Regional transportation funding campaigns

[ocharles]

I'm conducting research on stakeholder/public awareness campaigns that have been used to bolster support for new potential mechanisms for transportation funding. I'm focusing on efforts made at the regional/MPO level as opposed to state or local initiatives. I'd greatly appreciate anyone's suggestions about campaigns of this sort that have been attempted (either with success or failure) in the past 5 or so years. I've got plenty of information concerning the recent campaign in Georgia/Atlanta, but any other ideas are greatly welcome. I realize these campaigns run the gambit, and very in the modes they pertain to, the funding mechanisms they concern, and the level of campaign sophistication. Still, a few ideas here or there couldn't hurt.

[DetroitPlanner]

We've had plenty of unsuccessful ones. The issues always revolve around it not being the right time to increase the state fuel tax or to allow locals to vote on other alternative funding strategies. Primarily its a State issue that is keeping the locals from adequetly funding transportation.

Note that MPOs are usually a conduit for state and local issues and initiatives so I don't know why focusing there would be any different.

[Cardinal]

Wisconsin's Fox Valley was on track to set up a regional transportation authroity as it faced the loss of federal funding. The initiative was widely supported by local communities and the public, so the Republican governor and legislature passed a law prohibiting then from doing it.