Informational News of interest for the citizens in and around Wendell, North Carolina.
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April 15, 2009Thank Triangle Legislators for Approving Transit bill!
Urge your Representative to vote for the bill next week.
Great news! Another step forward on transit funding today! The NC House Finance Committee gave a favorable report for HB 148, the Congestion Relief/Intermodal Transport Fund bill by a vote of 19-6. Key bill sponsor Representative Deborah Ross (Wake) did a wonderful job explaining the bill and leading the discussion. Other bill sponsors Rep. Lucy Allen (Franklin) and Bill McGee (Forsyth) also spoke for the bill. During discussion, Rep. Paul Luebke (Durham) and Rep. Jennifer Weiss (Wake) also spoke in support of the bill. The bill would authorize Triangle counties to hold a referendum for a half cent sales tax dedicated for a transit system of bus and rail.
The approved substitute bill included some new language: First, new additional language calls for local municipalities to have an affordable housing strategy for areas near transit hubs with goals of 15% affordable housing within a ½ mile radius of rail stops and major bus hubs. Second, authority was given to the Research Triangle Park to assess its tenants an additional modest property tax that would be dedicated to building/providing transit within RTP and between RTP and RDU. Should RTP do this, it could generate $3-4 million annually for transit. Note that Rep. Paul Stam (Wake) voted against the bill.
NC Secretary of Transportation Gene Conti expressed the administration's support for the bill, noting that we need more transportation options because the state cannot build enough roads to accommodate growth.
Please take time to send a thank you to the following Triangle legislators:
Wake Rep. Deborah Ross for her leadership Deborah.ross@ncleg.net
Wake Rep. Jennifer Weiss for working hard for the RTP language and for supporting the bill jennifer.weiss@ncleg.net
Durham Reps. Luebke and Larry Hall for supporting the bill paul.leubke@ncleg.net and larry.hall@ncleg.net
Next step: House floor vote is now expected for next Tuesday! Contact your House member today and urge them to support the bill! Go to: www.ncleg.net and enter your zipcode to find your legislator.
WakeUP Wake County serves as convener of the Capital Area Friends of Transit (CAFT) coalition, which is working in support of this legislation. To join CAFT and be a friend of transit, go to www.capitalareafriendsoftransit.org.
Sincerely,
Karen Rindge
Executive Director, WakeUP Wake County
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Take the SMART COMMUTE CHALLENGE!
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| | Take the SmartCommute Challenge, April 15-May 30, and be eligible to win prizes! Ditch your car for a short while and try a commuting alternative -- telemarketing, carpooling, vanpooling, taking the bus, biking or walking. This SmartCommute Challenge, coordinated by GoTriangle and SmartCommute@rtp, encouarges everyone to ge out of their car, at least for a short while, and discover new ways to get to work. Go to: GoTriangle.org to participate and find out how you can commute in an alternative way -- save gas, protect your air, and maybe even win a prize! | |
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