[NFBSea] FW: Mayor Durkan Announces Six-Year Seattle Transportation Benefit District Proposal to Aid in Equitable COVID-19 Recovery

Wed Jul 8 02:52:52 UTC 2020

Passing on for your information.

Mayor Durkan Announces Six-Year Seattle Transportation Benefit District Proposal to Aid in Equitable COVID-19 Recovery

Today, Mayor Jenny Durkan transmitted legislation for  <https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA3MDcuMjQwMzMwMzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vd3d3LnNlYXR0bGUuZ292L3RyYW5zaXQvYWJvdXQtc3RiZC8yMDIxLXByb3Bvc2FsLXRvLXByb3ZpZGUtcmVsaWFibGUtdHJhbnNpdD91dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9zb3VyY2U9Z292ZGVsaXZlcnkifQ.Gr669vzl3dcDIPiobyiN81ua8B1mBIK2RATTWh-W-hk/s/1147513182/br/80768473564-l> a Seattle Transportation Benefit District (STBD) proposal that would maintain a 0.1% sales tax and is anticipated to generate between $20 and $30 million annually over the next six years to fund essential transit service, capital projects, transit access programs like  <https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA3MDcuMjQwMzMwMzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3Nkb3RibG9nLnNlYXR0bGUuZ292LzIwMTkvMDYvMDUvMi00LW1pbGxpb24tdHJhbnNpdC10cmlwcy1hbmQtY291bnRpbmctdXNpbmctb3JjYS1vcHBvcnR1bml0eS1jYXJkcy8_dXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fc291cmNlPWdvdmRlbGl2ZXJ5In0.iSxyJgrLpRdyVhgRKxXdaOjpr0Jd9DN83E7pnQiZdo8/s/1147513182/br/80768473564-l> ORCA Opportunity, and has a special focus on emerging needs, which includes reconnecting West Seattle.

If approved by the City Council, the STBD would go before Seattle voters this November, and would support access to frequent and reliable transit service after current funding sources expire at the end of 2020. 

This STBD measure ensures the critical elements and bus routes of Seattle’s transit network are maintained, equitable access to transit continues to be prioritized, and allows the City to scale up service as Seattle’s transit ridership recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.     

“Over the last decade, Seattle has been one of the fastest growing cities in America, and we have the most consistent increase in transit ridership of any city in the country. That incredible ridership growth – which sets Seattle apart from other major American cities – is thanks in large part to our STBD investments,” said Mayor Durkan. “This STBD proposal is about preserving that work to create a robust, connected transit system in Seattle. And it’s about providing safe, efficient, and frequent transit for working people – particularly our essential workers. An equitable COVID-19 recovery depends, in part, on people getting where they need to go.”    

This comes at a challenging time, but the need for an STBD package has never been greater. Our shared economic recovery will be complex and multifaceted, and our approach will change as we continue to see surges in the virus. But there is one recovery principle we cannot dispute: An equitable COVID-19 recovery depends on keeping our city moving.  

The STBD proposal centers around five key priorities:    

1.	Provide safe, efficient, and frequent transit for all Seattleites, particularly our essential workers fighting against this global pandemic.   
2.	Preserve a robust, connected transit system in Seattle that centers equity  
3.	Make investments that address acute mobility needs in areas like West Seattle  
4.	Invest in ORCA Opportunity for students and Low Income Access program for our vulnerable neighbors 
5.	Maintain the voter-approved 0.1 percent sales tax to provide needed resources for transportation investments and ensure continuity of critical services despite financial restrictions caused by I-976 and COVID-19 

Through our current voter-approved Transportation Benefit District, we’ve done some incredible things. It is that spirit, vision, and leadership that the STBD measure put forward today aims to preserve so that, as recovery picks up, we are prepared to help all move forward.   

Whether you are commuting downtown, getting to a doctor’s appointment,  or going to school, our current Transportation Benefit District funding has contributed to a major expansion of access to frequent transit service for Seattle residents, including:  

*	Added over 8,000 weekly transit trips on King County Metro routes and investing in 350,000 service hours across weekdays, nights and weekends.  
*	Expanded access to frequent, reliable transit by growing the portion of households within a 10-minute walk of transit service arriving every 10 minutes or less from 25 percent in 2015 to 70 percent in 2019.    
*	Launched programs, like ORCA Opportunity for students and low-income seniors, that provide free access to transit to ensure that transit remains the backbone of mobility for all Seattleites, no matter your economic status.   
*	Supported community-based programs and trainings to increase mobility and access to transit for seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income people.    
*	Revised the Night Owl service network to improve 24/7 service, supporting those who work late or rise early.  
*	Improved transit connections and reliability to meet emerging needs, ensuring that there is a bus every 15 minutes or better during peak times.  
*	Piloted a program and partnership with Seattle Housing Authority (SHA) to distribute approximately 1,600 free 12-month ORCA cards to low-income SHA residents.   

Today’s STBD proposal ensures the critical elements of our transit network are maintained, equity in access is prioritized more than ever before, and we are poised to scale up service as our pace of economic recovery continues to grow.    

Transit ridership might be down today as a result of COVID-19, but we are preparing for the future and building back stronger than ever before.   

The measure we are submitting today and hope to see put before Seattle voters this fall is an opportunity to prepare for where we want to be in 2021 and beyond. Many Seattleites were frequent bus riders before the COVID-19 pandemic and will expect service to be there as the economy re-opens. We can’t recover if people can’t get around.  

With each phase of economic re-opening, we have seen transit ridership increase, and in many parts of Seattle, transit has continued to see strong ridership for essential workers throughout the pandemic. Maintaining access through our Transportation Benefit District is a critical economic-recovery strategy, where transit will continue to be the backbone of mobility in Seattle.   

Though this is a measure aimed at helping all Seattleites, we are also facing a mobility crisis for all communities in, around, and for all who rely on access to West Seattle as a result of the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge closure in March of this year.    

This includes the many freight and maritime businesses in the region who play a critical role in the vibrancy of our economy. The High-Rise Bridge served more trips than any other bridge in our city, with upwards of 120,000 travelers every weekday. Current detour routes have travelers heading south, cutting through some of the most diverse communities in our city, who already face disproportionate levels of pollution, asthma, and environmental injustice.   

Whether it is by bus or boat, we know that transit is the most efficient way to move people to and from West Seattle, and reduce the cut-through traffic in those communities most acutely impacted by the High-Rise Bridge’s closure. With new funding, we will be better positioned to deploy the transit options that help travelers continue to access the goods, services, and activities they want and need. This, too, is critical to our recovery.    

The proposed renewal of the Transportation Benefit District is a critical step towards an equitably COVID-19 recovery.    

 <https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA3MDcuMjQwMzMwMzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3Nkb3RibG9nLnNlYXR0bGUuZ292LzIwMjAvMDcvMDcvbWF5b3ItZHVya2FuLWFubm91bmNlcy1zaXgteWVhci1zZWF0dGxlLXRyYW5zcG9ydGF0aW9uLWJlbmVmaXQtZGlzdHJpY3QtcHJvcG9zYWwtdG8tYWlkLWluLWVxdWl0YWJsZS1jb3ZpZC0xOS1yZWNvdmVyeS8_dXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fc291cmNlPWdvdmRlbGl2ZXJ5In0.IIWjL5pjPg9K-dCRObOTPp3YcVGZ83PVL726YG-YHUs/s/1147513182/br/80768473564-l> Learn more about the proposed Transportation Benefit District on the SDOT Blog.

Seattle Department of Transportation

700 5th Avenue

Suite 3800

Seattle, WA 98104

Phone: 206-684-7623

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  _____  

City of Seattle · 707 17th St, Suite 4000 · Denver, CO 80202

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