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| June 11, 2001
Sims' bus service increases adopted
King County Executive Ron Sims today commended the King
County Council for adopting his proposal to increase bus service by 124,000 hours
in September.
"I appreciate how quickly the Council worked to get
this proposal approved," said Sims. "Without this quick action, we would have to
wait until 2002 to roll out this much-needed congestion relief package which will
allow us to bring overall service back to pre-Initiative 695 levels."
Sims' plan adopted by the Council today,
is the second largest service expansion in Metro Transit's 28-year history.
The service additions are made possible by voter approval of the "Yes On Metro"
ballot measure last November, and by Council adoption of a fare increase that
will go into effect July 1.
"These improvements allow Metro to complete implementation of its
Six-Year Transit Plan, which was interrupted due to the passage of Initiative 695,"
said Sims. "Since that time, we have made cuts and efficiencies in administration that trimmed
$14 million annually from Metro's budget. We are delivering on our commitment to
voters to restore and improve bus service."
The goal of the service changes scheduled for September through
February is to improve operating efficiencies, reduce travel time, and make the
system easier to use. The improvements also are integrated with several new regional
express bus routes operated by Sound Transit.
The bulk of September's new service will be added
to the Eastside due to the additional service provided by Sound Transit.
"Public transit is a critical component of our effort to
solve traffic congestion," said Sims. "If we can provide more bus service, we can
get more cars off our roads."
Updated: June 11, 2001
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