"HERE IS SOME REALLY GOOD NEWS FROM JANE HAGUE -- something moved her to change her position..." --Richard Morris, Education Hill Neighbor, Redmond, 8/12
Dear Neighbor,
Today I announced my support of the temporary $20 “Congestion Reduction Charge.” My support comes as a result of a bipartisan agreement which addresses my primary concerns regarding the future of Metro.
First, the new legislative package preserves service on the Eastside – nearly 120,000 hours which were slated to be cut. Second, it takes critical steps to make Metro more financially sustainable.
This new proposal initiates meaningful reform that protects jobs and reduces waste. Among the elements of the agreement:
· The preservation of current levels of Metro service on the Greater Eastside. Under the previous proposal, Eastside service would have been cut by 120,000 hours.
· Implementation of “right-sizing” consistent with the Transit Strategic Plan. Rather than eliminating low-ridership routes that serve lower-density areas, Metro will deploy lower-cost, more efficient Dial-a-Ride Transit service (DART), community access transportation services, Vanpools and vanshares, which will make Metro more efficient and responsive to riders.
· A Transit Incentive Program that will provide eight bus tickets, up to $24, in exchange for each car tab renewal. Individuals will be able to use the tickets for bus rides to anywhere within the county. Or they can choose to donate the value of those tickets for distribution by select human service agencies.
· A phase out of the downtown Seattle Ride Free Area in October 2012, which was called for by the County Council’s 2009 Metro performance audit. The elimination will save $2.2 million a year.
· Language consistent with the Transit Strategic Plan that calls for routes which carry more riders due to the effect of highway tolling, including SR-520, as candidates for added service. I’ve always been a supporter of transit in King County. It is critical that we keep people and businesses moving – especially during this tough economic time.
For more information on the agreement see the press release below. I also want to thank the thousands of concerned citizens that wrote me and voiced their concern. I value your feedback.
King County Council – District 6
Email: jane.hague@kingcounty.gov
Phone: 206-296-1006
As a member of the Regional Transit Task Force (RTTF) I want to acknowledge the leadership of King County Councilmembers Jane Hague and Kathy Lambert on the Congestion Reduction Charge (CRC). To paraphrase the Councilmembers, they didn’t change their mind, they changed the proposal, and they did so in a way that serves their constituents and all the citizens of King County extraordinarily well.
ReplyDeleteThe changes are substantive. Accelerating the phase out of the free ride area and implementation of alternative service delivery models honor the recommendations of the Metro audit and RTTF, respectively. Complimentary bus tickets for individuals paying the CRC, paired with a ticket donation program, ensure that everyone who pays the CRC will see direct benefit and provides a path for increasing social equity. Factoring tolling into service allocation decisions directly addresses the RTTF emphasis on productivity and geographic value.
Each of the changes negotiated by Councilmembers Hague and Lambert move us toward a more vital and sustainable King County Metro - one that better serves the needs of citizens in their districts and throughout the county. In crafting a CRC that includes these provisions the Councilmembers are keeping both our county’s people and its economy moving.
-Josh Kavanagh
Member, Regional Transit Task Force