Comment 35252

By A Smith (anonymous) | Posted November 10, 2009 at 16:13:52

Jason >> LRT is a huge development magnet. It's been proven time and time again to draw tons of investment.

"The Boston Elevated Railway existed under the Public Control Act until August 29, 1947. On that date, the Metropolitan Transit Authority came into being and absorbed the entire BERY system"

www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/history/?id=966

Boston's population

1950 801,444 4.0%
1960 697,197 −13.0%
1970 641,071 −8.1%
1980 562,994 −12.2%
1990 574,283 2.0%
2000 589,141 2.6%
2008* 609,023 3.4%

Boston has had a massive public transportation system for decades, yet until the implementation of "Proposition 2 1/2", which placed limits on taxing citizens, Boston's population had been in a steady decline and it's property tax rates were over 2%...

tinyurl.com/3y6erl "State totals FY1985 through Present", Excess Levy Capacity tab

Curiously enough, since 1980, the same time Prop 2 1/2 was passed, Boston's population started to increase. Furthermore, in 2009, Boston property owners enjoy tax rates of 1.19%. In other words, it took spending limits to turn Boston around, since LRT had existed there for decades and yet the city was still in free fall.

Jason, if LRT is proven to increase city wide investment, not just localized investment around the line, please explain why it didn't work in Boston. Furthermore, do you think it's a coincidence that Boston's fortunes started to turn around (population, tax base) just as strict limits on taxation and spending were introduced in the early 1980's?

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