfied with the progress on x,y, or z... they vote the tax out or redirect it to another specific, identifiable JTA goal.

[tufsu1]

I am opposed to expanding bus service in any way, shape, or form until we build bus shelters that will actually allow people to ride the bus.  Our bus system is a complete waste until we make the bus at least "kinda" attractive to ride.  Covered shelters with benches and a route map or electronic marquee with updates on times is a priority, then we can expand the service

I suggest you check out all the new shelters JTA has been installing around town next time you visit.

BTW...as to the gas tax itself...the Federal tax is $0.19...let's assume someone drives 20,000 miles a year and that their car averages 25mpg....means 800 gallons of gas a year and $152 in taxes...which equates to $13 a month.

As for the local gas tax, the $0.06 costs the average driver about $4 a month...even if I didn't like or use transit, I'd pay that much just to keep some other folks off the road and lessen my congestion.

How many of our other utilities (like water, cable TV, phone, electric) can be had for that price?

[Ocklawaha]

Give a full penny to mass transit, and define it broadly to include walkers, scooters, Bikes and Skate Boards just all of the conventional means of mass transit. 

Allow JTA to co-op with JEA, JAA and JPA, to create marketable energy and other product lines that would return a profit on investment. I'm not suggesting that JTA invest in a local version of "Big Lots," rather there are several new mas transit technologies, mostly involving hi-tech gas conversions,sewage,  tides, and solar energy, plus transmission and storage any one of which has the potential toll.

Under our new "Tea Party Fringe" we have we have a unified voice calling for cutting all but the most basic services, school cafeterias restricted to bread and water, and bus transit fleets with the seats ripped out in hock, while headways are cut to a single morning and evening trip  (with skyrocketing O&M). Now is the time to roll out austerity methods so dynamic as to be seen as service improvements.

Time to dust off the "subscription bus" concept I introduced here in 1980 and fine tune it. Show the big office and industrial complexes a big tax benefit in getting all of their extra "van pool" vehicles off the road. Allow new or repositioned companies to forgo parking requirements provided they locate near a Skyway, Commuter Rail, Streetcar or BRT station. Allow established companies the same benefits by subscribing to a group of city bus runs that cover the time period of shift changes, moreover allow those bus routes to flex to meet the needs of the companies during those hours only. So while the schedules would remain pretty standard, there would be footnotes like this *All trips operate via The Acosta Bridge to the JRTC, EXCEPT THE 11PM, 7AM, 3PM Which operate via Baptist Hospital and the Fuller Warren Bridge. So employees are polled, addresses known, and route detours set up on certain runs only to cover the customers employees schedules.

Amtrak has suffered needlessly at the hands of clueless well meaning budget cutters to the point where in certain parts of the country is isn't really viable transportation. We cannot allow this to happen to Jacksonville's SKYWAY, STREETCARS, COMMUTER RAIL, WATER TAXIS OR BUSES. Joining forces with the likes of Greyhound, Amtrak, Sunshine Bus, RTS Gainesville, Trailways, RedCoach, allowing them access and to perform certain tasks for the metro, while the JTA performs certain tasks for them. Example? Fernandina Beach, Vilano/St Augustine, St. Augustine/Marineland/Flagler Beach, are all markets that are horribly under served, and allowing the big dogs to get into the game would only broaden the scope of the city's transit network.

Google Bus and Next Bus Technology needs to be on every bus and at all major SHELTERED transit stops.

Ticketing, fares, and passes needs to get into the 21st century, credit cards, debit, gift cards, transfers, cell phones, text, digital connection's, etc.

Express Bus Commuter Connection, needs to roll out a whole new level of MOTOR COACH commuting for Florida. These longer routes covering only morning and evening runs need to pull out the stops...literally:

Individual reading lamps
110 volt outlets at every seat
facing seats with tables
Overhead baggage bins
Airport/Amtrak/Intercity Bus baggage bins under floor
Reclining leather seats
Curtains and blinds
Fully equipped accessable restroom
Free Coffee on-board
On-board music
On-board News
WIFI
Pastry available
Frequent rider programs and rewards...

OCKLAWAHA





                                                                                                               

[spuwho]

60¢ each time you fill a 20 gallon tank seems like a pittance. Sadly, too many don't see the simple fact that roads are subsidized sooo much more than transit.

BT is right too. JTA needs to be accountable to the public as well. Too often money spent by JTA seems wasteful and ineffectual. 

Please enlighten. What tax do I pay outside of the pump that pays for roads? Be specific please.

Any higher level of accountability is desirable, especially with any transportation taxes.

[thelakelander]

As a part of the BJP, we paid for hundreds of millions in road expansion and overpass projects over the last decade.  I'm sure there are other examples, but that's a local one.

[stjr]

I have no problem with the gas tax provided JTA must use it exclusively for mass transit and that JTA is transparent, efficient, effective, and accountable to taxpayers (not to the rubber stamping conflict-of-interest TPO, etc.).  The fact is, if we don't tax gas and reinvest this money in mass transit, the OPEC countries will get the "tax" as they raise their prices to address the even higher consumption of oil we would have if gas sold for less.  And, OPEC isn't going to reinvest that money in our community to wean us off of their oil.  (By the way, in many nations, particularly in Europe, gas taxes are several dollars a gallon, not cents.  Maybe that's why they have superior mass transit to us.)

Note that nearly 20% of the current tax appears to go toward a single project, operating the Skyway express for likely less than 1 to 2 thousand unique local riders a day.  How do you think that will help build support for extending the tax?

For those looking for capital projects, JTA would need to bond dedicated revenues.  One year's revenues isn't going pay for much.  I believe JTA does this now with our 1/2 cent sales tax originally used to remove tolls and its share of the other 1/2 cent used to fund projects under the Better Jacksonville Plan.  The first 1/2 cent should have lapsed by now, as I recall, but JTA had it extended to build more road projects.  This may also come up in discussing JTA extending the gas tax.

[BridgeTroll]

As a part of the BJP, we paid for hundreds of millions in road expansion and overpass projects over the last decade.  I'm sure there are other examples, but that's a local one.

BJP is a good examle of a "targeted tax".  It was designed to raise money for specific named goals.  It was also supposed to go away once those goals were accomplished.

[Lunican]

Please enlighten. What tax do I pay outside of the pump that pays for roads? Be specific please.

Any higher level of accountability is desirable, especially with any transportation taxes.

Sales tax, property tax and income tax.