CATA millages up during primary election likely to pass

By Ashley Brown

Created:
08/04/10 12:33am

Last updated:
08/04/10 12:46am

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Two millage renewals pertaining to the Capital Area Transportation Authority, or CATA, services likely were approved by voters during Tuesday’s primary election.

By well after midnight Tuesday, the first millage renewal was on its way to passage with more than 66 percent of voters approving the continuation of CATA services, such as Spec-Tran, which offers senior or persons with disability riders who are unable to use CATA’s fixed-route systems access to transportation.

By 12:32 a.m., more than 27,000 voters approved the first millage, with slightly more than 13,000 against.

“For the Spec-Tran users especially, it is their way to being able to, in many cases, not be home bound,” said Sandy Draggoo, CATA’s CEO and executive director, before Tuesday’s results were reported. “To be able to get out of their homes, especially if they are not able to transfer out of their wheel chairs in many cases.”

The second millage was an effort to combine the millage of 2004 and 2008 — the former of which was reduced as the result of a provision in the state’s constitution. By 12:32 a.m. Tuesday, it was on its way to approval with 20,653 in favor and 12,031 against.

The 2010 CATA millage asked for a total of 3.007 mills. That totals $300 for a homeowner whose house is valued at $100,000.

With the majority of CATA’s funding coming from the millage, the transportation authority would have had to make drastic cuts in daily routes, leaving some of its 50,000 daily riders without transportation, Draggoo said.

If the millage had not passed, though, it would not have affected on-campus routes. But it would have affected several routes that students use to commute to MSU, Draggoo said.

“The millage is 42 percent of our funding, it is vital to us in order to take services to the street,” Draggoo said. “That’s why it is vital to our operation that this pass.”

For some, such as environmental studies and agriculture science senior Amy K. Miller, the bus is their sole source of transportation. Miller made her way to the voting polls before her shift as a worker in Shaw Hall.

“I ride the CATA bus, so I’m really dependent,” said Miller. “I’m a big fan of CATA.”

The CATA service charges riders $2.50 each way, while other options such as AmbuCab, charges riders varying rates of $35 one way or $70 for round-trip with additional fees after 20 miles.

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Coverage from across the state of the 2010 Michigan Primary Election on Aug. 2.

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