Transportation Choices Coalition is Washington's only non-profit bringing you MORE CHOICES – buses, trains, sidewalks, and bike lanes. Sign up and get involved!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Transit advocates praise King County Council on saving bus service
County Council votes to approve funding for Metro bus service to stave off double digit service cuts
King County Council voted on a measure to stave off massive bus cuts to King County Metro service for two years. In a 7-2 vote, the council approved a temporary $20 Congestion Relief Fee to save more than 600,000 hours of bus service across King County.
Seattle
Aug 15, 2011
Today the King County Council voted on a measure to stave off massive bus cuts to King County Metro service for two years. In a 7-2 vote, the council approved a temporary $20 Congestion Relief Fee to save more than 600,000 hours of bus service across King County.
Rob Johnson, Executive Director of Transportation Choices Coalition issued the following statement on today’s vote:
“Today’s vote by the King County Council is great news for the 400,000 people that depend on Metro transit every day to help them get to work, school and home.
“Today’s vote by the King County Council is great news for the 400,000 people that depend on Metro transit every day to help them get to work, school and home.
“The seven council members who voted to save Metro from double digit service cuts deserve praise for their willingness to listen to the public who attended public meetings, called and wrote in asking for them to find a way to save their bus service. In taking this vote, the County Council heard them, set partisan rhetoric aside and took substantive, meaningful action to help their constituents.
“During the public conversation on how to save transit service in King County this summer, it’s clear that there is high demand for quality bus service and a passion in the community to protect it.”
The prime sponsors of the legislation that granted King County the authority to enact the Congestion Relief Fee also issued the following statements:
“People want quality, convenient transit. They want affordable alternatives to paying at the pump," said Senator Scott White, D-Seattle. “As demand for transit continues to rise, today’s vote is an important step towards maintaining quality bus service and validates yet again that transit is a critical component of our transportation system.”
“It’s simple, good transit makes for strong communities. I sponsored the transit funding legislation because commuters deserve transportation choices and our region depends on an efficient transportation system, said Representative Marko Liias, D-Edmonds. “I am pleased that King County is using the tool provided in the legislation to prevent devastating transit cuts.”
###