OPTIONS FOR FINANCING A REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY

Transit service stoppages for lack of funds and eleventh-hour makeshift financial solutions have become all too common in recent years. Regional taxes dedicated to transit service subsidization are increasingly popular and may be necessary for continued operation in many U.S. metropolitan areas. Although these taxes are relatively new, they are under active consideration in many areas in response to rapidly increasing transit deficits and the current administration's proposed reduction in federal operating subsidies. This paper compares the efficiency and equity of various taxes as well as fare increases. Data on the tax levels required and resulting burdens by income class are reported for the Pittsburgh region. Tax payments per trip are also estimated by income class as an indication of the distribution of net benefits. Broad-based wage or income taxes seem to be the most desirable sources, coupled with close attention to potential reductions in transit expenses. Sales taxes are also an acceptable tax source, although they have a smaller tax base and a slightly more regressive effect than wage or income taxes.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1982/858/858-007.pdf
• Summary URL:
  • http://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=OPTIONS+FOR+FINANCING+A+REGIONAL+TRANSIT+AUTHORITY&author=D.+DiPasquale&author=C.+Hendrickson&publication_year=1982
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309033616
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Local Transportation Finance. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • DiPasquale, Denise
  • Hendrickson, Chris
• Conference:
  • 61st Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board
  • Location: Washington District of Columbia, United States
  • Date: 1982-1-18 to 1982-1-22
• Publication Date: 1982

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 29-35
• Monograph Title: Cost responsibility, user charges and finance issues
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 858
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Benefit cost analysis; Financing; Gasoline; Income; Property taxes; Public transit; Sales tax; Subsidies; Taxation; Taxes; Wages
• Old TRIS Terms: Income tax
• Subject Areas: Finance; Highways; Public Transportation; I10: Economics and Administration;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00369142
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309033616
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Jan 31 1983 12:00AM