DAILY JOURNAL - DECEMBER 21, 2011

STATE BOE TO DECIDE ON MORRISVILLE BALLOTS THURSDAY

WAKE COUNTY MANAGER PUSHES TRANSIT PLAN

EVANS' BAC NOW A ANTI-MAGNET, ANTI-NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS VOICE

OCCUPY RALEIGH WILL CAMP THROUGH WINTER

CARPENTER ELEMENTARY FAMILIES PROTEST BOE MEETING

DAILY JOURNAL - NOVEMBER 18, 2011

RALEIGH IN HOUSING BUSINESS

DOES RALEIGH'S NEW FOOD OPTIONS AT PULLEN PARK INCLUDE FOOD TRUCKS?

N&O BEGINS PUSH FOR WAKE COUNTY TRANSIT TAX

DAILY JOURNAL - NOVEMBER 15, 2011

WAKE HOPES FOR IMPROVED CREDIT RATING

FUTURE TAXES FOR EMPTY TRAINS?

HOLLY SPRINGS, DEBT AND TAXES

DEMOCRAT LEE BLAMES NEWSPAPER FOR LOSS

MORRISVILLE HAS BUDGET SURPLUS

DAILY JOURNAL - NOVEMBER 14, 2011

WAKE UP WAKE COUNTY PUSHES FOR NEW TAXES

MEETINGS ON BIPARTISAN SCHOOL CHOICE PLAN START

NON-WAKE COMMUNITY EFFORTS BROUGHT CHANGE

MASSIVE TAX INCREASES FOR A SYSTEM LARGE MAJORITIES NEVER USE?

Most Triangle voters are willing to pay higher taxes to beef up public transportation service in the region - even though most don't ride buses now and don't expect to ride buses and trains in the future, according to a three-county poll released Wednesday.

Of 901 Wake, Durham and Orange county registered voters surveyed by phone in early March, 58 percent said they would vote for a proposed half-cent increase in the local sales tax to pay for a network of rail transit and more buses. Thirty-nine percent said they would vote against it.

Triangle elected officials are developing long-range plans for an improved transit system. In 2011 or 2012 officials are expected to call for a local referendum on whether to levy a half-cent sales tax to help pay for transit.

The survey was conducted by Fallon Research, based in Columbus, Ohio, for the Regional Transportation Alliance, a nonprofit Triangle business group that lobbies for transportation improvements. Fallon said the poll had a margin of error of 3.26 percentage points.

Other findings in the poll:

♦Nine percent use public transportation frequently or very frequently, and 69 percent do not use it at all.


Read more: http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/03/25/405588/voters-willing-to-pay-for-transit.html

QUESTION FOR MAYOR MEEKER ON THE MOVE

Mayor Meeker:

As you seem to be moving with fevered intensity to impose increased sales taxes and vehicles registration fees on Raleigh residents to buy more buses, quick question:

HOW OFTEN DO YOU USE MASS TRANSIT? IN FACT HOW OFTEN DO THE OTHER MASS TRANSIT CHEERLEADERS ON THE RALEIGH CITY COUNCIL USE MASS TRANSIT? WE WOULD LOVE TO KNOW HOW MUCH YOU NOT ONLY BELIEVE IN MASS TRANSIT RELIGION BUT ALSO EXERCISE YOUR FAITH AS WELL.

Here's a great place where you could keep us informed.

RALEIGH: WASTE ON THE MOVE

So the City of Raleigh’s Arts Commission in partnership with CAT launched Art-On-The-Move on September 22, 2007. Photos from the News & Observer at the time featured City Councilman Russ Stephenson smashing a bottle of water on the side of a CAT bus (in the middle of the drought).

So where do Raleigh’s priorities stand as it relates to mass transit? Apparently more-so with decorating buses rather than decorating bus stops with benches and shelters.

According to the Raleigh Arts Commission, public funds are used for this project and the honorariums paid for the project (12 at $1,000 a piece) come from public funds.

Other costs with the project include:

12 sets of bus wrap graphics, digital transfer with protective laminate: $7,168.32
Installation of 12 wraps, onsite at CAT: $4,560.00
Honorariums: $12,000
Total: $23,728.32

After making an inquiry with the City of Raleigh on bus stops, I received this timely and thorough response from Transit Administrator David Eatman:

The City of Raleigh has 1450 bus stops that are served daily by Capital Area Transit (CAT) buses. Of the 1450 stops 36 are currently equipped with shelters and 259 have benches available.

CAT currently has just over 100 stops that are without passenger amenities that meet the Raleigh Transit Authority policy for the placement of benches and shelters. The policy states that bus stops must have 25 boardings per day to qualify for a shelter and 10 boardings per day to qualify for a bench, this policy may be waived at locations used by seniors or persons with disabilities. With the obvious need for quality facilities that provide a safe and comfortable place for transit patrons, the Transit Program has embarked on an aggressive campaign to install these facilities as quickly as possible. This will result in the installation of approximately 40 new shelters and 75 new benches, some of which have already been completed.

In support of this effort, the transit program has submitted 20 engineered site plans to NCDOT in order to receive easements for the placement of our first round of shelters in Southeast and Southwest Raleigh. The majority of the bus stops meeting the passenger amenity standard lie within NCDOT right of way. Our next effort will concentrate on heavily utilized stops in North Raleigh, including Wake Forest Road and Capital Boulevard.

I could go on and on about the fact that apparently the bus service is so low that the stops don’t meet the low standards of 25 boardings per day for a shelter or 10 boardings for a bench.

Still what about the others that meet the guidelines that have been neglected for so long? The passion for benches sure doesn’t seem to match the fevered intensity to spend $14.8 million for City Plaza – now does it?

Now Mayor Meeker is seeking a regressive sales tax increase and increased vehicle registration fees for you guessed it – more buses.

Is this really how we need to spend transit oriented funds? For artwork on grungy buses? Is that part of that great concept that makes Raleigh a “world-class city?”

Not as much money as this Raleigh gem, but it sure does give it a run for the money.

Final note – the picture is from Morgan Street right near the “Hope in Government HQ.” Guess folks weren’t taking the bus down there to volunteer huh?

TRANSIT REALITY

Amidst deceptive data peddled by Raleigh's social engineering crowd partnering with WakeUp Wake County, this article points out the facts they won't tell you.

RALEIGH PUSHING WAKE UP WAKE COUNTY TRANSIT AGENDA?

Appears so. Why is Raleigh pushing an agenda that would require massive tax increases, unaffordable housing and a whole host of flawed social engineering policies? They made a mess just trying to regulate garbage disposals and we want these folks to rework the comprehensive plan and regulate people's transit patterns?

Wake Community asks the question: How many of these officials commute on a daily basis? How many of them carpool? We would love to know.

As a courtesy, watch the video for yourself.

THIS WEEK - RALEIGH RESIDENTS: 0, WAKE/DOWNTOWN RALEIGH ELITE: 2

SO FAR (JUST THIS WEEK):

David King, head of the Triangle Transit Authority, proposes yet another regressive sales tax increase for area residents.

Boylan Mayor Meeker proposes a very regressive 50% surcharge on Raleigh water users.

Also let's not forget that Gordon Smith and the downtown Raleigh elite also want to raise your taxes through the property revaluation process.

I'm sure this is just beginning. Raleigh's City Council (Meeker & Co.) will also use the bonds passed last fall to raise property taxes as well.

Look soon for the "it's just a cup of coffee daily for the children, etc." lobbying effort. We've long since gone past the cup of coffee. We've already taxed the whole breakfast meal and are moving on to lunch and dinner.