What’s next for King County bus service?
Many of you have been rightfully asking, what is next for our bus service? We can tell you with certainty that Transportation Choices will do whatever it takes to preserve bus service in Seattle and King County. Keeping our buses running so that kids can get to school, parents can get to work, and seniors can get to appointments is our #1 priority. It’s why we wake up and work our tails off every single day.
But there is no silver bullet or perfect answer. State legislators have absolved themselves of their responsibility to fund our transit systems and have left us with very few options to stop bus cuts. That said, all hope is not lost. Right now, there are potential solutions being discussed for how the City of Seattle can preserve as much service as possible.
We are appreciative that Friends of Transit jump-started this conversation by launching the Keep Seattle Moving campaign. Similarly, we are elated that so many of our elected leaders and coalition partners want to find solutions to save bus service and meet the growing demand for transit. Yesterday, Mayor Murray announced his proposal for Seattle service.
In addition, on Tuesday King County Executive Dow Constantine announced a partnership program that allows cities to purchase bus service from the agency. This creates a path for communities to buy back eliminated routes—or even potentially purchase new service.
Over the days and weeks ahead, we’ll be working closely and collaboratively with our coalition, government partners, and YOU, our members, to evaluate all of our options and find the best solution to keep as many buses on the street as possible.
In the meantime, you can contact the elected officials in your city and let them know that saving transit should be a top priority.
Thank you for your commitment to transit for all.
