Auburn-area commuters can expect to see fewer and restricted King County Metro bus routes next year, unless the county can find some financial relief to keep an essential service rolling.
So say county transportation officials as they plead with the public to consider paying a little extra to keep frequent bus lines open.
The latest pitch is a “congestion relief charge” – an additional $20 car registration renewal fee – to be assessed in each of the next two years until a permanent funding source can be found.
Without the one-time, temporary stopgap fee, Metro will need to cut bus service by 17 percent in the wake of a $60 million shortfall. And without it, Metro will slash, reduce or even eliminate 177 bus routes – including seven that serve Auburn – said Brock Howell, King County program director for Futurewise, a statewide public interest group working to promote healthy communities and cities while protecting farmland, forests and shorelines.
The transportation crisis is real and painful for those who depend heavily on local buses to get to work, school or play, Howell said.
“Every part of King County will be dramatically affected by these cuts,” Howell said. “With fewer routes and fewer buses, people will walk farther and travel longer, and crowded buses will become standing-room-only trips.
“And, as we eliminate routes, people won’t get to work.”
Before county leaders act, they want to know what the public thinks about the temporary fee.
The King County Council has scheduled the last of three public hearings at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 21, in the Burien City Council Chambers, 400 SW 152nd St.
The King County Transportation, Economy and Environment Committee will take input, decide whether to let the congestion reduction charge go to voters, have the King County Council vote July 25 – requiring a supermajority to pass – or force Metro to forgo the proposal and make deep cuts.
State voters consistently have supported a $30 (car-tab) tax, a measure voters should decide, said anti-tax initiative activist Tim Eyman.
The charge is critical, Howell said. Losing 17 percent of bus service will affect 80 percent of transit commuters.
Howell said 36 percent of commuters in the county use the bus. Such potential cuts would be difficult, especially for low-income, transit-dependent people.
Metro officials are determined to provide a key service at a time when more people are forsaking their vehicles and escaping high gas prices for the low-fare bus.
“What the people of Auburn should know … is that people riding the bus is a really good thing in terms of our pocketbooks and in terms of the amount of time it takes to get to work, because that means are roads are less congested,” Howell said. “It means we have real transportation choices for all people, whether you are really wealthy and like to use the bus, or poor and need to use the bus.”
“It (the stopgap measure) may not be the perfect solution … but it will help until we find that permanent funding source,” he said. “Let’s keep the buses going, keep them rolling, and then let’s find that long-term solution by working together.”
Metro, which is primarily funded by sales tax revenue, faces a projected $5 billion shortfall over a 15-year period owing to the sour economy. Metro has closed the gap through layoffs, fare hikes and delayed service expansion.
