A modified version of the bill has just passed out of the Senate Transportation committee. Publicola has the details.
Senate Transportation Committee has 24 Hours to Save Transit Service
Below is an action alert that was sent out this afternoon. The ability to save transit service rests in the State Senate Transportation Committee’s hands. Please note the action alert only works if you are a constituent who lives in the district of a Senator who is on Transportation and represents agencies affected by the bill. That said, if you live in the 11th, 21st, 30th, 34th, 41st, or 44rd district please TAKE ACTION!
More below the jump.
Senate Transportation Committee has 24 Hours to Save Transit Service: Take Action Today!
If you take the bus to get to school, work or to essential services, you know that we cannot afford to cut 15-35% of our transit service in the State. Pierce Transit, Community Transit, and King County Metro are all facing a funding crisis brought on by the poor economy. If the Washington State Senate does not act now there will be devastating cuts to bus service across Puget Sound. And the cuts have already begun. Community Transit has already cut all Sunday service with more to come this year. Pierce Transit is facing 35% cuts and King County Metro will have to cut 17% service without new revenue.These cuts will impact our community’s most vulnerable – low income families trying to get to work and school, senior citizens trying to get to medical appointments and people with disabilities who have no other options.That is why the Senate Transportation Committee needs to pass Senate Bill 5457 in the next 24 hours to save bus service in the Puget Sound. This bill will simply give your local transit agency the option to raise revenues temporarily in order to avoid massive cuts to bus service. It creates a temporary congestion reduction fee of $30 to stave off bus service cuts. The fee expires in 2013
YOUR SENATOR serves on the Transportation Committee! Please take 5 minutes out of your day to CLICK HERE and tell them to pass Senate Bill 5457 out of committee to save your bus service. Make sure to tell them your personal story of why transit is important to you.Thanks for your support!Andrew Austin
Field Director
Transportation Choices CoalitionYour voice is important CLICK HERE to act today!
Thanks for re-posting.
This action alert was limited to constituents of Senators on the Transportation Committee in Puget Sound, so don’t be alarmed if it says you can’t fill it out.
More importantly, the bill passed out (in a modified form) this afternoon so we’ve altered to alert to make it a thank you so it is still relevant!
Is there any estimate as to how much money the $20 fee will raise?
I tried to sign BTW, but I’m not in the area. Thanks for your work on this!
Oops. Somebody was in a hurry when they wrote the boilerplate…
“As you know, Senate Bill 5457 is a short term emergency funding options for local transit agencies that is so important to saving bus service in my computer.”
You should write your own message, in any case–but if you keep any of it, be sure to correct this!
Its been corrected. Thanks!
Sent – but I added a sentence that some transit agencies have already had to cut service and others are about to do so.
CT is already working on a schedule for 20% reduction in 2012.