Larry Phillips for King County

“Keep Metro Moving”

- Larry Phillips’ Plan for Metro Transit -

Balanced budget without cutting service

With families struggling to make ends meet during this economic downturn, we cannot afford to lose the transit service we rely on to save money while getting to work and job interviews. And our struggling small businesses need transit as a dependable way to get employees and customers to their stores. That’s why my plan “Keep Metro Moving” calls for balancing the budget without cutting service or raising taxes while the economy is recovering in 2010.

Facing a budget shortfall of $98 million next year and $200 million over the next biennium, Metro has been contemplating drastic service cuts of up to 20%. Such cuts will cause up to 78% of Metro’s routes to be decreased or eliminated, increasing congestion, impacting nearly every bus rider, and destroying a decade of growth in our transit system. That’s unacceptable. Transit service cuts of any magnitude must be a last resort, so “Keep Metro Moving” calls for Metro to balance the budget through a combination of non-service related cuts and a portion of excess fleet replacement funds.

First, while most general fund-supported county agencies are sustaining cuts of 8-10% next year, I will ask Metro to cut their annual operating budget by up to 4% in 2010, resulting in a savings of at least $22 million. Metro can make these cuts without reducing bus service hours by:

• Implementing efficiencies that will be identified in the transit audit I sponsored last year, with final results due in September.
• Offsetting costs by increasing entrepreneurial activities like advertising and sponsorships, per legislation I introduced earlier this year (Proposed Motion 2009-0345).
• Reducing higher than average operating costs.
• Cutting non-service related costs.

Second, I am proposing to repeal the entire King County Ferry District property tax levy in 2010 and use the freed up tax capacity for bus transit service instead. While I have been a long time supporter of waterborne transit, the current economic turmoil requires that we protect and prioritize basic services above extras.

Third, I will ask Metro to live within our means with the Transit Now service expansion—that means, with sales tax receipts coming in lower than projected, only the revenues raised by the Transit Now .1% sales tax will be spent on Transit Now service increases. That will delay some of the Transit Now proposed improvements, but reduce Metro’s deficit by $11 million in 2010.

To make up the remaining projected $50 million shortfall in 2010, “Keep Metro Moving” uses a portion of the $105 million excess fleet replacement fund balance identified by the transit audit I sponsored. That leaves $55 million available for future needs.

Metro’s future, secured

Today we are talking about avoiding cuts, but with buses overcrowded and transit ridership up 23 percent over the last four years, the conversation of the not-too-distant future must be about increasing service in a significant way. “Keep Metro Moving” uses a combination of making efficiencies and prioritizing to survive 2010 without transit service cuts, but to secure Metro’s future beyond 2010 we must engage in a regional dialogue about avoiding future service cuts, increasing service to meet the growing demand, and reforming Metro’s service allocation policies to reflect the transit needs of our county. From rapidly growing, underserved suburban communities like Sammamish, to transit-reliant areas in South King County, and transit-loving Seattle, all parts of King County need more bus service, not less. It’s imperative for our economy, environment, and quality of life that we increase transit options. As the economy recovers, I will work with state leaders and citizens to give voters a proposal for increasing bus service to meet the rising demand.

And as this recession has taught us, Metro’s overreliance on the volatile sales tax as a revenue source leaves us vulnerable to transit cuts during economic downturns. I will ask the legislature to provide Metro with funding alternatives besides the sales tax to bring stability to Metro’s budget. I will also create a rainy day fund in addition to Metro’s current 30-day operating reserve so the agency has a buffer against service cuts the next time the economy takes a dive or fuel costs spike.

Improved service, improved productivity

One lesson this recession has taught us is that governments must strive to get the most value out of every dollar they collect. So though I will not support a reduction in overall transit service, I will challenge Metro to use existing service hours better. Throughout King County, Metro should engage communities and, where it makes sense, look at cutting, consolidating, or restructuring duplicative or underperforming routes in order to increase service on more productive routes in the same corridors or centers. In other words, do fewer routes better. Use existing resources to boost ridership, improve service quality, and increase productivity.

21st century transit system

Tens of thousands of Metro Transit riders everyday simply want to know when their bus will arrive, rain or shine, sporting event or windstorm. I will support projects already budgeted and underway that will put GPS on every bus and improve Metro’s radio system to allow better tracking of buses on the road. Further, I will ask Metro to work with innovators like University of Washington and grad student Brian Ferris, creator of the Metro bus tracking website One Bus Away, to improve real time trip planning, even as buses are rerouted for snow and accidents. In any weather or circumstance, bus riders will have everything they need to reach their destination in the palm of their hand through their cell phone.

[ Return to Issues Section ]