The city council’s budget committee, which includes every member of the council, voted today to eliminate a $25 fee on businesses for each employee who relies primarily on a single-occupant vehicle to commute to work. The tax became a political football in the mayor’s race when Greg Nickels and other candidates used it as an anti-tax stump message; Mayor-elect Mike McGinn said he wanted to retain it for transportation funding. But considering that the average Seattle business has only paid about $90 a year in head taxes, it’s a negligible—if not fabricated—political issue.
Originally proposed by Nickels before he opposed it, the head tax is designated for various transportation improvement projects. But it was best known as one of the revenue sources to fund bicycle and pedestrian improvements approved under the “Bridging the Gap” levy.
However, City Council President Richard Conlin, one of eight council members who supported its repeal, says that most of the head tax money went toward maintaining bridges—not to painting bike lanes and building new sidewalks. And, he adds, “We have parking taxes to fulfill promises in the Bridging the Gap levy.”
Pinehurst organizer Renee Staton says, “In light of the recent election results and in light of the enormous budget shortfall, it seems shortsighted and plain poor stewardship for the council to continue on the path to repeal.” She notes the city is facing $70 million budget shortfall.
The council will announce its final budget on November 19 and the full council will take a vote on November 23. After that, if people are worried about fewer bike and pedestrian improvements, Conlin says, “Look and see what we do.”
Let me get this straight, we were taxing people who drive to pay for bike lanes. Only to have those bike lanes often replace existing car lanes, making roads much more congested(I know I can hear people saying now that I need to bike or ride the bus, cry me a river). How ironic. Seattle treats drivers like the rest of the country treats smokers. It is as if they are doing something wrong and are being monetarily punished. (Enter argument about how bad driving is for the environment)
This looks like McGinn’s first challenge to the establishment. This will probably go the same way as the tunnel, he makes big promises to hipsters, only to have to back track when political reality hits him in the face. Should be fun to watch.
Employer provided parking should be taxed as income.
So the city council decides right after an election to cancel a tax? I love this city. Cutting taxes is unpopular. This is exactly as it should be.
Employer provided lattes should be taxed! then we can use the money to teach gangbangers how to play the lute and pretty soon we’ll all be living in utopia.
http://t4america.org/blog/2009/11/09/dan…
Every year, nearly 5,000 Americans die preventable deaths on roads that fail to provide safe conditions for pedestrians. This decade alone, more than 43,000 Americans – including 3,906 children under 16 – have been killed while walking or crossing a street in our communities. With more than 76,000 Americans dying in the last 15 years, it’s the equivalent of a jumbo jet going down roughly every month, yet it receives nothing like that kind of attention.
@1: Everyone hates congestion. As a city, we have decided that the best way to reduce congestion is by encouraging forms of transportation which don’t require a 5′ x 5′ x 15′ metal box for each 5′ x 1′ x 1′ human. (My numbers are approximate, obviously, but I think it’s fair to say that a single-occupancy vehicle takes up 50-100 times as much space as the driver would alone.) We’ve done so by taxing the behavior we don’t like (single-occupancy vehicle commuting) and subsidizing the behavior we do like (carpooling, transit riding, biking, and walking).
Also, you seem to be neglecting the fact that every additional biker or bus passenger is one fewer driver. A busy run of the 545 removes about 100 people from 520 at rush hour. HOV lanes, bike lanes, etc. all take significant numbers of people out of SOVs, which means that the SOV lanes are that much less congested.
If you don’t like this, vote for politicians who believe otherwise, but I doubt you’ll win many elections.
For more information, check here:
http://seattletransitblog.com/2009/10/06…
the city council is assholes
@6 Good article. Definitely a good answer to most criticisms of light rail. But all the numbers in the world won’t change being stuck behind the typical Seattle driver going 10 miles under the speed limit, with no option of passing because the one lane street you are on use to be two before they put bike lanes.
You are right. I will not get a candidate, that will be against bike lanes and the taxing of drivers to pay for them, to win in Seattle. But this city is the exception not the rule. I have lived in several other big cities(much bigger)that build biking trails instead of bike lanes. Bike lanes put already at risk bicyclist at even more risk of getting hit by a car. And ultimately slow traffic down, because most people slow down when around bikes.
Just what we need during a period of budget cuts – fewer taxes on rich people.
No wonder half of city council (the ones voting on this) are now gone – Seattle can’t afford them!