Better Roads Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/258673
I was taught as a youngster to save my pennies and that each cent really adds up. Many of us may see a penny on the ground and walk right past it. I know I have often done so. When you think about it, though, that one penny can go a long way. When I ran the Chicago Marathon for charity in 2010, I thought it was going to be nearly impossible to collect my $1,000 goal – and then I'd be on the hook for it. But little by little, friends, family, co-workers, acquaintances and even people who heard I was running the race but didn't know me – made donations. Some were large, but some were just a few bucks. It all added up to more than my goal. I realized again that every cent counts! The same goes for transportation. In the December "Transportation Talk" (betterroads. com/states-arent-waiting-around-for-federal-support), I wrote about how "States Aren't Waiting Around for Federal Support." It doesn't look like there will be an increase in the gas tax to help fund transportation, and we still don't have a solid bill proposal yet to replace the current short-term transportation bill, "Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century" (MAP-21) that expires Sept. 30, 2014. Now it's not just states that aren't waiting around. It's becoming what appears to be a grassroots effort. Not only are states fi guring out their own funding, but this has trickled down to counties. One such example is Richland County's implementation of a "Penny Sales Tax Program." (For more information on the program, go to richlandonline.com/Government/ TransportationPenny.aspx.) Adopting transportation penny sales tax programs has become a growing trend among counties to procure the additional funds needed to relieve congestion on existing facilities and maintain aging transportation infrastructure. The discussion and study about the transportation penny tax for Richland County started in 2006 when the county's council established a 39-member, citizen-led Transportation Study Commission. During these meetings, citizens expressed their desire for better roadways, sidewalks, public transit and overall transportation infrastructure. The initiative was put on the ballot. It failed at fi rst, but it passed the second time. Citizens realized they'd have to pay for better transportation themselves. The county expects to raise $1.07 billion with this program. I'm not a sit-back-and-watch-things-pass-me-by kind of gal. I don't have the time or patience for it. I commend these counties that have decided they are sick of our broken, bureaucratic system and are taking the reins to do what they have to do. Sometimes you just have to take things into your own hands. To me, it seems like the survival of the fi ttest. I'd love to hear what innovative (but legal!) ways your agencies or contracting business have funded projects. Please e-mail me at tinabarbaccia@gmail.com. Y by Tina Grady Barbaccia, Editor-At-Large tinabarbaccia@gmail.com Better Roads February 2014 3 A Penny for Your Transportation System Editorial Editor-At-Large: Tina Grady Barbaccia Editorial Director: Marcia Gruver Doyle Online Editor: Wayne Grayson Online Managing Editor: Amanda Bayhi Production Editor: Lauren Heartsill Dowdle Editor Emeritus: Kirk Landers Truck Editor: Jack Roberts Construction Editors: Tom Jackson, Tom Kuennen, Dan Brown editorial@betterroads.com Design & Production Art Director: Sandy Turner, Jr. Production Designer: Timothy Smith Advertising Production Manager: Linda Hapner production@betterroads.com Construction Media Senior VP of Market Development, Construction Media: Dan Tidwell VP of Sales, Construction Media: Joe Donald sales@constructionmedia.com Corporate Chairman/CEO: Mike Reilly President: Brent Reilly Chief Process Offi cer: Shane Elmore Chief Administration Offi cer: David Wright Senior Vice President, Sales: Scott Miller Senior Vice President, Editorial and Research: Linda Longton Vice President of Events: Alan Sims Vice President, Audience Development: Stacy McCants Vice President, Digital Services: Nick Reid Director of Marketing: Julie Arsenault 3200 Rice Mine Rd NE Tuscaloosa, AL 35406 800-633-5953 randallreilly.com For change of address and other subscription inquiries, please contact: betterroads@halldata.com Better Roads TM magazine, (ISSN 0006-0208) founded in 1931 by Alden F. Perrin, is published monthly by Randall-Reilly Publishing Company, LLC. © 2014. Executive and Administrative offices, 3200 Rice Mine Rd. N.E., Tuscaloosa, AL 35406. Qualified subscriptions solicited exclusively from governmental road agencies, contractors, consultants, research organiza- tions, and equipment and materials suppliers. Single copy price $5.00 in U.S. and Canada. Subscription rate for individuals qualified in U.S. and Canada $24.95. Foreign $105.00. Special group rates to companies quali- fied in quantities over five names. We assume no responsibility for the va- lidity of claims of manufacturers in any advertisement or editorial product information or literature offered by them. Publisher reserves the right to refuse non-qualified subscriptions. Periodical circulation postage paid at Tuscaloosa, Alabama and additional entries. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage retrieval system, without written permission of the copyright owner. For quality custom reprints, e-prints, and editorial copyright and licensing services please contact: Linda Hapner, (224) 723-5372 or reprints@betterroads.com. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 707.4.12.5); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to Better Roads, 3200 Rice Mine Road N.E., Tuscaloosa, AL 35406. TransportationTalk