The Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) has released a research report that presents an updated analysis of a 2001 report on transportation tax elections in urban areas across the U.S. The report, Revisiting Factors Associated with the Success of Ballot Initiatives with a Substantial Rail Transit Component, is the second update of what was originally released in 2000.

The new report includes an analysis of transportation tax elections in 11 urban areas across the nation and identifies 17 community-level factors that may affect the success of ballot measures for sales tax increases to fund transportation packages with substantial rail components.

MTI noted that trends observed in the more recent case studies were generally highly consistent with the findings from the original study. Thus this analysis reaffirms the importance for community consensus amongst the business, elected, and environmental communities, and accompanying depth of financial support.

The compilation also includes an exploration of “rebound” elections—cases when defeat of a transit measure is quickly followed by success of another—and the factors that seem linked to achieving success in such instances.

The report is available for free download.