IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/transp/v34y2007i1p17-35.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Factors influencing support for local transportation sales tax measures

Author

Listed:
  • Robert Hannay
  • Martin Wachs

Abstract

Sales tax measures passed at the local level and dedicated to transportation projects have become increasingly popular in the United States. While revenues from fuel taxes stagnate, growth of local transportation sales taxes (LTSTs), most approved in local elections, has led to a gradual shift of the financial base for transportation projects away from user fees and toward broader-based taxes. In this study, the relationship between voter support and the social, political, and geographic characteristics of the voters is explored. Using precinct-level voting data and census demographic data for three local transportation sales tax elections in Sonoma County, in the San Francisco Metropolitan area of California, regression models were constructed to analyze this relationship. In addition, the relationship between the outcomes of the three measures was explored to better understand which transportation projects might have garnered more support for the successful measure. It was found that the closer voters lived to the transportation projects to be funded, the greater their support. Higher incomes were also positively related to support, controlling for other variables. Political leanings were found to affect support, with the direction of the effect dependent upon the project list in each measure’s expenditure plan. Finally, it appears that the latest measure, which passed successfully, benefited greatly from its multi-modal expenditure plan. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2007

Suggested Citation

  • Robert Hannay & Martin Wachs, 2007. "Factors influencing support for local transportation sales tax measures," Transportation, Springer, vol. 34(1), pages 17-35, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:transp:v:34:y:2007:i:1:p:17-35
    DOI: 10.1007/s11116-006-0006-4
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s11116-006-0006-4
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11116-006-0006-4?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Adams, Matthew & Hiatt, Rachel & Hill, Mary C. & Russo, Ryan & Wachs, Martin & Weinstein, Asha, 2001. "Financing Transportation in California: Strategies for Change (Final Draft)," Institute of Transportation Studies, Research Reports, Working Papers, Proceedings qt7fh2v7zd, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Berkeley.
    2. Wachs, Martin, 2003. "Local Option Transportation Taxes: Devolution as Revolution," University of California Transportation Center, Working Papers qt2d38m621, University of California Transportation Center.
    3. Crabbe, Amber & Hiatt, Rachel & Poliwka, Susan D & Wachs, Martin, 2002. "Local Transportation Sales Taxes: California's Experiment in Transportation Finance," University of California Transportation Center, Working Papers qt0hj2r88h, University of California Transportation Center.
    4. Goldman, Todd & Wachs, Martin, 2003. "A Quiet Revolution in Transportation Finance: The Rise of Local Option Transportation Taxes," University of California Transportation Center, Working Papers qt2gp4m4xq, University of California Transportation Center.
    5. Crabbe, Amber & Hiatt, Rachel & Poliwka, Susan & Watts, Michael, 2002. "Local Transportation Sales Taxes: California's Experiment in Transportation Finance (Detailed Research Findings)," University of California Transportation Center, Working Papers qt0h31d7zv, University of California Transportation Center.
    6. Goldman, Todd & Corbett, Sam & Wachs, Martin, 2001. "Local Option Transportation Taxes in the United States," University of California Transportation Center, Working Papers qt2g61665m, University of California Transportation Center.
    7. Goldman, Todd & Corbett, Sam & Wachs, Martin, 2001. "Local Option Transportation Taxes in the United States (Part One:," Institute of Transportation Studies, Research Reports, Working Papers, Proceedings qt7j11q63q, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Berkeley.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Jongmin Shon, 2022. "Does Competition Tame the Leviathan? A Case of Earmarked Spending for Transportation," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 241(2), pages 59-78, June.
    2. Hsu, Shi-Ling & Walters, Joshua & Purgas, Anthony, 2008. "Pollution tax heuristics: An empirical study of willingness to pay higher gasoline taxes," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(9), pages 3612-3619, September.
    3. Albrecht, Maxwell & Brown, Anne & Lederman, Jaimee & Taylor, Brian D. & Wachs, Martin, 2017. "The Equity Challenges and Outcomes of California County Transportation Sales Tax," Institute of Transportation Studies, Research Reports, Working Papers, Proceedings qt39q2758w, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Berkeley.
    4. Phuong Nguyen-Hoang, 2015. "Volatile earmarked revenues and state highway expenditures in the United States," Transportation, Springer, vol. 42(2), pages 237-256, March.
    5. Anne Brown & Jaimee Lederman & Brian D. Taylor & Martin Wachs, 2021. "Analyzing voter support for California’s local option sales taxes for transportation," Transportation, Springer, vol. 48(4), pages 2103-2125, August.
    6. Michael Lowry, 2010. "Online public deliberation for a regional transportation improvement decision," Transportation, Springer, vol. 37(1), pages 39-58, January.
    7. Jerry Zhirong Zhao & Shengnan Lou & Camila Fonseca & Richard Feiock & Ruowen Shen, 2021. "Explaining transit expenses in US urbanised areas: Urban scale, spatial form and fiscal capacity," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 58(2), pages 280-296, February.
    8. Lowry, Michael B., 2010. "Using optimization to program projects in the era of communicative rationality," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 94-101, March.
    9. Jinbao Zhao & Wei Deng & Yan Song & Yueran Zhu, 2014. "Analysis of Metro ridership at station level and station-to-station level in Nanjing: an approach based on direct demand models," Transportation, Springer, vol. 41(1), pages 133-155, January.
    10. Michael Manville & Benjamin Cummins, 2015. "Why do voters support public transportation? Public choices and private behavior," Transportation, Springer, vol. 42(2), pages 303-332, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sciara , Gian-Claudia & Handy, Susan, 2013. "Cultivating Cooperation without Control: A Study of California’s MPO-Driven Smart Growth Programs," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt1xq050ts, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    2. Paget-Seekins, Laurel, 2013. "Competing mobility needs: The users, actors, and discourses in Atlanta, Georgia," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 142-149.
    3. Crabbe, Amber & Hiatt, Rachel & Poliwka, Susan & Watts, Michael, 2002. "Local Transportation Sales Taxes: California's Experiment in Transportation Finance (Detailed Research Findings)," University of California Transportation Center, Working Papers qt0h31d7zv, University of California Transportation Center.
    4. Goldman, Todd & Wachs, Martin, 2003. "A Quiet Revolution in Transportation Finance: The Rise of Local Option Transportation Taxes," University of California Transportation Center, Working Papers qt2gp4m4xq, University of California Transportation Center.
    5. Marcus Enoch & Stephen Potter & Stephen Ison, 2005. "A Strategic Approach to Financing Public Transport Through Property Values," Public Money & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(3), pages 147-154, June.
    6. Jongmin Shon, 2022. "Does Competition Tame the Leviathan? A Case of Earmarked Spending for Transportation," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 241(2), pages 59-78, June.
    7. Delucchi, Mark, 2007. "Do Motor-Vehicle Users in the US Pay Their Way?," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt5841z3kx, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    8. Dumortier, Jerome & Zhang, Fengxiu & Marron, John, 2017. "State and federal fuel taxes: The road ahead for U.S. infrastructure funding," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 39-49.
    9. Martin Adler & Stefanie Peer & Tanja Sinozic, 2019. "Autonomous, Connected, Electric Shared vehicles (ACES) and public finance: an explorative analysis," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 19-005/VIII, Tinbergen Institute.
    10. Duncan, Michael & Christensen, Robert K., 2013. "An analysis of park-and-ride provision at light rail stations across the US," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 148-157.
    11. Delucchi, Mark, 2007. "Do Motor-Vehicle Users in the US Pay Their Way?," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt2884w7km, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    12. Ian W. H. Parry & Margaret Walls & Winston Harrington, 2007. "Automobile Externalities and Policies," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 45(2), pages 373-399, June.
    13. Dumortier, Jerome & Kent, Matthew W. & Payton, Seth B., 2016. "Plug-in vehicles and the future of road infrastructure funding in the United States," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 187-195.
    14. Michael Duncan, 2016. "How much can trip chaining reduce VMT? A simplified method," Transportation, Springer, vol. 43(4), pages 643-659, July.
    15. Eduardo Engel & Ronald Fischer & Alexander Galetovic, 2006. "Privatizing Highways in the United States," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 29(1), pages 27-53, September.
    16. Smart, Michael J., 2014. "A volatile relationship: The effect of changing gasoline prices on public support for mass transit," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 178-185.
    17. Taylor, Brian D. & Schweitzer, Lisa, 2005. "Assessing the experience of mandated collaborative inter-jurisdictional transport planning in the United States," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 12(6), pages 500-511, November.
    18. Dill, Jennifer & Weinstein, Asha, 2007. "How to pay for transportation? A survey of public preferences in California," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 14(4), pages 346-356, July.
    19. Lowry, Michael B., 2010. "Using optimization to program projects in the era of communicative rationality," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 94-101, March.
    20. Phuong Nguyen-Hoang, 2015. "Volatile earmarked revenues and state highway expenditures in the United States," Transportation, Springer, vol. 42(2), pages 237-256, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:transp:v:34:y:2007:i:1:p:17-35. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.