Seattle Transit Advocates Push Back on Watering Down Transit Measure Renewal
Ahead of a final vote this Thursday to amend the pending renewal of the Seattle Transit Measure before it gets sent to voters in November, transit advocates from across the city have been pushing back on adjustments put forward by councilmembers that would scale back the 10-year package. A public hearing held Monday brought out dozens of speakers who weighed in on amendments, with a sizable majority opposing District 7 Councilmember Bob Kettle's proposal to slash the measure by one-third, a move that would halt city-funded transit service expansion across the city.
Those public comments came in the wake of a letter sent early this week by Seattle's Transit Advisory Board (TAB), which also took dead aim at the Kettle proposal as well as several other proposed amendments. In a special meeting last week, TAB members were unequivocal in opposing the idea of scaling back the measure, and also pushed back on amendments from transportation committee chair Rob Saka to limit the measure's duration and add an annual council veto point when it comes to Seattle Transit Measure expenditures.
"In the strongest terms, the TAB opposes this amendment and urges Council not to pass it," the board wrote of Kettle's proposal. "Amending the sales tax rate to be 0.2% represents the worst of all worlds – a tax increase that would result in less service. With the rate needed to break even on transit service being ~0.23%, this amendment would result in LESS transit service when Seattle needs it expanded more than ever."
Kettle has painted his amendment as drawing a line in the sand when it comes to limiting tax increases on Seattleites, and has pointed to lower ridership on King County Metro buses compared to 2019 numbers as evidence that the city doesn't need a major infusion of bus service.
https://www.theurbanist.org/seattle-transit-advocates-push-back-on-watering-down-transit-measure-renewal/