Henry Bendon, ATU 587 President Greg Woodfill, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, and TCC’s Katy Ricchiuto and Kirk Hovenkotter react to the winning results for Seattle Proposition 1 on Election Night.
WE DID IT! Together with so many passionate advocates, partners, and elected leaders across Washington State, we notched three crucial wins for transit riders this week.
On Election Night, many of us gathered at the Hop on Board Seattle watch party. When the results rolled in, it was crystal clear: Seattle voters want more bus service and more transit access for their neighbors. The ambitious expansion of the Seattle Transit Measure, championed by Mayor Wilson, is currently passing with 73% of the counted votes. It’s going to mean more buses at midday, late at night, and on weekends—and 22,000 free ORCA cards for those who need them.
To the South in Tacoma, TCC’s Advocacy Manager, Holden Minor Ringer, huddled with a dedicated team of canvassers at the Keep Pierce Moving watch party. When the results showed 58% support for Pierce Transit Proposition 1, elated cheers erupted all around. After years of cuts, Pierce County transit riders will finally see the investment they deserve with 47% more bus service, four new routes, extended hours, and free fares for seniors. 
TCC’s Kirk Hovenkotter and Holden Minor Ringer lead a canvass with the Keep Pierce Moving campaign.
Finally, in Snohomish County, the annexation of Everett Transit by Community Transit was just unanimously approved by both the Everett City Council and the Community Transit Board of Directors. This merger is projected to increase bus service in Everett by 50% by 2031, helping transit riders access jobs, schools, healthcare, and recreation both within the city and across the region.
Supporters of the merger gather outside Everett City Hall before testifying at a public hearing.
These are three monumental wins for transit riders, capping off an amazing year for transit in Washington State. Back in August, the Yes for Buses campaign won expanded bus service in Spokane for the next 20 years. And earlier in the summer, we saw record light rail ridership in the Puget Sound region following the opening of the history-making Crosslake Connection.
We’re proud to have played a role in all of these wins, bringing our organizing, fundraising, and coalition-building to help get them over the finish line. But these victories don’t happen without a passionate, dedicated base of transit supporters, from the people reading this email to the local advocates in communities across Washington, to the labor partners and elected leaders who helped champion these investments.
Thank you for everything you do to support a better transportation future in our state. We’re so grateful to be building it together with you.
— Transportation Choices Coalition
P.S. If you want to help us keep leading the charge for better transit in Washington, please consider making a donation to Transportation Choices Coalition.
