Sims announces major initiative to deliver 21 million more rides on Metro Transit- King County

April 18, 2006

Sims announces major initiative to deliver 21 million more rides on Metro Transit

Transit Now event Thousands of bus riders from Seattle to Snoqualmie to South Federal Way will have more transit choices than ever before with a new four-point initiative announced today by King County Executive Ron Sims. The Transit Now initiative will help Metro keep up with economic and population growth by adding up to 21 million more annual bus rides within 10 years. The proposal would get 60,000 drivers out of their cars thus reducing congestion and air pollution.

"Transit Now will give people what they are asking for: more bus service more frequently," said Sims. "We will not be able to keep up with expected growth, unless we have new funding for more bus service. We have designed this proposal to include service so frequent in heavily traveled routes that more riders won't need a bus schedule, they can count on a bus arriving within a few minutes of them going to a bus stop.

Transit Now will expand Metro service by up to 20 percent systemwide over the next 10 years, and get more commuters on the bus and off the road now by launching the expansion within months of a final decision, not years. As much as 700,000 new annual service hours – or about 200 additional buses – will be on the road by 2015. More than a half million people will be within walking distance of the new service.

The initiative will bring Bus Rapid Transit service to five of the most congested travel corridors in King County with buses at 10-minute intervals. Regular service on existing high-ridership routes will also be expanded to 15-minute intervals all day cutting the wait time for thousands of passengers, plus new service will be added to serve residents in rapidly growing neighborhoods.

And for the first time, Metro proposes to create innovative partnerships where other governments and businesses would match transit dollars to deliver more intensive levels of transit service to support new job growth and local transit needs.

Metro's proposed new service will give environmental benefits both by getting thousands of drivers out of their cars and adding nearly 200 clean-green hybrid buses. The cleanest burning fuels available will power the entire transit fleet. Almost half of Metro's fleet will be powered by electricity, hybrid diesel-electric and biodiesel.

Sims was joined today by King County Council Transit Committee Chair Julia Patterson, Issaquah Mayor Ava Frisinger, and Sammamish City Councilmembers Don Gerend and Kathy Huckabay to announce the initiative.

"As gas prices rise, our population grows and our roads become more congested, increasing Metro bus service becomes even more important," said King County Councilmember Julia Patterson, who chair's the County Council's Transportation Committee. "Bus service across King County and especially in the suburbs is not sufficient to meet the needs of King County's commuters and working poor. There is more road construction occurring in King County today, then in the previous two decades combined. Without additional bus service it will become more and more difficult to get around on our streets and highways."

"People in the suburban areas are clamoring for more buses, more often," said Issaquah Mayor Ava Frisinger. "The new Issaquah Highlands Park-and-Ride garage has been a big success on the Eastside – not just for Issaquah. It demonstrates that you can get people out of their cars, if you provide frequent and convenient transit service.

"The time is right now to give our residents more transit choices, more transit options, and more opportunities to protect the environment by polluting less. That is why I support the Transit Now initiative, because it gives us the opportunity to improve our communities now and into the future."

"The trend is clear. When we offer new bus service it fills with passengers," Sims said. "We are already adding more buses to the new Issaquah Highlands Park-and-Ride that opened in February with 10 new roundtrips to downtown Seattle. Most of the buses on that route are full and more than 600 cars are parked at the new garage that has a 1,000 car capacity.

"When the economy is strong and employment is up, we know people rely on Metro even more. But current funding levels will not support any real increase in Metro service."

Sims is proposing a public process to decide whether to put his proposal on the fall ballot for a vote. The new bus service would be funded by a one-tenth of one percent sales tax increase which would amount to one penny on a $10 purchase or $25 a year for the average family, less than the cost of a tank of gas. The proposal would generate an estimated $50 million annually for Metro service and new buses to provide the service.

Highlights of the Transit Now initiative include:

‘RapidRide' Bus Rapid Transit

If the Transit Now initiative is approved, Metro will deploy new Bus Rapid Transit Service, dubbed "RapidRide," on five of the county's most congested corridors. The service will run every 10 to 15 minutes six days a week, delivering 85,000 additional service hours each year. Proposed RapidRide routes would include:

Aurora Avenue North (State Route 99) improvements between Shoreline to downtown Seattle;
Ballard to downtown Seattle along 15th Avenue Northwest and Elliott Avenue West;
West Seattle to downtown Seattle with a possible extension to the University District using the downtown transit tunnel and Interstate 5;
Bellevue to Redmond on Northeast 8th Street and 156th Avenue Northeast via Crossroads and Overlake; and
SeaTac to Federal Way on Pacific Highway South (State Route 99).

RapidRide would also include purchasing new hybrid buses, upgrading passenger waiting areas; plus adding the technology to synchronize traffic signals and operate real-time bus arrival signs.

More bus service more often

Metro will also deploy more all-day, two-way service on 35 existing major bus routes that connect residential, business and recreational centers throughout the county. These high-ridership routes are available during peak and off-peak hours throughout the week, and will become even more dependable because bus service will be more frequent. In addition to improved frequency during peak and midday periods, night and weekend service will be expanded. Passengers will also see less overcrowding. These core service improvements will be tailored to specific needs in specific areas of the county.

Improved service to growing areas

Transit service has not kept up with growth in suburban King County in the past 20 years. Metro will increase service to growing residential areas by adding peak service in areas not currently served, and offering midday service in some areas that currently have peak service only. The proposal includes:

New or expanded service for Sammamish, Redmond Ridge, Snoqualmie Valley and North Bend in east King County; and
New or expanded service for Maple Valley, Black Diamond, Auburn and Enumclaw in south King County.

Service partnerships

Transit Now includes resources for developing partnerships to serve rapidly expanding employment centers in locations where transit service investments will generate the most riders. These new partnerships could be modeled after the highly successful programs Metro has operated with partners such as the University of Washington and Microsoft. In both cases, the partners shared a portion of the cost of new transit service and supported the investment with programs such as pass subsidies and parking management.

Additional improvements

The Transit Now initiative also includes plans for:

Expanding Access paratransit to areas in urban King County where this service is currently not provided to increase options for users who cannot ride regular buses; and
Making ridesharing improvements to double participation in Vanpool and VanShare programs. These improved ridematching tools would make it easier for county residents to find others who could share the ride.

During the next few weeks, Sims and his transportation staff will be asking the public and stakeholders to help fine-tune the proposed improvements. Sims will then finalize the plan and send it to the King County Council and ask that it be placed before the voters. More information about the initiative is available.

"As King County residents learn more in the coming weeks about the wide variety of transit improvements they stand to gain, I believe they will agree that we should invest in our future with new service that will help support our economy and reduce air pollution and traffic congestion," Sims said. "Metro is the backbone of the region's transit system. It's built a strong reputation as a people mover and consistently earns high ratings for customer satisfaction. It's time to continue to build on this transit system with the service people want."

King County Metro Transit is among the 10 largest bus systems in the nation. Metro buses provide almost 100 million passenger trips a year, and the agency operates one of the largest carpool and park-and-ride programs in the country. It is also recognized as a leader in reducing pollution with its use of clean-burning fuels, electric trolleys, and hybrid buses. Metro customers consistently give the agency high marks for friendly, on-time service.

King County Executive, Ron Sims County news Executive initiatives Excellence in Government Executive offices Biography Contact information King County Executive Office Ron Sims, King County Executive 701 Fifth Ave. Suite 3210 Seattle, WA 98104 Phone: 206-296-4040 Fax: 206-296-0194 TTY Relay: 711	KING COUNTY HOME \| NEWS \| SERVICES \| DIRECTORY \| CONTACT King County Executive, Ron Sims King County Executive You're in: King County Executive, Ron Sims print April 18, 2006 Sims announces major initiative to deliver 21 million more rides on Metro Transit Thousands of bus riders from Seattle to Snoqualmie to South Federal Way will have more transit choices than ever before with a new four-point initiative announced today by King County Executive Ron Sims. The Transit Now initiative will help Metro keep up with economic and population growth by adding up to 21 million more annual bus rides within 10 years. The proposal would get 60,000 drivers out of their cars thus reducing congestion and air pollution. "Transit Now will give people what they are asking for: more bus service more frequently," said Sims. "We will not be able to keep up with expected growth, unless we have new funding for more bus service. We have designed this proposal to include service so frequent in heavily traveled routes that more riders won't need a bus schedule, they can count on a bus arriving within a few minutes of them going to a bus stop. Transit Now will expand Metro service by up to 20 percent systemwide over the next 10 years, and get more commuters on the bus and off the road now by launching the expansion within months of a final decision, not years. As much as 700,000 new annual service hours – or about 200 additional buses – will be on the road by 2015. More than a half million people will be within walking distance of the new service. The initiative will bring Bus Rapid Transit service to five of the most congested travel corridors in King County with buses at 10-minute intervals. Regular service on existing high-ridership routes will also be expanded to 15-minute intervals all day cutting the wait time for thousands of passengers, plus new service will be added to serve residents in rapidly growing neighborhoods. And for the first time, Metro proposes to create innovative partnerships where other governments and businesses would match transit dollars to deliver more intensive levels of transit service to support new job growth and local transit needs. Metro's proposed new service will give environmental benefits both by getting thousands of drivers out of their cars and adding nearly 200 clean-green hybrid buses. The cleanest burning fuels available will power the entire transit fleet. Almost half of Metro's fleet will be powered by electricity, hybrid diesel-electric and biodiesel. Sims was joined today by King County Council Transit Committee Chair Julia Patterson, Issaquah Mayor Ava Frisinger, and Sammamish City Councilmembers Don Gerend and Kathy Huckabay to announce the initiative. "As gas prices rise, our population grows and our roads become more congested, increasing Metro bus service becomes even more important," said King County Councilmember Julia Patterson, who chair's the County Council's Transportation Committee. "Bus service across King County and especially in the suburbs is not sufficient to meet the needs of King County's commuters and working poor. There is more road construction occurring in King County today, then in the previous two decades combined. Without additional bus service it will become more and more difficult to get around on our streets and highways." "People in the suburban areas are clamoring for more buses, more often," said Issaquah Mayor Ava Frisinger. "The new Issaquah Highlands Park-and-Ride garage has been a big success on the Eastside – not just for Issaquah. It demonstrates that you can get people out of their cars, if you provide frequent and convenient transit service. "The time is right now to give our residents more transit choices, more transit options, and more opportunities to protect the environment by polluting less. That is why I support the Transit Now initiative, because it gives us the opportunity to improve our communities now and into the future." "The trend is clear. When we offer new bus service it fills with passengers," Sims said. "We are already adding more buses to the new Issaquah Highlands Park-and-Ride that opened in February with 10 new roundtrips to downtown Seattle. Most of the buses on that route are full and more than 600 cars are parked at the new garage that has a 1,000 car capacity. "When the economy is strong and employment is up, we know people rely on Metro even more. But current funding levels will not support any real increase in Metro service." Sims is proposing a public process to decide whether to put his proposal on the fall ballot for a vote. The new bus service would be funded by a one-tenth of one percent sales tax increase which would amount to one penny on a $10 purchase or $25 a year for the average family, less than the cost of a tank of gas. The proposal would generate an estimated $50 million annually for Metro service and new buses to provide the service. Highlights of the Transit Now initiative include: ‘RapidRide' Bus Rapid Transit If the Transit Now initiative is approved, Metro will deploy new Bus Rapid Transit Service, dubbed "RapidRide," on five of the county's most congested corridors. The service will run every 10 to 15 minutes six days a week, delivering 85,000 additional service hours each year. Proposed RapidRide routes would include: Aurora Avenue North (State Route 99) improvements between Shoreline to downtown Seattle; Ballard to downtown Seattle along 15th Avenue Northwest and Elliott Avenue West; West Seattle to downtown Seattle with a possible extension to the University District using the downtown transit tunnel and Interstate 5; Bellevue to Redmond on Northeast 8th Street and 156th Avenue Northeast via Crossroads and Overlake; and SeaTac to Federal Way on Pacific Highway South (State Route 99). RapidRide would also include purchasing new hybrid buses, upgrading passenger waiting areas; plus adding the technology to synchronize traffic signals and operate real-time bus arrival signs. More bus service more often Metro will also deploy more all-day, two-way service on 35 existing major bus routes that connect residential, business and recreational centers throughout the county. These high-ridership routes are available during peak and off-peak hours throughout the week, and will become even more dependable because bus service will be more frequent. In addition to improved frequency during peak and midday periods, night and weekend service will be expanded. Passengers will also see less overcrowding. These core service improvements will be tailored to specific needs in specific areas of the county. Improved service to growing areas Transit service has not kept up with growth in suburban King County in the past 20 years. Metro will increase service to growing residential areas by adding peak service in areas not currently served, and offering midday service in some areas that currently have peak service only. The proposal includes: New or expanded service for Sammamish, Redmond Ridge, Snoqualmie Valley and North Bend in east King County; and New or expanded service for Maple Valley, Black Diamond, Auburn and Enumclaw in south King County. Service partnerships Transit Now includes resources for developing partnerships to serve rapidly expanding employment centers in locations where transit service investments will generate the most riders. These new partnerships could be modeled after the highly successful programs Metro has operated with partners such as the University of Washington and Microsoft. In both cases, the partners shared a portion of the cost of new transit service and supported the investment with programs such as pass subsidies and parking management. Additional improvements The Transit Now initiative also includes plans for: Expanding Access paratransit to areas in urban King County where this service is currently not provided to increase options for users who cannot ride regular buses; and Making ridesharing improvements to double participation in Vanpool and VanShare programs. These improved ridematching tools would make it easier for county residents to find others who could share the ride. During the next few weeks, Sims and his transportation staff will be asking the public and stakeholders to help fine-tune the proposed improvements. Sims will then finalize the plan and send it to the King County Council and ask that it be placed before the voters. More information about the initiative is available. "As King County residents learn more in the coming weeks about the wide variety of transit improvements they stand to gain, I believe they will agree that we should invest in our future with new service that will help support our economy and reduce air pollution and traffic congestion," Sims said. "Metro is the backbone of the region's transit system. It's built a strong reputation as a people mover and consistently earns high ratings for customer satisfaction. It's time to continue to build on this transit system with the service people want." King County Metro Transit is among the 10 largest bus systems in the nation. Metro buses provide almost 100 million passenger trips a year, and the agency operates one of the largest carpool and park-and-ride programs in the country. It is also recognized as a leader in reducing pollution with its use of clean-burning fuels, electric trolleys, and hybrid buses. Metro customers consistently give the agency high marks for friendly, on-time service. Related information Watch part of the press conference available in Windows media and Real Networks format Patterson commends transit plan as bold and ambitious Transit Now website Sims wants to boost sales tax to add buses, Seattle Times Sims wants to boost bus service with tax, Seattle Post Intelligencer
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	Updated: April 24, 2006