SEATTLE, Wash. — King County voters could see a ballot measure in April proposing a $60 vehicle fee and a sales tax increase of 10 cents per $100, to save the Metro bus system.
This proposal comes from King County executive Dow Constantine, citing a need to fill a $75 million gap that would result in 17 percent of bus services cut.
Local officials had been hoping for state lawmakers to pass a transportation package that would address these needs, but so far no such legislation has passed.
“We cannot responsibly wait another year in the hope that the legislature will act. We must act now for the 400,000 passengers who take the bus every day, as well as for the city streets and county roads,” Constantine said.
The King County plan would raise $130 million a year, $80 million of which would be distributed to Metro Transit for bus service, and $50 million would fund roads and transportation needs in cities and unincorporated King County.
Of that money, $16.5 million would go toward the city of Seattle’s transportation needs.
In the meantime, bus fares would increase in 2015 by 25 cents, making the peak fare $2.75 for one zone and $3.25 for two zones.
For the first time there would also be a reduced fare of $1.50 for adults making less than $23,000 a year.
Bus riders have told KIRO 7 their lives depend on using these bus routes. But they said the benefits will be felt by more than just bus riders.
“It’s not just buses; it’s roads, it’s sidewalks, it’s everything. And they just didn’t do their job,” said Kathie Jermann, a bus rider.
Jermann referred to state lawmakers who have not passed a transportation package. If legislators come through by mid-February, however, Constantine said that county council members can consider those options instead of this local proposal.
In the case of a statewide transportation package, King County would have the authority to leverage a motor vehicle excise tax of $150 per $10,000 that a vehicle is worth.
Constantine and other local leaders expressed that is still their preference, but said that they could no longer wait for that to happen.
“I can’t tell you what the answer is, but our sales tax is pretty high already,” said Jacki Vonallmen, a car owner.
Drivers in King County currently pay a $20 congestion reduction charge, but that will expire in June. With Tuesday’s proposal, the $60 vehicle fee would be in place of that.
However, some cities already have their own vehicle fees, which would exist in addition to the county’s $60 fee:
- Burien - $10 vehicle fee
- Covington - Established, but voters did not approve funding provision.
- Des Moines - $20 vehicle fee
- Enumclaw - Passed, but has not passed funding provision
- Kenmore - $20 vehicle fee
- Lake Forest Park - $20 vehicle fee
- Maple Valley - $20 vehicle fee
- North Bend - 0.2 cents sales tax passed
- Seattle - $20 vehicle fee
- Shoreline - $20 vehicle fee
- Snoqualmie - $20 vehicle fee
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