UPDATE: I’m told it’ll be Triplett attending, but not Constantine.
I really wish I could make this, but the City of Seattle is hosting a brown bag meeting at noon, August 12, at Seattle City Hall. Many key players will be there.
It’s unclear to me if they’re going to introduce anything that we haven’t covered already, but if anyone has the time to attend we’d appreciate a report in the comments, or you could even email us a guest report!
On Wednesday, Aug. 12 join Seattle City Council’s Transportation Committee for a special noontime session.
The format is designed to engage decision-makers and stakeholders in a frank conversation about looming Metro budget shortfalls and what they may mean to Seattle transit riders.
The discussion will include members of the city’s Transportation Committee, King County Council Chair Dow Constantine, Metro General Manger Kevin Desmond, as well representatives from the Downtown Seattle Association, Transportation Choices Coalition and city neighborhoods. Acting King County Executive Kurt Triplett is also invited.
Attendees will hear a presentation of proposed changes in service by Metro transit and a discussion by the panel participants, followed by audience questions.
Who: Seattle City Council Transportation Committee
What: Brown Bag meeting on Metro service cuts
When : Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2009 – 12 noon
Where: City Hall, 600 Fourth Avenue – Council Chambers, Floor 2
Martin,
Thanks for posting this. We’re looking forward to a lively conversation about the current state of affairs and about the proposals that have been floated in the last couple of weeks.
Your readers should note that there is a change in speakers (I apologize if you didn’t get the re-release I had our comm. staff send yesterday.) We now have Executive Kurt Triplett in attendance. On the other hand, in a complete coincidence, Dow Constantine has bowed out due to a schedule conflict.
True that no decision-making will – or can – take place in this setting, but it will be the first time in public that all proposals are discussed at the same time. And, with Executive Triplett there instead of Dow, it may help keep the conversation less political and therefore more productive.
We’d love to have your readership join us!
-Katherine
Darn, gotta work. This was way too short a notice for me
I might be able to make it. I’ll take notes if I do.
I’m planning on being there, and can send you a write-up as well…
Oh, I also lobbied Larry Phillips a bit on this subject at last night’s SeattleWorks Ballot Party.
He pointed out that his proposed plan [http://larryphillips.com/issues/transit/] would entail virtually no cuts to bus hours for next year. This is achieved (correct me if I’m wrong) by not just cutting proposed new county ferry routes but eliminating the entire ferry district – wiping out the West Seattle Water Taxi and passenger ferry service to Vashon – as well as dipping deeper into Metro’s fund reserve.
Uh no!
We need the Water Taxi and the Vashon Ferry
This is stupid. While a certain amount of the ferry district property taxes can be put toward other transit I believe there is also still a portion that can only be used for ferries. Why not use some of this portion to keep the West Seattle Water Taxi and Vashon PO ferry going?
There are two separate property tax authorities: one for ferries and one for buses. In theory, they could do both in parallel. In practice, they’re going to deeply cut or eliminate the ferries in order to raise the tax for buses, all the while keeping the overall taxation level the same.
So yes, they can do it this way.
The ferry thing is correct, but it’s a tiny amount of money. The big piece is taking half of the entire reserve surplus next year. That gamble would pay off if the State gave us a whole bunch more taxing authority; otherwise it’s just delaying the inevitable.
Will try to make it. It will be important to clarify just where service cuts would be made; examine the language carefully, and insist on transparency.
As I understand Triplett’s latest, he would cut all routes proportionally, or 9 percent each. That gores the busiest Seattle routes the worst. Taking 9 percent out of the 37 or the 7 hurts far more riders (leaves many at the curb) than taking the same number of service hours out of a collection of lightly-used suburban routes, cutting each 9 percent.
Hopefully, there can be enough budget-shifting to minimize actual cuts in service hours. It would be tragic indeed if right after launching Link light rail, and all the added service that provides, Metro has to actually cut hours on all the routes that provide feeder service to Link.
The only thing more moronic than a 9% cut across the board (btw how do you do a 9% cut on a route with less than 10 trips per day?), would be to cut service only on the most used routes at the busiest times of the day.
Heck almost everyone agrees the so-called “empty buses” in the suburbs should be the first to go.
I don’t understand in this modern age how virtually any cuts would be considered viable. But then again I follow this blog and understand a lot of people feel differently. I know I am in standing-room-only busses all the time and late travel is difficult. And I can’t even get to th airport at a reasonable time to catch the red eye using link. Go ahead raise my taxes. I want these services and people around me adopt transit more regularly once they learn that they will have access to reasonable services.
One more note: Metro/st please fix the freakin’ ORCA system.
It’s not really what people “feel”, it’s how much money exists.
What’s wrong with the ORCA system?
Yes, please tell us what’s wrong with ORCA. I’m on pretty good terms with Mr. ORCA himself, and I can probably get a response, if not a fix.