Los Angeles County Supervisors unanimously voted to place a half-cent sales tax on the November ballot. The tax is aimed at making it easier to get around southern California, by generating at least $860 million per year for the county’s light rail network and other transit projects. The tax would continue to fund Metro projects indefinitely. And it needs a two-thirds vote to pass – a hurdle that concerns mass transit proponents, particularly because the ballot will be crowded with other tax initiatives for voters to decide on. Will voters be willing to approve a tax hike without an expiration date? And if so, how much will the proposed transit projects actually alleviate traffic in Los Angeles?
A possible sales tax hike and the future of LA transit
Credits
Guests:
- Laura J. Nelson - LA Times reporter covering politics and campaign finance for the LA Times - @laura_nelson
- Michael Manville - Professor, UCLA Department of Urban Planning