Technology Won’t Kill the Bus—­Unless We Let It

Abstract

When voters are asked to tax themselves to increase funding for public transit, most of the time the answer is yes. According to statistics compiled by the Center for Transportation Excellence (CFTE), transit referenda generally pass seven out of every ten times. But this number is inflated by a large number of routine transit tax renewal votes in places such as Perry, Michigan. When the vote is for high-­profile, high-­dollar, high-­stakes transit investments, success is less assured. In 2018, one of the highest-­profile, highest-­stakes campaigns took place in Nashville.