Bill Bell: Can’t have regional transit without Durham
When last heard from (or about), the 1/2-cent sales tax for transit bill was breezing through the friendly confines of the House Transportation Committee, headed for the tougher terrain of the House Finance Committee. With the latter committee scheduled to take up the bill next Wednesday, April 15 (8:30 a.m. in Room 544 of the Legislative Office Building), Durham Mayor Bill Bell yesterday tossed a little grenade into the debate. As reported by the Herald Sun, Bell told a meeting of the DCHC (the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro transportation planning organization) that the bill should be amended to require that all three Triangle counties be on board, as it were, before any state funds could be on transit in the Triangle.
Now why, one might ask, would long-time transit proponent (and Triangle Transit board member) Bell do that? Continue reading »
