Photo by Atomic Taco
On December 6th the King County Council formally “accepted” the Regional Transit Task Force (RTTF) recommendations in a unanimous vote. The recommendations are most notable for tying service allocations to certain transparent, numerical performance measures, rather than rigid subarea formulas combined with loosely defined productivity measures.
The Council’s action does not formally repeal 40/40/20 or enact any other immediate policy changes. The meaning of this measure is best summarized in the staff report, found on the measure webpage.
[A previous ordnance] directed the Executive to transmit updates to the transit comprehensive and strategic plans by February 28, 2011. The proposed motion provides guidance to the Executive that the RTTF’s report and recommendations are to be used to guide the development of these plans. This section does not bind the County or the Executive into the exact language of the task force, but rather suggests that their policy framework concept and package of recommendations are to be used to inform and shape the plans.
Executive Constantine proposed the RTTF in the first place, so there’s reason to be optimistic the recommendations will show up in the new strategic plan.
The task force did recommend seeking additional public funding sources from Olympia. Is Metro likely to seek a higher dedicated sales tax? That’s what we use for transit around here – been that way forever. The car tab tax is used by ST, and the new TBD the Seattle City Council just enacted. Maybe higher car tab taxes would be a good route for Metro to take as well, plus more sales taxes.
Anyone have some examples of how other regions pay for buses? I’m sure the .9% sales tax is on the low end of the spectrum. Metro definitely should get a bump up in that from Oly! Otherwise we’re looking a service reductions . . ..
Where some of my family lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia (which is Virginia’s largest city by population), they use property taxes and the local agency, Hampton Roads Transit is funded by each individual city. It really stinks! As a perfect example of what I mean, have a look at Route 1 Granby Street. When you cross the city line near Point 5 (Amphibious Base, Shore Drive & East Little Creek Rd), note the drastic change in service hours. In Norfolk, it runs decently and well into the night. In Virginia Beach, it cuts out around dinner time and doesn’t run on Sunday.
Basically, through property taxes, each city purchases service from HRT. There is no dedicated transit funding. There is no consensus. Over 50% of the system, buses come only once per hour and a good majority of the system has no Sunday service (for example, in Virginia Beach, the only reason the 20 runs decently is because it starts in Norfolk and, in Chesapeake, the only reason you have decent service on the 6 and 13 between Cedar Grove in Norfolk and 20th & Seaboard in Chesapeake is because 20th & Seaboard is almost on the Norfolk city line)
It would be like having better bus service in Bellevue than Seattle (not quite, but you get the rough idea)
Virginia Beach is the most populous city in Virginia? Wow, I would have never have guessed that. I would think that Richmond or Alexandria or Arlington were bigger.
From what I’ve read, HRT seems a bit disfunctional as far as getting Norfolk LRT going and extended to Virginia Beach.
aw: Richmond only has 200,123 people as of 2007. Alexandria and Arlington are counties, not cities (in Virginia, Cities and Counties are legally two different things – it would be like Seattle would be legally separate from King County). Virginia Beach has 440,415 people as of 2008.
Getting The Tide light rail going: they have a new CEO, Philip Shucet, who previously turned the Virginia Department of Transportation from the laughingstock of Virginia to an agency that is usually ahead of time and under budget (more info).
As for getting The Tide extended to Va Beach, well the area has mostly negative “I don’t give a rats behind… NO NEW TAXES!” (caps intentional) population – see this Virginian-Pilot article as an example, look to the comments section for what I’m specifically referring to.
Wow, all these years I’ve been answering the question, “what city were you born in?” as Arlington Virginia. Now I find out it doesn’t even exist. I’ve been gyped :=
wow bernie – you and me both.
Okay, yeah Alexandria is a county (as is Arlington). Estimated data for 2009 shows that Arlington CDP (city?) is fourth is population behind Virginia Beach, Norfolk and Chesapeake City, but slightly ahead of Richmond. http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2009-01.csv
Must be all thos Navy transients.
Alexandria is an independent city, as is Virginia Beach.
That said, in Virginia, cities and counties operate as similar government entities. Cities aren’t part of counties. Thus, it’s an understandable confusion.
Walter Reed, 1958 Government Issue :-)
oops – meant to note above that the new Seattle TBD also has $20 car tab tax component. Must.Drink.Coffee.
I would suggest that people RTFRTTFR before making comments on it.