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Election results Rogue Valley Transportation District 5-year operating tax Turnout Yes No 36% 15,385 11,043 Rogue River Rural Fire District 5-year operating tax Turnout Yes No 42% 1,364 545 Final, unofficial results Nonvoters thwart RVTD's levy Voters give measure strong approval, 58 percent to 42 By SUSAN JAY Even though the Rogue Valley Transportation District's levy won Tuesday, it failed. RVTD's $1.25 million operating levy received more yes than no votes, but it generated only a 36 percent voter turnout. For money measures to win, 50 percent of registered voters must cast ballots, according to state law. That specific requirement has meant the failure of many other money measures, including a Central Point school bond measure, even though they otherwise would have passed. Final, unofficial RVTD results were 15,385 yes votes to 11,043 no votes, or 58 percent to 42 percent. "It does show a lot of support for public transportation," just not enough, said Sherrin Coleman, RVTD general manager. "On the other hand, I don't take lightly that we're going to have to reduce service, which will take effect in August," she said. The $1.25 million, five-year operating levy would have replaced a federal grant that paid for five of 12 routes. Those routes serve the South Gateway Center, Rogue Valley Mall, Rogue Valley Medical Center and Providence Medford Medical Center. In determining what service to cut, Coleman said, "we're looking at where the most riders are using the transit." Some routes have 50 to 60 riders boarding per hour, while others are as low as six, she said. The most heavily used routes include Route 10 between Ashland and Medford, Route 60 between White City and Medford and Route 40 between Central Point and Medford. She said no routes have been targeted yet. But an example of a reduction in service might be shortening routes. For example, Route 30, which goes out to Jacksonville and circulates in town, may not travel as far into town. Other options could include cutting the frequency of service from every half hour to every hour, or shortening hours of daily service. The cutback also means laying off 12 bus drivers. Coleman said the board can also consider going back to the voters in the November 2000 election. Even so, "it's a different challenge," she said. That's because many governments and schools also decide to run money measures during that election, when the 50 percent turnout requirement does not apply. RVTD has asked voters seven times for an operating levy since 1986, and all have failed. Tuesday's results were a turnaround from last November, when voters rejected the same RVTD levy 61 percent to 38 percent. In that election, the 50 percent rule did not apply, because it was a general election in an even numbered year. But RVTD competed with other money measures, including the Central Point school bond and the Jackson County juvenile facility bond. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA