Why Vote For Repeal

$1.1 billion price tag in 1998, a few years later - $6 billion

Now, $8.9 billion... and counting...

Transit tax costs a household $155 a year, not $40 a year as erroneously claimed by some city officials - and does not include your federal and state tax dollars also applied to the cost.

Plan focuses first on being "comprehensive" as in "comprehensive" immigration reform; focused on providing transportation "choices" rather than focusing on transportation's biggest concern - congestion relief

Instead, plan should focus first on real means of reducing congestion such as: road intersection improvements, adding left and right turn lanes, widening key roads, stop light coordination, and improving potholed roads

Virtually no environmental impact

Overwhelming bulk of air pollution reduction projected from getting older vehicles off the roads, not from light rail transit

Virtually no congestion relief

Air pollution increases along rail corridors as density is raised along corridors

May remove at best 2-3% of commuting vehicles from the roads

87% of all bus seats available ride empty

in 1995: 0.63% of all urban motorized travel was by transit here

in 2005: 0.54% by transit... a net decline

22.5 mph average speed of light rail (slow)

few seats per train (hence "light" rail)

Contrast to NYC subway or Chicago L-train which are "heavy" rail - carry more people - go faster

No centralized rail hub planned - riders will have to switch rail lines by non-rail means

No airport access by light rail planned No more Federal funding for future light rail lines likely

Property taxes already being committed through a process known as "tax increment financing"

Property tax dollars slated for investment in roads diverted to accommodate South line

Rail puts a "floor" on property tax rates: long term (10+ years in to the future) cities frequently must choose between cutting bus service and/or raising property taxes to keep up with the ultra-high cost of subsidizing light rail

Rail lines must be rebuilt about every 30 years, costing as much or more as the original cost to re-build the line - few local governments take this in to account

Ultra low population density to have urban rail

Will be second smallest city in USA to have light rail (Little Rock, AK - smallest)

Local roads now resurfaced every 20-25 years instead of the ideal - every 12 years

Road quality deteriorating

No plans to add any lanes to I-77

Transportation priorities misplaced

Information reprinted with permission from VoteRepeal.com. The opinions expressed in articles are not necessarily those of WSOCTV, WSOCTV.com or WAXN.