June 20. [Opinion] Tripling local transit sales taxes from 0.5% to 1.5% to build a 1970s style railroad to begin operating, possibly, by the 2030s? That’s the definition of a boondoggle.

If you want to see a physical manifestation of the thinking behind the proposed Red Line, take the Gold Line streetcar for a ride, disembark, and walk back to where you started.  Your ride time and your walk time will probably be similar. Then, drive a car over the same route. Was the Gold Line worth it?

Fifty years from now driving will remain the fastest means of local transport for nearly every trip. Given driving’s obvious and persistent advantages in the Charlotte area, why are our elected leaders asking voters to pay triple for 1970s style commuter rail?

Farnsworth

Boondoggles like the proposed heavy commuter rail can be defeated. Taxpayers in Nashville formed a group called No Tax 4 Trax and defeated a 1% sales tax partially earmarked for rail. In response, local elected officials dropped the rail earmarks and reduced the proposed tax increase to 0.5%.  Voters then approved the 0.5% tax increase once rail was stripped out of the proposal.

Does a 1970s style commuter railroad justify tripling local transit taxes? No. Taxpayers will be tripling their costs without tripling their benefits.  Hopefully, future local transportation proposals will be more targeted at improving regional transportation for how most people actually get around.

—Josh Farnsworth

Cornelius