Orange County mayor pushing for sales tax to increase transportation funding Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Hide Transcript Show Transcript

WESH 2 NEWS POLITICAL REPORTER GREG FOX HAS THE DETAILS AND SHOWS HOW THE TAX WOULD COMPARE TO OTHER LOCAL COUNTIES. GREG: WHEN CONSTRUCTION ON THE I-4 ULTIMATE RECONSTRUCTION ENDS, TRANSPORTATION EXPERTS ADMIT, IT MAY NOT CUT DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY ON CONGESTION. NEW ORANGE COUNTY MAYOR JERRY DEMINGS SAYS, THAT’S NOT GOOD ENOUGH. MAYOR DEMINGS: WE WILL BUILD A COMMUNITY THAT EFFICIENTLY MEETS OUR TRANSPORTATION NEEDS. GREG: HE ANNOUNCED THAT AT HIS FIRST STATE OF THE COUNTY ADDRESS, HE WANTS TO BRING A ONE CENT SALES TAX HIKE TO VOTERS NEXT YEAR. HE SAYS THE BIGGEST TRANSPORTATION PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED, LYNX BUS SERVICE. JUST ASK SOME OF THE 24 MILLION ANNUAL RIDERS WHAT THEY THINK OF THE SERVICE. GUY: THEY’RE SUPPOSED TO BE ON TIME, BUT THEY’RE NOT ON TIME, BECAUSE THEY RUN LATE. WHEN THE BUS PULLS IN, NONE OF THE BUSES MEET UP. WHEN ONE BUS PULLS IN, THE OTHER ONE IS PULLING OUT THAT YOU NEED TO CATCH. MAYOR DEMINGS: WE WANT OUR AVERAGE LYNX RIDERS TO SEE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE OVERALL EFFICIENCY OF THE SYSTEM. THAT MEANS BETTER CONNECTIVITY, FREQUENT SERVICE AND AFFORDABLE SERVICE. WHERE BUSES HAVE DEDICATED LANES SO THAT THEY CAN RUN ON TIME AND TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS CONVENIENT. GREG: WITH 320 BUSES NOW, DEDICATED FUNDING THROUGH A NEW TAX COULD DOUBLE THAT NUMBER, A BOON FOR RIDERS BUT ALSO FOR DRIVERS. MATT: BECAUSE WHEN YOU CAN PUT MORE FREQUENCIES OUT THERE AND YOU CAN PUT MORE BUSES ON THE ROAD, IT’S A WIN FOR EVERYBODY. GREG: CURRENTLY THE SALES TAX IS 6.5%. 7.5%, THAT’LL GENERATE $6 MILLION A YEAR. WE ARE LIVE AT THE MAIN CENTRAL TERMINAL, AND ONE OF THE THINGS PEOPLE TELL ME THEY HOPE FOR IF THIS PASSES, THERE WOULD BE MORE SHOULDERS AT STAIONS AWAY FROM THE CENTRAL STATION, TO KEEP THEM OUT OF THE RAIN, SHADE AND HEAT. AS HOW THIS COMPARES TO OTHER COMMUNITIES, OSCEOLA AND VOLUSIA ARE VOTING NEXT TUESDAY. OSCEOLA WOULD BE THE HIGHEST IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. I WILL SHOW YOU HOW THIS

SIGN UP FOR BREAKING NEWS Get local stories sent straight to your inbox as news breaks. Submit Privacy Notice