Op-Ed: We Can't Afford to Shrink the Seattle Transit Measure
The future of bus service in Seattle is on the line right now. Will the Seattle City Council send a bold expansion of transit service to the ballot? Or will they choose to cut service before voters even get the chance to choose?
The Seattle City Council is debating amendments to the Seattle Transit Measure, the voter-approved levy that Seattle uses to buy more bus service from King County Metro. The current measure expires in early 2027, and Council aims to send a renewal to voters this November.
The baseline proposal, released by Mayor Katie Wilson in June, is a 0.15% sales tax increase over 10 years. It would add 100,000 annual bus trips, bring Seattle to 89% completion of its Frequent Transit Network goal, and double the number of free ORCA cards for low-income riders to 22,000.
Wilson’s proposal would cost about $29 per year for the median two-person household and $17 per year for a low-income household. It would expand all-day, weekend, and night service. In the face of sky-high gas prices, it would make it easier for people to get where they need to without the expense and hassle of a car.
https://www.theurbanist.org/op-ed-we-cant-afford-to-shrink-the-seattle-transit-measure/