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Transit Election Trends: a look back at Election 2013 + ahead to 2014. November 12, 2013 Washington, DC. Today’s Speakers. Jason Jordan , Director, Center for Transportation Excellence Matt Leow , Senior Consultant, M+R Strategic Services
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Transit Election Trends:a look back at Election 2013 +ahead to 2014 November 12, 2013 Washington, DC
Today’s Speakers • Jason Jordan, Director, Center for Transportation Excellence • Matt Leow, Senior Consultant, M+R Strategic Services • Kate Whiting, Field Director, Transportation Choices Coalition • Andrew Austin, Director, Americans for Transit
2013 Results: 15 Measures 10 Wins – 4 Losses – 1 Pending 71.1% Approval Rate
Types of Ballot Measures 2000 - 2012 2013
Election Day isn’t Over ‘Improve Our Tulsa’ Ballot Measure $919 million capital improvement package Extends existing 1.1% sales tax and $355 million bond package $30 million for transit $24 million for bike / ped Tulsa County to vote in Spring ‘14
Center for Transportation Excellence 2013 campaign summaries
Michigan 4 Elections in 2013 Kalamazoo County – Property Tax Renewal Escanaba Township – Property Tax Wells Township – Property Tax Schoolcraft County – Property Tax Increase Wins in Kalamazoo Co., Schoolcraft Co. Losses in Wells and Escanaba Townships
Washington Grays Harbor YES: 71% NO: 29% Okanogan YES: 56% NO: 44% 0.1% Sales tax increase in Grays Harbor County Passes; Restores significant service cuts 0.4% Sales tax established to create the Okanogan County Transit Authority
Ohio Lake County approves a dedicated, permanent sales tax set aside (.25%) for LakeTran Lorain County defeats .04 mill property tax increase for local transit service (41% - 59%) Perrysburg approves .08 mill, 5-year property tax. Voted in 2012 to leave the regional transit authority. Second measure to fund local service; first (larger) measure defeated. (72% -28%) Spencer Township votes again on TARTA. Narrowly votes to leave the system. Similar measure defeated in ‘12.
North Carolina Raleigh, NC approves $75 million bond initiative for transportation projects. Spotlight remains on Wake County in 2014 with a potential sales tax initiative for transit joining neighboring Orange and Durham Counties. YES: 70% NO: 30%
Montana YES: 57% NO:43% Property tax increases passes in Missoula for the Mountain Line.
Colorado Nederland, CO passes property tax measure to create Nederland Eco Pass improvement district with free transit service. Statewide school reform and tax measure fails. Transit advocates ponder options, including a statewide transportation measure, for 2014. YES: 55% NO: 45%
Maine Statewide $100 million transportation bond package One of five bond measures approved by voters; won with the largest margin Multimodal initiative YES: 72% NO: 28%
Center for Transportation Excellence Case study: friends of mountain line (missoula, MT)
Background on the Missoula Urban Transportation District (MUTD) Operates Mountain Line, Missoula’s community bus service – 12 fixed routes, para-transit service, senior van, vanpool. Created by voters in 1976. Nov. 2013 was the first time MUTD has placed a mill levy request before voters since then. New improvements: wi-fi, 3-bike racks, phone app. Setting ridership records the last several years, nearly 1 million rides.
Planning for Expanded Service • 2011-2012 Comprehensive Operational Analysis and development of 5 phase plan. • Focused on increasing ridership by creating: • Higher-frequency service on key routes • Late evening service • Senior van and paratransit approaching capacity. • Phases 2 through 5 would require new money
The Campaign – Stage 1:Assessing the Community • 60 one-on-one community interviews • Public opinion research/community survey FINDINGS: • Mountain Line is a trusted community partner. • Broad (but not intense) support for a levy: • 61% support (27% strong, 34% weak) • 36% against (19% strong, 17% weak)
The Campaign – Stage 2:Positioning for Success • 35th Anniversary in 2013 – begun year-long promotion of Mountain Line’s 35 years of community bus service to build goodwill. • Strategic communications throughout 2013: • Outreach at community events, earned and paid media • Partnerships, prizes, etc.
The Campaign – Stage 3:Vote FOR Our Bus and Missoula’s Future • Friends of Mountain Line ballot committee. • Treasurer and steering committee. • Strategy – direct voter contact for voter ID & GOTV using traditional and new online tools. • Key partners – MontPIRG, Montana Conservation Voters.
Community Endorsements BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS ASUM Office of Transportation American Public Transportation Association Bike/Walk Alliance for Missoula Community Medical Center Draught Works Brewery GCS Homeword Missoula Area Central Labor Council Missoula Area Chamber of Commerce Missoula Community Food Co-op Missoula County Democrats Missoula Downtown Association Montana Chapter of the Sierra Club Montana Conservation Voters Montana Public Interest Research Group (MontPIRG) Montana Women Vote M+R Strategic Services North-Missoula Community Development Corporation Opportunity Resources, Inc. pLAND Land Use Consulting Providence St. Patrick Hospital Southgate Mall Teamsters Local Union No. 2 Western Montana Mental Health Center INDIVIDUALS John Engen, Mayor Congressman Pat Williams (ret.) AsaHohman, President, Associated Students of the University of Montana Rep. Bryce Bennett Rep. Jen Gursky Rep. Ellie Hill Rep. Nancy Wilson Rep. Carolyn Squires Sen. Carol Williams (ret.) Sen. Sue Malek Jason Wiener, City Council, Ward 1 Dave Strohmaier, City Council, Ward 1 Cynthia Wolken, City Council, Ward 2 Alex Taft, City Council, Ward 3 Caitlin Copple, City Council, Ward 4 Jordan Hess, City Council candidate Bryan von Lossberg, City Council candidate Emily Bentley, City Council candidate Andrea Davis Anne M. Breum D.M.D., P.C Daniel Kemmis (former Mayor) Elaine Hawk Ellen Buchanan Jack Chambers
Key Media Coverage “Reward Mountain Line service, support mill levy” – MissoulianEditorial “Business leaders support Mountain Line mill levy request” -- by Todd Frank (MDA) and Tim Winger (Mall) “Endorsement: Vote “Yes” on Mountain Line Mill Levy” – Missoula Independent
Get Out the Vote! • Mail Ballot – Two Weeks • Urban Core Voters • ID List of 14,000 + • GOTV focused on ID’ed voters, Model Voters, Pledges and MCV Lists (members) • Tracking of ID’ed daily. Our voter outperformed average voters by nearly 10 percentage points • Phone Calls carried the day.
Election Results—Nov. 5 • Mill Levy passes with 57% of the vote • Wins in 5 out of 6 City Wards • Strong support in the urban core • Overall voter turnout 42% = avg. of municipal vote-by-mail elections
Center for Transportation Excellence Case Study: Washington Campaigns
Center for Transportation Excellence Preview of election 2014
Upcoming Webinars January 14, 2014 Getting Ready for the Ballot February 18, 2014 Funding Your Campaign March 25, 2014 Making Friends for Transit Investment Register at www.cfte.org/six-stops
Questions? Jason Jordan Director, CFTE jjordan@cfte.org @jasonljordan www.cfte.org Thanks to our cosponsor