The Capital Area Transit System is in crisis, and board members say shuffling funds toward CATS is the only solution.
In an effort to procure funds, the CATS Board of Commissioners approved a tax proposal to generate money that could send $18 million toward the struggling transit system.
Jared Loftus, local entrepreneur and CATS board member, said if approved, the tax could bring in about $18 million in additional revenue, creating a $30 million budget.
“The dedicated tax revenue has to happen. There is no other solution,” Loftus said.
The property tax will be placed on the April 21 ballot for voters in Baton Rouge, Baker and Zachary, and will span for 10 years, Outreach Chair of the Baton Rouge Transit Coalition Rachel DiResto said at last week’s Downtown Development District meeting.
CATS depends on money from local, state and federal entities, according to BRTC’s website. About 25 percent of its budget comes from bus fares.
The money from the tax would expand and create more routes, add more buses, decrease wait times and install GPS tracking devices in buses, Loftus said. The GPS technology would allow people to view buses’ locations from smartphones or computers.
Voters rejected a CATS tax in an October 2010 election. But Loftus said he’s more confident in the success on April’s ballot because of the increase in public awareness. The previous tax attempt failed by 3 percent, he added.
“If people want a quality transit system in Baton Rouge, we have to pay for it,” he said.
If the tax doesn’t pass, the system will shrink significantly, Loftus said.
DiResto said maintaining CATS is vital for the Baton Rouge economy because 80 percent of CATS riders are employees traveling to work.
She said BRTC is monitoring the governance and accountability of CATS, and the dedicated funding source would contribute to the growth and functionality of the city.
Loftus said his involvement stems from his experience utilizing other cities’ public transit.
“I’ve always been impressed how I can travel around other places without having a car, but I can’t say the same for the city I live in,” he said.
 
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Contact Emily Herrington at [email protected]