[nfbwatlk] {Disarmed} FW: King County Council Metro Transit Hearings

Thu Jul 7 21:29:24 UTC 2011

The second of three public hearings on a proposed congestion reduction
charge and 
possible transit service cuts will be in downtown
<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=bWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTEwN
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UlkPSYmJg==&&&100&&&http://www.kingcounty.gov/> Seattle on Tuesday, July 12.

Due to the dramatic recession-driven drop in sales tax revenues, Metro
Transit is facing 
a $60 million annual deficit between revenues and the cost of providing
current levels of 
transit service. To close this budget shortfall, King County has a choice of
cutting 17 percent 
of transit service-taking the system back to 1996 service levels-or
preserving current 
service levels by enacting a $20 congestion reduction charge on vehicles in
King County.

The Metropolitan King County Council's Transportation, Economy and
Environment Committee 
is holding three special evening hearings to hear public testimony on the
proposed transit service 
reduction and the Metro Transit budget crisis. The first meeting was on July
6 in Kirkland. These 
meetings are an opportunity for you to learn about the proposals and weigh
in on the future of 
Metro Transit.

The remaining meetings will be held in Seattle and Burien:

Tuesday, July 12, 6:00 p.m.
King County Council Chambers 
516 Third Avenue, 10th Floor, Seattle

Thursday, July 21, 6:00 p.m.
Burien City Council Chambers 
400 S.W. 152nd Street

In the past two years, Metro Transit has transformed its operations to hold
off these cuts 
and wrench every available dollar out of the agency for service, including:
- Achieving new scheduling efficiencies; 
- Eliminating more than 100 staff positions; 
- Deferring planned service expansion; 
- Reducing operating reserves, and 
- Reducing its capital program. 

In addition, riders are sharing the pain; since 2007, Metro has raised fares
four times, 
an increase of 80 percent. Metro's employees were also part of the solution:
negotiating 
cost-cutting labor agreements that will reduce Metro's costs by $17 million
per year.

Despite these fare increases, budget reductions, and operational
efficiencies, it is not 
enough to cover the anticipated shortfall and we are now nearly out of tools
to save our 
system. The savings and efficiencies created by Metro over the past few
years save 
approximately $147 million per year, but the drop in sales tax revenues
means Metro still
faces an operating shortfall of $60 million a year each year from 2012
through 2015.

The State Legislature has authorized a tool that is available to King County
to help maintain 
Metro service at its current level: a temporary $20 Congestion Reduction
Charge on vehicle 
licenses for a two-year period ending in mid-2014. County
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UlkPSYmJg==&&&101&&&http://www.kingcounty.gov/exec/news/release/2011/June/20
Metro.aspx> Executive Constantine has sent 
that proposal to the County Council as well as two other pieces of
legislation:
- An ordinance approving a Congestion Reduction Plan, a prerequisite for
Council action on 
  a Congestion Reduction Charge, and 
- An ordinance cutting 100,000 hours of Metro bus service effective February
2012 and 
  directing Metro to plan for reducing bus service by an additional 500,000
service hours 
  in the 2012-2013 budget.

Metro
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2VpZD0xMDAxJnNlcmlhbD0xMjc2OTEyOTU0JmVtYWlsaWQ9amFjb2JzdHJ1aWtzbWFAZ21haWwuY
29tJnVzZXJpZD1qYWNvYnN0cnVpa3NtYUBnbWFpbC5jb20mZmw9JmV4dHJhPU11bHRpdmFyaWF0Z
UlkPSYmJg==&&&102&&&http://www.kingcounty.gov/exec/news/release/2011/June/16
MetroService.aspx> Transit service is critical to the economy of King
County, providing
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zA3LjE4OTQyNzEmbWVzc2FnZWlkPU1EQi1QUkQtQlVMLTIwMTEwNzA3LjE4OTQyNzEmZGF0YWJhc
2VpZD0xMDAxJnNlcmlhbD0xMjc2OTEyOTU0JmVtYWlsaWQ9amFjb2JzdHJ1aWtzbWFAZ21haWwuY
29tJnVzZXJpZD1qYWNvYnN0cnVpa3NtYUBnbWFpbC5jb20mZmw9JmV4dHJhPU11bHRpdmFyaWF0Z
UlkPSYmJg==&&&103&&&http://www.kingcounty.gov/exec/news/release/2011/June/28
Ridership.aspx> approximately 
110 million rides annually
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zA3LjE4OTQyNzEmbWVzc2FnZWlkPU1EQi1QUkQtQlVMLTIwMTEwNzA3LjE4OTQyNzEmZGF0YWJhc
2VpZD0xMDAxJnNlcmlhbD0xMjc2OTEyOTU0JmVtYWlsaWQ9amFjb2JzdHJ1aWtzbWFAZ21haWwuY
29tJnVzZXJpZD1qYWNvYnN0cnVpa3NtYUBnbWFpbC5jb20mZmw9JmV4dHJhPU11bHRpdmFyaWF0Z
UlkPSYmJg==&&&104&&&http://www.kingcounty.gov/exec/news/release/2011/June/28
Ridership.aspx> , taking hundreds of thousands of cars off the road each
day, and 
helping people get to and from some of the largest employment and activity
centers in our 
state. More information about Metro's financial crisis and the Congestion
Reduction Charge is 
available on the King
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UlkPSYmJg==&&&105&&&http://www.kingcounty.gov/> County website.

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