Vision statement
Adopted: October 11, 2000. Revised: March 12, 2002.
Vision declaration
Public transit sustains and builds the quality of life for all people in King County, through mobility services that support the economy, safeguard the environment, and strengthen communities.
Economy
Public transit is an essential component of a diverse, integrated transportation system that moves people and goods effectively to and from employment centers and markets, and relieves congestion by providing for efficient use of road capacity.
Environment
Public transit safeguards the environment by reducing auto-related air pollution emissions, improving fuel efficiency, and supporting growth management policies.
Communities
Public transit strengthens communities by offering transportation choices; providing safe, convenient, and reliable mobility for citizens from all walks of life; linking neighborhoods, rural and urban areas; and enhancing social interaction.
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Destination
Between now and 2050, the King County transit system will evolve toward a continuous expansion of increased frequency, coverage and hours of service to efficiently move people to countywide destinations on a multiple hub-and-spoke network. The county transit system will seamlessly interconnect with other transportation modes, including pedestrian and bicycle paths, car sharing services, station cars, carpools, community and Puget Sound regional bus/rail systems, private shuttle services, boats, intercity rail, and air transport.
Transit will provide high quality service to people who rely on transit for access to employment, school, health care, shopping, and other destinations.
Service will be delivered on reliable schedules offering frequencies that balance system efficiency with convenience. Schedule reliability will be enhanced through dedicated rights-of-way, contra-flow lanes, stop consolidation, simultaneous boarding and de-boarding, signal prioritization, and similar techniques. Schedules, tickets, passes, and route planning services will be available at convenient locations throughout the county, and accessible through the Internet. Service will be provided in safe, quiet, visually appealing, highly energy-efficient, zero-emission vehicles. The system will continually seek out and implement practical technological improvements that will further enhance convenience, reliability, efficiency and clean operation.
Transit systems will work in partnership with other transportation authorities to build a cohesive, seamless, integrated transportation system. Public accountability will be maintained and enhanced through continuing close communication with citizens. Transit will strive to provide timetable information that is simple and convenient to use.
Transportation will be funded by taxes and user fees based on rational allocation of costs among different modes, so as to encourage the most efficient use of resources. The transit system will work in partnership with businesses, schools and institutions to encourage ridership through techniques such as discounted or free passes, guaranteed rides home, and "cashouts" that give employees the cash value of parking that can be applied to transit passes.
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Getting there: some ideas for accomplishing this vision
Below are suggestions for present and future King County Councils to consider in accomplishing the goals of this vision.
Near term: 2000-2005
- Phasing in Bus Rapid Transit
- Honor payment system to speed boarding
- Consolidate stops to increase frequency
- Secured bicycle parking at park-and-ride lots
- Install charging stations at park-and-ride lots to encourage the use of electric vehicles
- Premium fares for premium routes to equalize revenues for service
- Increased discounting on passes to encourage ridership
- Encourage cooperation between Metro and school districts/private schools to ensure that teens become regular bus riders
- Greater emphasis on Transportation Demand Management, including full support for Metro’s Commute Trip Reduction program
- Encourage expansion of Metro’s CTR programs to small businesses below the CTR regulation threshold
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Mid-term: 2005-2020
- Experiment with station cars to provide more options for bus riders
- Real-time information on bus location
- Park-and-ride lots should be planned with surplus capacity to encourage ridership, provide for growth and make most efficient use of capital resources
- Nominal park-and-ride fees to cover maintenance and security
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Long-term: 2020-2050
- Personal rapid transit
- Automated transit guideways
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Last update: May 19, 2008