SELLING RAPID TRANSIT TO THE VOTERS, THE LOS ANGELES EXPERIENCE

In 1968, an attempt was made to sell a sales tax and bond issue proposal to the voters of Los Angeles, California, for an 89 mile rapid transit system (Proposition A). The attempt failed to reach the required voter approval of 60% and even failed to achieve a simple majority. This report is an examination of that effort to learn what can be gained from the experience. The report includes a brief history of the various groups that preceded the final citizens group which undertook the promotion on behalf of the proposition. The report focuses on efforts to publicize the issue including actual sales techniques, the raising of funds, the separate roles of the transit district and citizen group, the opposition encountered, efforts to counteract specific opposition, and some retrospective insights as to why the issue ultimately lost at the ballot.

• Corporate Authors:

  University of California, Los Angeles

  School of Architecture and Urban Planning
  Los Angeles, CA  United States  90024

  Urban Mass Transportation Administration

  400 7th Street, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Erikson, G
• Publication Date: 1974-8

Media Info

• Pagination: 36 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: City planning; Communication; Communication systems; Communities; Financing; Legislation; Local government; Marketing; Promotion; Public opinion; Public participation; Public relations; Publicity; Rapid transit; Taxation; Taxes
• Geographic Terms: California; Los Angeles (California)
• Old TRIS Terms: Promoting; Rapid transit railways
• Subject Areas: Finance; Highways; Law; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Railroads; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00094125
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: UMTA-CA-11-0009-75-2, UMTA-CAL-URT-31
• Files: NTIS, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Mar 29 2003 12:00AM