Survey: Transit tax has support
By JANET ZINK
Published December 28, 2006
TAMPA - A majority of bay area residents say they would be inclined to support a tax increase to pay for mass transit, according to a new Florida Department of Transportation survey.
About 57 percent say they are "very likely" or "somewhat likely" to support an increase. Of those, 17 percent say they support a property tax boost to pay for better public transportation, and 83 percent prefer a sales tax.
The Florida Transportation Department commissioned the $120,000 survey of 1,128 people in eight Central Florida counties as part of a larger study examining growth patterns, future road capacity and mass transit needs. The final report is due late next year, said Elba Lopez, a public transit administrator for the department.
But the resident survey was completed in September. MarketLine Research conducted the random survey of people in suburban, urban and central business areas. The survey has a 95 percent confidence rate, Lopez said.
Results show more than 60 percent of bay area residents believe public transit is "extremely important" to the regional's overall transportation system, and 66 percent think the need for bus, rail and other public transportation will "increase greatly" in the next five to 10 years.
Seventeen percent of the people surveyed said they would be very likely to support a tax increase, and 40 percent said they would be somewhat likely.
The survey results sounded on target to Sandy Bradley, who lives in New Tampa and travels four times a week on Interstate 275 to classes in St. Petersburg. She said she would be happy to pay higher taxes for mass transit.
"Even if I still drove and it alleviated traffic," she said, adding that she prefers a sales tax.
"We already pay enough in property taxes," she said.
But count Diana Spyridakos, who lives in Clearwater and works in a downtown Tampa law office, among those who have no interest in mass transit, or paying more for it.
"I like having my car," she said, noting she wouldn't want to have to plan her days around a bus or train schedule.
Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio prompted a flurry of transit discussions in September when she urged local government and transportation officials to dust off old rail plans.
A previous rail plan for Hillsborough County - estimated at the time to cost $985-million - stalled in 2003 when the County Commission refused to find a local funding source to help pay for it.
A local revenue source is key to getting federal dollars for a major mass transit project, said Bob Hunter, executive director of the Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission.
"Local commitment is extremely important at the federal level to show that the community is willing to step up with its proportionate fair share," he said.
Hunter said he's pleased with the results of the survey, but it doesn't surprise him that people might be open to higher taxes to pay for mass transit.
"Everyone is very frustrated with the amount of congestion which is truly getting worse," he said.
But the bay area has a long way to go before regional mass transit moves from conversation to construction.
Bob Clifford, District 7 planning manager of the Transportation Department, says the Tampa Bay area is "not in the game right now" when it comes to getting state funding for transit projects because there's no coherent plan to pitch.
"There are so many transit plans it's scary," he said. Someone needs to take a "50,000-foot look at the region" and develop a specific proposal before asking for state funding, he said.
Janet Zink can be reached at jzink@sptimes.com or 813 226-3401.
Most respondents support tax
The Florida Transportation Department asked 1,128 people in eight bay area counties if they would support some type of tax increase to fund public transit. Here are the results:
Very likely: 17 % Somewhat likely: 40 %
Somewhat unlikely: 13 % Very unlikely: 18 %
Neither: 12 %