DALLAS — Voters in eight states approved 70% of the state and local transportation funding referendums on Nov. 3 ballots, with the successful measures expected to generate nearly $4 billion for infrastructure projects over the next few years, the Transportation Investment Advocacy Center said in a report.
Carolyn Kramer, manager of the center operated by the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, said 26 of the 37 state and local road and transit proposals were successful, consistent with the 72% passage rate for transportation referendums over the past 10 years.
Transportation proposals were decided in Texas, Maine, Utah, Colorado, Connecticut, Michigan, Oregon, and Washington State, she said.
The single largest referendum was the Proposition 7 constitutional amendment in Texas that will divert to transportation any state sales tax revenues in excess of $28 billion per year.
The measure, approved by more than 83% of those voting, is expected to provide $2.5 billion in fiscal 2018, the first year it would be applicable, to the Texas Department of Transportation.
Voters in Harris County, which includes Houston, approved $700 million of bonds for county road projects while those in neighboring Montgomery County okayed $280 million of road bonds.
A proposal in Seattle to extend and increase an existing property tax levy, which is expected to generate $930 million over its nine-year span, was approved by 56% of voters.
The Let's Move Seattle measure will replace the current nine-year, $365 million Bridging The Gap initiative, which was to expire Dec. 31. The higher levy will raise the property tax on a $450,000 home to $275 a year from the current $130 per year.
Seattle Mayor Ed Murray said the city would have lost $40 million of annual transportation funding if the tax had been allowed to expire.
The new nine-year program will fund upgrades to Seattle streets and bridges, as well as an expansion of King County Metro's bus system.
Seattle's Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority will ask voters in November 2016 for up to $15 billion of new revenue to fund an expansion of its light-rail system. A 16-year, $16 billion transportation package adopted by state lawmakers earlier this year authorized the Sound Transit to seek a 0.5% sales tax and a property tax of up to 2.5 cents per $100 of assessed value for the expansion project.
Utah voters approved 10 of the 17 county-wide proposals to increase the local sales and use tax by 0.25% to fund transportation infrastructure maintenance and improvements, including roads, bridges, pedestrian walkways, and transit. Local transportation proposals failed in the state's two largest counties -- Salt Lake and Utah.
A new state law passed in March allows counties to impose the local option tax with voter approval.
Voters in Maine approved $85 million of transportation bonds, with the proceeds to be used as the state match for $121.5 million of federal funding. The proceeds will provide $65 million for roads and bridges, and $17 million for harbor, rail, port, and pedestrian projects.
On the legislative front, Michigan lawmakers passed a seven-bill, $1.2 billion transportation package that will make it the eighth state this year to raise its fuel taxes to fund more road and bridge projects.
Michigan's gasoline and diesel taxes on Jan. 1 will each increase to 26.3 cents per gallon, up from the current 15 cents for diesel and 19 cents for gasoline.
The higher taxes are expected bring in an additional $400 million per year. Michigan's fuel taxes will be pegged to inflation beginning in January 2022.
States that have raised their gasoline taxes in 2015 include Idaho, Iowa, Georgia, South Dakota, Utah, Nebraska, and Washington.
