For 5 consecutive Legislative Sessions now, Transportation Choices has been advocating in Olympia for long term funding to keep our buses on the streets. And here we are on July 2nd with bad news again. The legislature adjourned without taking action to prevent bus cuts. I’m really disappointed in the leadership of Senator Rodney Tom and the Senate Republicans.
Actually I’m not disappointed, I’m angry.
For more than 9 months now a broad group of stakeholders have been pushing for the Legislature and the Governor to take action on a new transportation revenue plan. Collectively our coalition held more than a dozen lobby days in Olympia, legislators received more than 1,000 phone calls from you, your friends and even the COO of Microsoft. We sent in more than 10,000 emails to legislators expressing our support for funding for local transit, bike lanes, sidewalks, and safety and maintenance funding for our state highways and bridges. Even a bridge along I-5 collapsed, and STILL no action was taken by the Majority Coalition Caucus in the State Senate.
This is unacceptable. This is not leadership.
Today, I’m asking you to email Senators Rodney Tom, Steve Litzow, Andy Hill, Curtis King, Mark Schoesler and Joe Fain, the leaders of the Majority Coalition Caucus and let them know that you are paying attention.Their decision not to consider a transportation revenue package will mean that we will have fewer choices to get to work, and school and we will be stuck in congestion.
Passing this package would have given King County the chance to save 600,000 bus service hours, the equivalent of all weekend service. It would have given Community Transit in the opportunity to restore Sunday service in Snohomish County. And for Pierce Transit which is facing another round of drastic cuts this fall, it would have meant the chance to prevent these cuts. And that’s just local options. Passing the package would have also meant $567 million for transit, $323 million for bike & pedestrian infrastructure and $156 million for storm water infrastructure.
Not only did we lose the option to raise our own revenue locally to prevent dramatic bus cuts but the failure of the leadership in the Senate means ZERO dollars for transit, ZERO dollars for bike and pedestrian infrastructure, and ZERO dollars for storm water infrastructure.
Will you stand with me today and tell the Senate Republicans this is unacceptable?
Despite the Senate Majority Coalition Caucus’ failure to act, we are taking matters into our own hands. I have been fielding calls from partners that want to stand with us to find funding to save bus service. We’re working on a plan to find a path to prevent devastating bus cuts across King County and around the state.
I’d like to thank those in Olympia that did take real leadership on this issue. In the House, Speaker Chopp, Representative Clibborn, and our champions including Representatives Liias, Farrell, Fitzgibbon, Fey, Habib, and Zeiger who were all critical in getting us so close to our goal. The Governor and his staff deserve our thanks for pushing hard for a transportation package since the beginning of session. In the Senate we owe thanks to Senators Eide, Murray, Harper, Billig, Frokt and others for pushing for a vote once the bill came over from the House. Due to the tireless support of these Legislators and your persistent advocacy we came very close.
We haven’t given up and we certainly won’t quit. Thanks for your support.
