It’s finally here: our chance to stop Metro bus cuts.
We’ve been working for years to pass a state transportation package that saves transit service and makes it safer to walk, bike, and drive. And while the state hasn’t stepped up yet, our county leaders have announced that they are moving forward with a local solution to save Metro this spring.
Yesterday, Executive Dow Constantine was joined by other county and city leaders, and a strong coalition of labor, business, environmental, education, public health, and human service advocates to announce a new plan to keep our buses on the streets. The executive’s proposal calls for King County to create a Transportation Benefit District, which would allow the county to approve the following.
- $60 vehicle license fee, raising an estimated $80 million a year
- One-tenth of a cent sales tax that would expire after 10 years, raising an estimated $50 million a year
This revenue would be used to replace Metro’s revenue shortfall, which was caused by the recession, and to repair and maintain King County roads that the state has failed to fund.
By sending a Transportation Benefit District to the voters in time for the April 22nd Special Election, we can prevent massive cuts to King County Metro service later this fall. Importantly, yesterday’s plan includes significant steps to ensure transit remains an affordable choice to those who need it most by implementing a low-income fare.
The campaign to #savemetro starts today. To stop bus cuts – to win – we need to build a strong coalition and army of volunteers.