About Transit Now
Transit Now is a four-point initiative that will increase King County Metro Transit service to provide 18 million to 21 million more annual rides within ten years. Ordinance 2006-0285 was approved by the King County Council on Sept. 5, 2006, and approved by voters in the general election on Nov. 7, 2006.
The initiative is intended to get 50,000 to 60,000 drivers off the road and into buses each weekday to keep regional congestion in check. It will also provide traffic relief to commuters affected by construction of highways and other transportation projects.
The ordinance allows Metro to increase bus service an estimated 15 to 20 percent systemwide over the next ten years.
The transit buses used to deliver the expanded service will use the cleanest fuels available, including hybrid diesel-electric, electricity, and biodiesel.
The initiative will be funded by a one-tenth of one percent increase in the sales tax and will cost the median income household an estimated $25 the first year, growing to an estimated $35 in the tenth year.
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About King County Metro Transit
Metro is the region’s largest transit service provider, carrying about 100 million riders per year—or an estimated 335,000 riders every weekday. It’s estimated this service is responsible for removing thousands of cars each day from highways and roads. Metro’s extensive service network carries passengers to work, school, shopping, and medical appointments, and meets the basic mobility needs of thousands of King County residents.
Metro also provides other services, such as vanpools and ridematching services, a seasonal water taxi, special service to major events like ballgames and festivals, and Access van service for people with disabilities.
Since 2000, Metro service hours have not been able to keep up with the growth in population and employment throughout King County. The county expects to gain 250,000 new jobs and more than 150,000 more residents over the next decade. Existing regional, county, and local government transportation plans call for Metro to carry a growing proportion of trips to support the county’s mobility, economy, and quality of life.
In 1999, after passage of Initiative 695, the state eliminated a dedicated source of funding for transit. King County voters responded by raising King County’s transit sales tax rate from 0.6 percent to 0.8 percent, which prevented cuts in transit service but did not allow the system to grow at planned rates. Transit Now will increase the transit sales tax by one-tenth of one percent to allow Metro to keep pace with projected growth. It will also free up resources to address overcrowding. Metro began implementing some new service in February 2007.
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Four key areas of new transit service
King County Council Ordinance 2006-0285 calls for several types of new service:
RapidRide
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a term used to describe transit services and facility improvements that achieve faster operation than traditional buses.
Recently, Metro and the cities of Shoreline and Seattle moved the Aurora Avenue N./State Route 99 corridor closer to RapidRide service levels by increasing the frequency of service throughout the day and by moving buses to a dedicated transit lane in some sections of Aurora Avenue N. Over the past five years, ridership has increased on Aurora Avenue N. by almost 2,000 rides per day, more than 600,000 annually.
Under the new initiative, Metro will install new buses and upgraded passenger waiting areas, add technology to synchronize traffic signals and operate real-time bus arrival signs, and develop and implement RapidRide service on the following five corridors:
- Aurora Avenue N. between Shoreline and downtown Seattle;
- Ballard to downtown Seattle along 15th Avenue N.W. and W. Mercer Place;
- 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 N.E. Eighth Street and 156th Avenue N.E. via Crossroads and Overlake; and
- SeaTac to Federal Way on Pacific Highway S. (State Route 99).
More service
The ordinance calls for more all-day, two-way core bus service that connects residential, business, and recreational centers throughout the county. These high-ridership routes are a more reliable travel alternative because they are available throughout the day rather than only during peak travel periods. Even commuter ridership improves when passengers can count on service being available at all times of day.
The service improvements will be tailored to specific needs in specific areas of the county. Based on public input to date, ideas include:
- A new all-day, direct route to connect Auburn, Kent, SeaTac, and Burien to improve access to employment sites in the airport area;
- Upgrade local service between Kent Station and Covington, and extend it to Maple Valley;
- Develop a network of all-day, 15-minute-service routes connecting most business and residential centers within the central Eastside area;
- Create routes to connect Crossroads, Overlake, Kirkland, Redmond, Bellevue, the Bellevue Community College, Eastgate, and Factoria;
- Improve east-west connections in Seattle through Capitol Hill, South Lake Union, and Uptown/Lower Queen Anne;
- Increase frequency between Northgate, the University District, and downtown Seattle; and
- Revise existing routes to better connect with Link light rail at Othello Station in southeast Seattle.
New service for growing areas
Growth in the suburban areas of King County has been rapid for the past 20 years. Transit Now will allow Metro to 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 package includes:
- In East King County, new or expanded service for Sammamish, Redmond Ridge, and the Snoqualmie Valley; and
- In South King County, new or expanded service for Maple Valley, Black Diamond, Auburn, and Enumclaw.
Service partnerships
Transit Now sets aside resources for partnerships with major employers and cities, potentially leveraging millions in additional funding from other sources to add new service in rapidly expanding employment centers.
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Additional improvements
The Transit Now Initiative also includes ideas to:
- Expand Access paratransit service to areas where it is currently not provided;
- Make ridesharing improvements to double participation in Vanpool and VanShare programs. Improved ridematching tools will make it easier for county residents to find carpool or vanpool riders;
- Develop a network of all-day, 15-minute-service routes connecting most business and residential centers within the central Eastside area;
- Create routes to connect Crossroads, Overlake, Kirkland, Redmond, Bellevue, the Bellevue Community College, Eastgate, and Factoria;
- Improve east-west connections in Seattle through Capitol Hill, South Lake Union, and Uptown/Lower Queen Anne;
- Increase frequency between Northgate, the University District, and downtown Seattle; and
- Revise existing routes to better connect with Link light rail at Othello Station in southeast Seattle.
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Last update: November 19, 2007