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The first online-only news site in state history to get media credentials to cover the state capitol and Seattle city hall, PubliCola has been called a “must-read” by the Seattle Post Intelligencer and a hot “New Media Mover and Shaker” by Seattle Magazine—which also cited our own Erica C. Barnett as the city's No. 1 news nerd.

Late Afternoon Fizz: Republicans for Transit Funding

Politics, This Washington   February 8, 2011 at 5:52 pm Erica C. Barnett

King County Council Republican Jane Hague will drive down to Olympia with her Democratic council colleague, former state Sen. Joe McDermott, tomorrow to testify on behalf of state Rep. Marko Liias’ (D-21) bill to allow local governments to pass a temporary (two-year) $30 vehicle-license fee $30 fee to fund transit. King County Executive Dow Constantine, a Democrat, will also support the legislation.

The bill accomplished a small bipartisan coup when it won the support of Rep. Mike Armstrong (R-12), the ranking Republican on the transportation committee. However, it ran into a bit of trouble when Armstrong insisted on attaching to the $30 fee the condition that it be put up for a local vote—in other words, that it can’t simply be passed by local governments like the King County Council.

PubliCola contacted the council’s four Republicans to find out where they stand on the bill. So far, we’ve only heard back from Pete Von Reichbauer—who says he hasn’t seen the bill and doesn’t have any opinion on it—and Hague, who volunteered that she’s going down to testify in its favor.

“It’s a local option and it was one of the directions we wanted to go as a result of the Regional Transit Task Force,” which recommended that the county ask the legislature for emergency funding to prevent drastic cuts to Metro service. “I think we have such a good story to tell about Metro Transit and the fact that the Eastside is benefiting so much from transit service.” However, Hague adds, she doesn’t know if she’ll support the $30 fee, should the county get the authority to pass one without a public vote. “I want the option,” she said.

The house transportation committee will hold a hearing on Liias’ bill tomorrow at 3:30.


  • Anonymous

    Honestly I love the buses, ride them several times a week from Kirkland to/from Seattle but people: these things are PIGS, they use too much fuel, and also, the labor cost cannot be ignored. As fuel gets more expensive, ironically, these buses will likely disappear, except for core routes, and core times such as workers’ rush-hour. Isn’t that awful? It’s the opposite of what we are told.

  • Captain Proofreader

    First paragraph proofreading “$30 fee”

  • Ahblahblah

    Did anyone bother to ask why funding “Transit Now” three years ago is a farce? Does anyone recall the hundreds of thousands of hours we were promised in expanded transit service if we approved the tax increase, only to see our tax increase create almost no added service hours, and some of the most highly paid bus operators in the country?

    Anyone? ANYONE??

  • Anc

    Well, that’s one of the ‘good’ things about a recession. It forces cost cutting and effeciency making.

    Have you looked at the RTTF Report? They address many of the issues that caused Transit Now to fall short of it it’s goals. Some really good stuff in there.

  • Anc

    Then make sure to contact your King County Councilman and share your support of Electric Trolley Buses.

    And when the report comes out from the Trolley Bus System Evaluation late this month, early next, and the public comment period opens up, you and everyone you know writes Metro in support of the ETBs.

    http://metro.kingcounty.gov/up/projects/trolleyevaluation.html

  • Express Yourself

    That study is a bunch of vague hoopla.
    They have had performance studies annually for years; they simply refuse to manage the bus system; clearly one should cut the milk run routes and load up on the full routes on major arterials to produce more rides with the same dollars AND ALSO sure go beg for the right to tax ourselves to fund it more.

    One route, the bus sits idle 45 minutes per hour every hour of the day, then carries about 20 riders in its 15 minute run. other routes? They’re chock full carrying 80 or 90 or 100 riders per hour and the demand and latent demand is incredible. Yet the county council can’t figure out how to tell metro “uh…duh…shift the buses from the low riders per hour routes to the high rides per hour routes.”

    WE also have one of the highest deadhead rates. Nothing is done to remedy it. Labor rates, well those have been discussed. But there is seriously no attempt made to simply manage the present resources to give the greatest good to the greatest number.
    They built light rail, are there any special new routes created because the idea now is to bring people to light rail?

    Nope.

    Why not a Junction-Beacon hill express? A 65th to Westlake express that’s all day? It’s all just a spaghetti of milk runs it’s not designed as a transit system.

    And electric trolleys — they are wasting a $800,000 study to find out what we already know, they’re great they cost less in the long run and they are more enviro and quieter. Who wants diesel roaring up olive st. or QA ave? Bad for urban walkable/cafeable streetscapes. The county council needs to simply start managing this system and stop asking for studies and reports and commissions that produce vague lists of unmeasurable to do’s.

  • http://spifflines.blogspot.com/ John Bailo

    No politician can fairly fund transit without reforming the property tax laws.

  • http://pstransitoperators.wordpress.com/ Jeff Welch

    What is this route that you claim “sits idle 45 minutes per hour”? I’d be happy to fact-check you on that one. Also interested in this “highest deadhead rates” claim. Cite?