Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space

"A community’s physical form, rather than its land uses, is its most intrinsic and enduring characteristic." [Katz, EPA] This blog focuses on place and placemaking and all that makes it work--historic preservation, urban design, transportation, asset-based community development, arts & cultural development, commercial district revitalization, tourism & destination development, and quality of life advocacy--along with doses of civic engagement and good governance watchdogging.

Sunday, April 07, 2013

Metrolinx Toronto: 25 potential tools to fund transit-transportation infrastructure

A study has been conducted by AECOM KPMG, Big Move Implementation Economics: Revenue Tool Profiles, on the potential of various methods for funding infrastructure expansion in the Toronto region.  The report provides an evaluation of 25 different funding methods.

From the Toronto Star article "The Big Move: A sneak peek at Metrolinx’s short list of ‘revenue tools’ for expanded transit":

The report ... looked at 24 potential money-makers and ranked them by criteria such as their sustained money-making potential, cost of implementation, and whether they might result in positive changes to commuting habits.

Not all the short-listed ideas will make it into the final investment strategy Metrolinx submits to the province in June. That’s when the agency gives Queen’s Park its final recommendations for raising $2 billion annually for the next 25 years — the amount estimated in Metrolinx’s 25-year, $50-billion Big Move regional transportation plan. But the short-list will form the basis for the final phase of public discussions before then. The provincial agency plans to run its list by more than 100 key community and business groups it will meet with through May.

The potential methods:

• Auto Insurance Tax
• Car Rental Fee
• Carbon Tax
• Cordon Charge
• Corporate Income Tax
• Development Charges
• Driver’s License Tax
• Employer Payroll Tax
• Fare Increases
• Fuel Tax
• High Occupancy Tolls
• Highway Tolls
• Hotel & Accommodation Levy
• Income Tax
• Land Transfer Tax
• Land Value Capture
• New Vehicle Sales Tax
• Parking Sales Tax
• Parking Space Levy
• Property Tax
• Sales Tax
• Tax Increment Financing (Special Assessment Districts)
•  Utility Levy
• Vehicles Kilometres Travelled Fee
• Vehicle Registration Fee

Also see the Toronto Star article "Metrolinx transit tools rejected by 51 per cent: Poll."
-- Big Move campaign website, Metrolinx
-- Big Move campaign interactive exercise
-- Toronto Board of Trade Let's Get the Region Moving advertising campaign to support more funding
-- DISCUSSION PAPER | A Green Light To Moving The Toronto Region: Paying For Public Transportation Expansion

Some day I hope to put together a similar report on best practices in parking and curbspace management.  Having this kind of comprehensive list in one place is very useful.  Rarely are all these techniques listed in one document, let alone considered and discussed in the context of a metropolitan, regional, or state transportation project funding.

Metrolinx congestion interactive game

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5 Comments:

At 9:51 AM, Anonymous charlie said...


we've talked about DC as city-state actually has huge advantages in terms of being more flexible.

That being said, the tax revenue doesn't scale up well, and you need to surrounding metro area to kick in. And that level of coordination is very difficult in this area.

You are developing an unhealthy love for dedicated taxes and fees. In fact, capital budget mostly means dedicated fees now. Is that a good thing?

Also, a huge chunk of these fees are very regressive. With the exception of property taxes, we don't want to get into taxing capital. I understand the tax policy (capital is moveable,after all, and property isn't).

That being said, for DC a combined commuter tax, internet sales tax, and a tax on nonprofits could easily raise enough for the Blue Line.aa

 
At 10:57 AM, Blogger Richard Layman said...

I just like the concept of a master list to look at. I don't feel compelled to enact all of these taxes, just that when one is considering the issue, a thorough consideration of everything ought to be on the table.

2. Matthew Frumin, a candidate for DC Council, suggests getting the region to sign off on a 2% "commuter" tax that would only pay for infrastructure--so they wouldn't worry about us (DC) wasting the dough.

Myself, I prefer a withholding tax on wages, like in Oregon, or what the MTA has done in its service area in NY State (although I think there are some problems with how they've done it).

But for it to work, the federal govt. would have to agree to its workers being assessed for it...

3. And yes, u r absolutely right that DC isn't big enough to generate the amount of taxes necessary to do this all on its own.

b. and then, when you bring the other jurisdictions in, it gets messy because they care about other things and the positive impact gets diluted. e.g., like Prince William County and Frederick County being pro-gun vis-a-vis the recent MWCOG declaration about guns...

 
At 5:52 PM, Blogger Richard Layman said...

Hawaii is enacting an increase in the hotel room tax to pay towards the light rail in Honolulu

http://bigislandnow.com/2017/08/25/statewide-hotel-room-tax-increase-to-help-fund-honolulu-rail-project/

 
At 12:07 AM, Blogger Richard Layman said...

Vehicle Mileage Tax

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/columnists/story/2024-01-12/michael-smolens-the-transportation-tax-initiative-does-a-lot-but-not-one-big-thing

There’s one big thing the transportation tax won’t do

 
At 12:11 AM, Blogger Richard Layman said...

TARC in Louisville, KY has a wage tax for transit. This op ed by the head of a transit advocacy group is logically inconsistent. It talks about funding, but also cutting service, focusing on high frequency. The question of what I call the difference between network breadth and network depth.

TARC is at a crisis point; Greenberg must push Louisville transit agency in a bold, new direction
Inbox

https://www.wdrb.com/pov/tarc-is-at-a-crisis-point-greenberg-must-push-louisville-transit-agency-in-a-bold/article_551d183c-af17-11ee-a088-5f3b4fcb7854.html

Since 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and ridership plummeted, Louisville's transit agency has been kept afloat by the federal government's American Rescue Plan funding. In its 2024 budget, 25% of TARC's revenue is projected to come from ARP funds, while only 6% will come from fares. The vast majority of the remaining revenue (60%) will be generated by an occupational tax paid by people employed in Jefferson County.

 

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