July 23, 2009
For Immediate Release
Scott Whiteaker, 206-303-9716
Larry Phillips unveils “Keep Metro Moving”
Plan will balance Metro’s $98 million 2010 budget deficit without service cuts or tax increases
Seattle, WA – Larry Phillips, candidate for King County Executive, unveiled his “Keep Metro Moving” plan to balance King County Metro’s budget without cutting bus service or raising taxes while the economy recovers in 2010.
Metro faces a budget deficit in 2010 of $98 million and Metro has been discussing cuts that would reduce or eliminate 78 percent of bus routes, dismantle a decade of growth in our transit system, and increase traffic congestion.
“Unless we take decisive action, the bus system we have worked so hard to build will be devastated by cuts and people will lose significant options for getting around,” said Phillips. “’Keep Metro Moving’ uses a combination of reserves, efficiencies, and reprioritization to balance Metro’s budget without bus service cuts and is the first step in what must be a regional conversation about how we can increase transit service in the future.”
With “Keep Metro Moving,” Phillips will balance the 2010 budget shortfall by:
- Working with Metro to cut their operating budget by approximately four percent without reducing service.
- Implementing efficiencies from the transit audit he sponsored, which will be complete in September.
- Repealing the King County Ferry District levy and using the free up tax capacity for bus transit service.
- Living within the revenues collected by the .1 percent Transit Now sales tax.
- Using a portion of the $105 million fleet replacement funds to fill the budget hole.
“I have been a long time supporter of exploring waterborne transit, but these extraordinary times require that we protect and prioritize basics over extras,” said Phillips. “Buses are more cost effective and are more important to our regional transportation system than water taxis.”
With “Keep Metro Moving” Phillips will lead a regional dialogue about securing Metro’s future beyond 2010 by addressing future budget shortfalls, increasing transit service to meet growing demand, and reforming Metro’s service allocation policies to reflect the transit needs of our county.
Additionally, “Keep Metro Moving” will bring Metro into the 21st century with a real time bus trip planning system that allows people to find the bus that gets them to their destination—even during snow storms and traffic jams—from the palm of their hand with their cell phone.
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