Boulder County Nederland EcoPass Public Improvement District Issue 5D
Tax for community-wide bus pass
Vote Yes
Nederland
residents will be voting on a proposed tax to collect up to $110,000
annually to pay for EcoPasses for all permanent residents of the
district. The program would continue a pilot program launched in 2012
and funded then by a state grant and county funds in a 70/30 split. The
estimated increase comes to $14.85 per $100,000 annually, or $42 per
year based on the average property value. (Purchasing a monthly
regional pass through RTD costs $176.)
Those
in favor of the issue say ridership increased 45 percent during the
pilot program and that’s led to a reduction of 90.3 metric tons of
carbon emissions and cut 250,000 vehicle miles traveled in Boulder
Canyon. Opponents say most residents don’t use their existing EcoPass,
stating that ridership on the N route averages 400 passengers, or 12
percent of the population in the district that will be paying this
proposed tax.
Commuter
patterns are slow to change and the game against climate change is one
in which we count any small victory as a worthwhile one, so we’ll
endorse a yes vote on this issue.
View all of Boulder Weekly’s endorsements here.
