Transportation

Transportation

 

Position: 

LWVSC supports:

1.  Strategies that emphasize making maximum use of existing and planned roadways and provide real alternatives to the use of personal vehicles by:
 
a. Construction of conveniently located park and ride lots to facilitate carpooling and express bus service to major
employment areas.
b.  Implementation of high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes to encourage the use of multi-occupant travel.
c.  More effective promotion of tax incentives to employers who encourage employees to use public transportation and/or rideshare.
d.  Use of incentives to increase the use of public transportation.
e.  Emphasize maintenance and repair of existing roadways over new construction.
 

2.  Consideration of pedestrians and cyclists should include:

a.  Pedestrian and bicycle-friendly development.
b.  Provisions for pedestrians and bicycles in planning and construction of new roadways and the retrofitting of existing roadways.
 

3.  Provision should be made for:

a.  Early and informed public participation in local and state transportation planning, including road construction and public transportation projects.
b.  Public participation in evaluation processes regarding improvements/increases in services provided by local public transportation systems.
c.  Cooperation and coordination among all state and local agencies charged with the responsibility to provide transportation services.
 

4.  Adequate funding should be provided by:

a.  Increasing the percentage of the state gasoline tax dedicated to funding public transportation.
b.  Increasing city/county budgets dedicated to improved/increased public transportation services.
c.  Amending state legislation to provide more options for public transportation providers to raise the local match for state and federal funding.
 

Background/Action: 

  • A study of transportation was approved at the 2001 convention. This consensus position was approved in 2003 and was further amended at Convention 2007 and 2015.
  • The 2005 convention made editorial changes to several statements under Natural Resources.
  • A state LWV study of water issues, particularly inter-basin water conflicts, was adopted at convention 2009. This study resulted in the publication of “Quenching our State’s Thirst: A Report on the Water Resources of South Carolina.”
  • Item #13 was the result of the adoption of concurrence with the Clemson area’s League’s study of growth management.
  • In 2015, item #8 was amended to refer to #1.
  • In 2016 the position on growth management (#13 under natural resources) was added by concurrence with a Clemson local League position.