From: "Friends of Transit" To: Subject: Proposition 400 Date: Wednesday, September 15, 2004 7:30 PM Friends, Let me warn you, this message will be longer than most of our alerts... As you know, Friends of Transit does not take a position on Proposition 400, as we are a non-profit corporation. Our mission has always been to educate the community about the benefits of mass transit as part of a balanced regional transportation plan. And one of our original goals has been to refute the false and negative information being spread by the transit naysayers. Well, they're at it again... Today I attended a press conference by the NO on 400 campaign. I had heard they were going to roll out their own plan. But that wasn't really the case... Dave Thompson admitted that he didn't have a plan. However, he did talk about the need to extend the Loop 303 into North Scottsdale. Fortunately, Mayor Manross from Scottsdale also came to hear what they had to say and she pointed out that clearly they were off base - because if you extended the 303 East, it would run right through the McDowell Mountain Preserves! Yikes! Mr. Thompson also said that this region should be "double-deckering" (yes, that was the term he used a couple of times...) freeways. He did not clarify whether or not he would want to run a "double decker" freeway through the Preserves or not. Senator Thayer Verschoor and Representative Andy Biggs spoke as well. They suggested voters vote against Proposition 400 so that the Legislature could come back with another plan for voters to consider before the existing 1/2 cent tax for transportation projects expires at the end of 2005. Well, what they failed to mention is that under Federal Transportation Law 23CFR 450.312(b), it requires that the Regional Transportation Plan be approved by the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). The Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) is the MPO for the Maricopa County Region. MAG designed the plan that is now before the voters. For those of you who followed the MAG process to design the Regional Transportation Plan, know it took about TWO YEARS to design the plan in question. Why does it take so long to put together a Regional Transportation Plan? Consider that when developing such a plan, Federal Transportation Law requires the MPO to do the following: - Federal Transportation Law 23 CFR 450.322(c) requires that the public be involved in developing the Plan. MAG conducted 150 public input opportunities, involving THOUSANDS of citizens. MAG conducted 180 stakeholder opportunities. - Under 23CFR 450.324 (f), approval of the Regional Transportation Plan and the Transportation Improvement Program by MAG is required before any regionally significant transportation project can be implemented. This includes projects for highways, arterial streets, and transit regardless of the funding. - Federal Transportation Law 23CFR 450.312(d) and Section 176 (c)2(A) of the Clean Air Act requires that an MPO shall not approve any transportation plan or program which does not conform with the State Air Quality Implementation Plan. On December 9, 2003 and July 6, 2004, the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration issued a finding of air quality conformity for the MAG Transportation Improvement Program and the Regional Transportation Plan. - Federal Transportation Law 23CFR450.334(b)(c)(d) requires that the MPO, MAG, have a certified transportation planning process. (Whew!...sorry to sound so "legal", but these are important facts that need to be told) Finally, a lot of the typical Anti-Transit Myths were spewed out. As a reminder, you can visit www.friendsoftransit.org and get information to refute these myths. As we mentioned in previous e-mail alerts, we have printed information brochures about Proposition 400 for you to distribute as you need. Fortunately, the demand has been tremendous. We have already distributed our first 10,000. Another 10,000 are on their way, so let me know if you need more. David Schwartz Executive Director david@friendsoftransit.org http://www.friendsoftransit.org To unsubscribe, please Click Here