Whatcom Transportation Authority is trying to save their transit service.

In the last year, they’ve been forced to cut $2 million in service – and they’re looking at another $4 million in cuts next year, including most evening and all Sunday service. That cut would be devastating – WTA had the highest percentage ridership increase of any agency in the nation in 2008, with 32% more riders – Whatcom County has a huge number of transit dependent rural, fixed-income, and student residents.

Whatcom’s GO lines have only recently started offering 15 minute service – the agency has been trying very hard to provide services that let people actually live without a car, and now they’re one of the hardest hit by the recession. A sales tax increase is their only option to raise more revenue, and it’s a hard sell.

If you want to help them out, have a look at Transportation Choices Coalition’s post about the campaign. I don’t know if we have many readers from up that way, but if you have friends at Western, this would be a great thing to call them about.

2 Replies to “Whatcom Campaign: “Preserve Our Public Transit””

  1. My son is attending WWU. Losing the transit connections on Sunday would be bad. Maybe Greyhound would add a stop on/near campus? My son is still registered to vote in Bellevue. I’m going to suggest he change his residence to B’ham. It looks like at this late date he could still vote on the 27th if he went into the auditor’s office:

    WA: Later voter registration deadlines OK

    The Senate gave the Legislature’s final approval to a bill that allow eligible residents to register in person at the county auditor’s office no later than eight days before the election. Current law is 15 days. The bill, Senate Bill 5270 also moves the deadline for new or amended online, mail-in and other registrations from 30 days before the election to 29 days.

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