July 7

17% in proposed Metro cuts could eliminate 9 routes in Queen Anne & reduce service on others

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Metro Transit is asking the King County Council for a temporary $20 annual surcharge on licensed vehicles for two years as a stop-gap measure to maintain bus service. If the Metropolitan King County Council doesn’t approve the “congestion reduction charge,” Metro says it will have to cut up to 600,000 service hours – or 17 percent of current bus routes – in 2012 and 2013. According to Metro, these cuts would affect the vast majority of bus riders, and could be detrimental to the area’s overall transit service.

“If Metro does not receive additional revenue for the 2012-2013 budget, it must begin cutting service as soon as February 2012. Without more funds, a total of 600,000 hours of transit service would need to be eliminated over the next two years. This is about 17 percent of Metro’s entire system, but it would affect up to 80 percent of bus riders. That means as many as four out of five people will have to walk further, wait longer, make an extra transfer, stand in the aisle, or stand on the curb and see fully loaded buses pass them by. And it will force tens of thousands of people back into cars, worsening congestion for everyone,” Metro wrote in a document entitled “What will happen if the congestion reduction charge is not approved?” Download this document here (.pdf) to view all routes on the chopping block for elimination, reduction and revision.

According to Metro’s proposal these cuts would hit Queen Anne riders even harder than the previous reduction scenario Metro released back in May. Under Metro’s current scenario route 2 north of downtown would be eliminated entirely, as would routes 4, 15EX, 18, 26, 28, 45, 81 and 82. On top of that, a number of other routes in the neighborhood would be reduced and/or revised, including routes 1, 2EX, 3, 8, 13, 15, 16, 17 (regular and EX), 18EX, 24, 26EX, 28EX, 30, 31 and 33. In the above map the routes in red indicate those which would be eliminated, the routes in yellow represent routes that would see service reductions, and the green represents routes where service would be revised for efficiency. You can take a look at the full preliminary Metro cuts and route changes example map for Northwest Seattle/North King County here (.pdf).

The state Legislature already has approved the temporary $20 surcharge, but Transportation for Washington says the bill still needs the support of two more King County Council members to pass.

Metro is urging riders to get involved and weigh in on both the proposed congestion reduction charge, as well as the potential service cuts and changes proposed should the surcharge be rejected. The county has set up three public meetings on the issue, including one at 6 p.m. tonight at the Kirkland City Council Chambers, located at 123 Fifth Ave. The other two meetings will be held at 6 p.m. next Tuesday, July 12, at the King County Courthouse, Council Chambers, located 516 Third Ave. in Seattle, and at 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 21, at the Burien City Council Chambers, located at 400 SW 152nd St.

If you can’t make it to one of the public hearings, you can submit your comments directly to the King County Council online. Transportation for Washington also has a form letter you can fill out in support of the congestion reduction charge.

Click here for a complete list of all routes (.pdf) and whether the proposal calls for them to be eliminated, reduced or remain unchanged. Click here for a map (.pdf) of all affected routes in Northwest Seattle.


Tags

budget cuts, congestion reduction charge, Metro Transit, Metropolitan King County Council, public meetings, Queen Anne bus routes, route eliminations, route reductions, Transportation for Washington, vehicle surcharge


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