2 West Seattle bus routes to add service paid for by city dollars

11:39 AM: We don’t have the specifics yet, but two Metro routes in West Seattle – 21 and 120 – are on a list of eight bus routes for which the city plans to give Metro $750,000 to buy “more than 5,000 hours of added service per year through early 2016.” The money comes from “savings from the voter-approved Bridging the Gap Levy,” according to a news release from the office of Mayor McGinn, who made the announcement today with Metro General Manager Kevin Desmond. It says the money will “help Metro increase evening and weekend frequency on high-ridership routes from 30 to 15 minutes or from 60 to 30 minutes.” The announcement also makes a point of noting that the State Legislature has yet to reach a deal on the transportation-funding proposals that would help Metro avoid having to make $75 million in cuts when two types of temporary funding start running out next year.

11:52 AM: The mayor’s spokesperson Aaron Pickus says the extra hours are set to take effect in September. We’re asking Metro for any other details available.

12:53 PM: County spokesperson Rochelle Ogershok tells WSB the “service change” that’ll bring the added hours is on September 28th. So far, she has no additional details regarding exact number of hours, etc., but we’ll add anything more we find out.

juju June 17, 2013 (12:14 pm)

So how can they afford Nickelsville now? I thought we where cash strapped?

Joe Szilagyi June 17, 2013 (12:52 pm)

Hello Metro!

Community Member June 17, 2013 (1:21 pm)

Before King County and Metro Transit merged into One County, I do not recall hearing such financial woes. As a matter of witness, it appeared that Metro Transit was financially strong. Makes me wonder if the merge was purely financial so King County could move around the funds from Metro Transit which in turn created a financially challenged King County Metro. I just can’t help but notice the timing of this is all too tight.

JanS June 17, 2013 (1:33 pm)

juju…you do understand that it’s not like there’s a big pile of money somewhere, and they use it for whatever comes up. There are a lot of different piles, with different allocations. What’s used for one isn’t used for another…so Metro money is different than NV money, if there is any NV money.

anonyme June 17, 2013 (2:58 pm)

So, let me get this straight: “improvements” are to be made to the Route #21 service and then, next year, the route will be cut completely? Slash, burn, bolster – then burn it down again. Metro is a joke that nobody thinks is funny.

WSB June 17, 2013 (3:04 pm)

What happens after this is up to the Legislature. Even though they are only being asked for authority to levy taxes and ask taxpayers to vote on them, there are some who apparently don’t even want to let people here decide for themselves – but Metro does have two rounds of funding that are expiring, the mitigation money and the $20-per-car-tab congestion-reduction charge. – Tracy

miws June 17, 2013 (5:58 pm)

juju, how does this transit issue relate to Nickelsville?

Neither the 21 or the 120 go anywhere near Nickelsville.

Mike

D. I. D. June 17, 2013 (8:44 pm)

I am thrilled that bus hours are able to be purchased….BUT, why is the $750K in saved monies from Bridging The Gap projects not being allocated to all the unmet street repairs on the endless list of deferred maintenance and instead being handed to fund transit? It seems like this is maybe a case of going against the language of the voter approved Bridging The Gap levy?

WSRedux June 18, 2013 (6:34 am)

When McGinn starts handing out $ now, it’s all about the upcoming election. Seattle’s equivalent of a Chicago or East coast mayor or ward boss handing out $/jobs.

WS Born & Bred June 18, 2013 (9:11 am)

Great news! Even if short-term. The 21 and 120 routes are always busy and crowded and serve a lot of people who would otherwise drive cars and create more congestion. Stop cutting routes. Make taking the bus a convenient options and more people will do it. Less cars = faster moving traffic!

Last53BusRider June 18, 2013 (9:55 am)

Did someone go rummaging for change and small bills down behind the cushions on the couch? :)

AndrewN June 18, 2013 (10:24 am)

D.I.D., Funding transit service has always been part of Bridging the Gap (BGT). It was presented to the voters that way, and it has been funding 45,000 hours of service annually. In the media availability yesterday, it was noted that this additional funding was approved by the BTG Citizen Oversight Committee, which is consistent with the requirements of the voter approved legislation.