​Red or blue, voters support green

Although the focus in November was on the heated presidential race, voters across the country were also presented with park, conservation, and biking and walking ballot measures. For the most part, they voted yea.

Of the 86 park and conservation measures that appeared on ballots, 68 passed, committing $6.3 billion in public funding for green initiatives. Many of these measures involved tax increases or bonds.

Earlier in 2016, voters had approved 14 of 17 conservation ballot measures nationwide, for an additional $3.3 billion for parks and open space. That means in 2016, voters endorsed 82 of 103 conservation ballot measures, allocating a total of $9.6 billion.

Among the green initiatives approved by voters:

• The Massachusetts Community Preservation Act provides matching funds for local parks, open space, historic preservation, and affordable housing projects.
• In Ohio, voters in four communities, including metro Cincinnati and Columbus, overwhelmingly approved new funding for parks.
• In New Jersey, voters in 13 of 16 towns or counties approved property tax increases for parks, open space, and farmland protection.
• Rhode Island passed a $35 million Green Economy Bond, which funds a variety of projects related to parks, open space, and recreation, including $10 million to expand the state's bikeway network.

The high approval rate (79 percent) for green ballot measures is not surprising given the fact that over the last 25-plus years, 75 percent of all state and local ballot measures for conservation have met with success.

Active transportation and transit measures also received strong support.

Fourteen high-profile ballot measures that provide billions of dollars for new bike infrastructure, including trail development, passed in states, counties, and municipalities from coast to coast, including Atlanta; Portland, Oregon; Charleston, South Carolina; and Maine.

November 8 was also an important day for public transportation in the U.S. as voters approved 34 of 49 public transit measures for a passage rate of 69 percent.

The success of park, open space, recreation, transit and active transportation measures is particularly good news as these types of projects driver of real estate investment and community revitalization.