Business Group Champions Northern Utah Tax Hike for Transportation
None by KCPW
(KCPW News) Commuters in Davis County will soon have Legacy Parkway and commuter rail to keep traffic flowing. But that's not enough, according to chambers of commerce in Northern Utah."Even with commuter rail and Legacy Parkway, still growth and people in cars will continue to outpace that," says Steve Handy, a spokesperson for the Northern Utah Transportation Alliance. "No one likes tax increases, but the point is I like mobilization and my quality life and time with my family more. So it's really pay now or pay later."
Chambers of Commerce in Davis and Weber Counties formed the Northern Utah Transportation Alliance to champion a quarter-cent sales tax that would raise a combined 19-million dollars a year for road projects. Salt Lake and Utah County voters approved a similar tax increase last year. One-fourth of the money from the tax hike would be used to buy up land for future roads, such as a northern extension of Legacy Parkway into Weber County.
The Northern Utah Transportation Alliance is hoping to raise 200-thousand dollars to campaign in support of the sales tax increases on November's ballot.
Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom. Copyright 2008 KCPW
1. Ellen Birrell said:
In my opinion air quality has become the number one challenge for our state. Groups such as Mothers for Clean Air and Physicians for a Healthy Environment are putting forth the case of the tragic price we are paying with asthma, lung disease, etc by not adequately addressing air pollution along the Wasatch Front.What does the additional roads beyond commuter rail and Legacy Highway mean for adding to the small particulate matter polution which has been identified by Physicians for a Healthy Environment as the number one air quality problem in Utah?Has the Northern Utah Trans Alliance conducted an analysis/future forecasting of their incentive for more cars on more roads will do? Are they offering ways to mitigate that added health risk?
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