Rogers details opposition to transit plan

Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers on Monday attacked the transportation referendum scheduled for July 31, saying the public transit projects on the list to be funded are not geared toward congestion relief.

Rogers had a non-voting position on the committee that drew up the project list last year, but he didn't raise his concerns at those meetings. In fact, he didn't attend the meetings, he said following a press conference, "because I was working my regular job."

Rogers noted that the transportation sales tax is being sold as a 10-year tax, but the transit lines' operations will still need to be paid for when that time is up.

Transit advocates say that roads and bridges, too, require expensive repaving and maintenance long after they are built.