Thursday night’s Metro cuts-or-fee hearing, and what’s next

For West Seattle Blog and White Center Now, Deanie Schwarz covered Thursday night’s Metro-future hearing in Burien – focused on whether the transit system will get a new $20 tax/fee to stave off budget cuts, or start cutting service. She reports it wasn’t the gigantic turnout that swarmed last week’s hearing in downtown Seattle, but “a few hundred people” were eventually on hand. Among them, South Seattle Community College student Vice President Joshua Clark:

Deanie reports that Clark lobbied to save routes 125 and 128 – the only routes which serve the campus. He also had a modification to the suggested $20 fee for cars. He’s a motorcyclist and half-jokingly suggested $5 per wheel would be another fee-structure alternative to consider; that got a big laugh and a “Nice try” from a committee member. From southeasternmost West Seattle, Arrowhead Gardens residents campaigned for the buses they take to services on Roxbury:

Next up – testimony before the council on Monday, as they prepare to vote on whether to implement the $20/year fee, or send it to voters. Signups will be taken at 1 pm at the park south of the county courthouse on Monday, with the item expected to come up in the County Council Chambers around 3 pm. If you can’t be there and still haven’t commented on this, you can do so in writing. Meantime, our partners at the Seattle Times have published their report on the Burien hearing – see it here.

26 Replies to "Thursday night's Metro cuts-or-fee hearing, and what's next"

  • breezygirl July 22, 2011 (3:11 am)

    I have been unable to locate information on how the possible service cuts would affect West Seattle. Could you possibly add a link or provide further information? I would hope it wouldn’t affect us here to much as so many of us need those buses…

  • Cclarue July 22, 2011 (7:33 am)

    Metro is essential to all of Seattle. I would like to see the council vote to impose the 20$ car tab fee and not take it to the voters. Just make an executive decision and move on. I own a vehicle and do not ride the bus due to the nature of my work but I would rather pay 20 dollars to keep routes in place.

  • Sometimes rider July 22, 2011 (7:49 am)

    I agree with the above poster. Raise the fee, keep the routes and move on.

  • Yardark July 22, 2011 (8:54 am)

    Raise the fee. Keep the routes. Move on. This shouldn’t be taking up so much time.

  • cjboffoli July 22, 2011 (9:06 am)

    I can’t believe cuts are even being discussed. To me this seems like such a no-brainer. $20 a year is completely reasonable. They should do more to deemphasize private cars and support public transit.

  • michael July 22, 2011 (9:24 am)

    I think a user tax is in order. Why should those of us that don’t use the buses be taxed! Raise the rates by 25 cents per trip.

  • old timer July 22, 2011 (9:29 am)

    These council members are IMO, less than useless.
    At the first, they should have enacted the fee, end of story.
    For less than 6 cents a day, much less than the cost of one gallon of gasoline per month, to save an already inadequate transit system should be a no brainer.
    But, considerations must be given to those constituents for whom a price of 6 cents a day is the equivalent of ripping out the heart of their first born.
    Hence the dog and pony show of ‘seeking input’. only to punt to a ballot question already being piggy-backed by an overeager and greedy city quest for yet more money, which threatens the entire scheme.
    What a joke on the idea of ‘community’.

  • JEM July 22, 2011 (10:15 am)

    Those that don’t ride the bus benefit too. Fewer cars on the road benefits the drivers that ARE on the road.

  • Silly Goose July 22, 2011 (10:57 am)

    Why do you non-car owners always expect those of us that own cars to pay your way!! You are on a bus that uses the road, pollutes the air, causes accidents and you expect to ride for the same fare!! I say raise the bus fare’s until it hurts, what are you all going to do when there are no more cars on the road to pay your way?

    This house hold votes “RAISE BUS FARE” pay your own way for your transportaion needs!!

  • Deanie Schwarz July 22, 2011 (11:09 am)

    Breezygirl –

    here is a link to the changes to the Southwest area:

    http://metro.kingcounty.gov/am/future/PDFs/GeoMap_SWSea-SKC.pdf

  • metrognome July 22, 2011 (12:25 pm)

    hey sillygoose — do you have kids? I don’t, but I am paying a heck of a lot more than $20 a year in property taxes to attempt to educate other peoples’ kids. Using your logic, guess I should quit voting for school levies, since I get no direct benefit from paying those taxes.

  • Neighbor July 22, 2011 (12:37 pm)

    What no one is discussing is why isn’t this state closing the HUGE tax loop holes which would pay for this and so much more.
    The school district has just announced furlong days…what are our priorities?

    Corporations need to start paying their fair share. They want to operate in a civil society, they get to pay for the privilege.

  • Likebuses July 22, 2011 (12:42 pm)

    Why not charge $40 per year instead so we can also buy new helmets for all of the bicycle commuters.

  • higgins July 22, 2011 (1:58 pm)

    Silly Goose, I bet you’ll find more bus-riders for whom a $2.50 bus fare “hurts” than you’ll find car-drivers for whom an annual $20 “hurts”.

  • westside July 22, 2011 (2:11 pm)

    Metro has raised fares four times in the last four years for an 80% increase. Riders are paying their share. If they all get back in their cars you will suffer from congestion every day, so even if you never ride, you benefit from Metro.

    The council needs to take the vote and not pass it on to the voters.

  • Likebuses July 22, 2011 (2:36 pm)

    >>If they all get back in their cars you will suffer from congestion every day, so even if you never ride, you benefit from Metro

    This is a nice talking point but not very accurate. For example, the bus lane on the WS Bridge uses 33% of the traffic capacity. If the busses stopped running tomorrow, traffic would actually IMPROVE onthe WS Bridge.

  • AJP July 22, 2011 (2:44 pm)

    Silly Goose–yeah, totally! So what if there are more cars on the road! And all those people who are so poor that they can’t afford a car can just learn to walk! Or ride a bike in front of your car so you can complain about them! And since people who can’t afford a car can’t find any way to get to work, they’ll just have to stay at home. And then we can all pay for their food and rent and bills since they can’t get a job!

    And don’t get me started on people with medical conditions that mean they shouldn’t be out driving a car or riding a bike. Too bad for them! Seniors, kids who don’t have their licenses (or their families don’t buy them cars–what’s up with that???) all these people can JUST STAY HOME! I don’t give a crap if you’re a World War II vet who can’t drive anymore. I ain’t paying your way to the grocery store, you should have thought about that when you were 45 and saved enough money to hire a driver when you got old!

    A good transit system benefits EVERYONE.

  • John July 22, 2011 (2:48 pm)

    Raise bus fares, and reduce Metro benefits!!! Period.

  • One More Opinion July 22, 2011 (2:54 pm)

    Where does that 33% figure come from?

  • JB July 22, 2011 (3:46 pm)

    The whole “I don’t take the bus, so why should I pay?” logic is so astoundingly short-sighted. Here’s why. We all use the same roads. I don’t often ride the bus, but I’d rather pay to have them on the road because that’s less cars to contend with. Buses benefit car drivers and I, as a car driver, am willing to pay the $20 to maintain existing routes.

  • breezygirl July 22, 2011 (4:09 pm)

    @ Deanie Schwartz, thank you!! @Sillygoose-your car uses the road, pollutes the air and causes far more accidents then any metro bus. And for those of us who have been unfortunate and laid off from our jobs, paying $2.25-$2.50 per trip does hurt. Have you no heart? I remember a few years back when I did have a car and had to pay over $300 for tabs for the monorail tax…. and they never even built the dang thing!! $20 is extremly reasonable!!

  • John July 22, 2011 (6:22 pm)

    Why am I still in a moderation period?

  • Silly Goose July 22, 2011 (7:45 pm)

    @ metrognome yes I do have kids in a private school and still vote yes on the school levies and bonds to ensure the future hopefully has some educated citizens even though I get no tax break for paying over $5,000 a year for private education. Breezygirl and Higgins it is not the dollar amount it is the principal of the whole thing, and as you stated Breezygirl the monorail crooks started out saying it would only be an additional $20 and once you open pandora’s box it is never ending. VOTE NO ON THE INCREASED TAX TAB it is the right thing to do!!!

  • WSR July 22, 2011 (8:36 pm)

    I wonder how this will affect rent prices? The bus service to West Seattle isn’t exactly first rate now; with all of the route cuts it’ll become essentially unusable for anyone who keeps a schedule and doesn’t have unlimited time to wait at bus stops. I can’t imagine lack of adequate public transportation being a draw for people to move here. Lowered rent prices might make up for that, though.

    I love West Seattle, but if the only practical way off the peninsula on a daily basis is driving, I’ll move closer to where I work. I spend a good portion of my paycheck here, but it’s not where I earn it.

  • Paul July 23, 2011 (10:52 pm)

    Id rather sit behind 20 cars than one stinky metro bus, at least I could see in front of me. How about we just charge the 20 bux tabs to drivers under 21 and over 65

  • datamuse July 26, 2011 (10:54 am)

    You’re right, Silly Goose. We should each pay the true cost of our own transportation. After all, it’s no more fair to expect non-drivers to subsidize car use than it is to expect drivers to subsidize transit. (Not really a fair comparison since most transit users own cars, but let’s just go with it.)
    .
    Most of what I’ve read on the subject indicates that car drivers pay about 50% of what it actually costs to drive, especially once you factor in gas subsidies and road maintenance.
    .
    Pony up.

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