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Spring 2013 Town Hall Events
I am committed to listening and learning from you, so that county government can be as accountable, efficient, and responsive to you as possible. For that reason I will be hosting a series of Town Halls, in every community across District 1 this year, so I can hear firsthand what issues are most important to you. Here is the information for my Spring 2013 Town Hall Series.
Rod and King County Sheriff John Urquhart.
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- Shoreline Town Hall with Sheriff John Urquhart
- Location: Shoreline City Hall, 17500 Midvale Ave N, Seattle WA, 98133
- Date: Thursday, May 9th
- Time: 7:00-8:30PM
- Seattle Town Hall with Attorney General Bob Ferguson
- Location: Northgate Community Center, 10510 5th Ave NE, Seattle, 98125
- Date: Thursday, May 23rd
- Time: 7:00-8:30PM
- Kenmore Town Hall with Mayor David Baker
- Location: Kenmore City Hall, 8120 68th Ave NE, Kenmore, 98028
- Date: Wednesday, June 5th
- Time: 7:00-8:30PM
- Woodinville Town Hall with Mayor Bernie Talmas
- Location: Woodinville City Hall, 17301 133rd Ave NE, Woodinville, 98072
- Date: Thursday, June 20th
- Time: 7:00-8:30 pm
Thank you to Sheriff Urquhart, Attorney General Ferguson, Mayor Baker, and Mayor Talmas, for joining me at these events as co-hosts.
Working with Metro Transit
Touring Metro Transit.
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King County plays a critical role in ensuring a strong and growing regional economy by maintaining and providing essential roads and transit infrastructure. King County maintains more than 1,500 miles of roadway and 180 bridges. Metro Transit operates 220 routes and provides approximately 112 million passenger trips annually. Metro takes some 175,000 vehicles off of our roadways each weekday, primarily during commute hours. This reduces congestion for all users of our transportation network.
The Great Recession severely hampered King County and our cities’ ability to adequately fund transportation infrastructure needs, putting a $115 annual gap in road maintenance funds, and a $75 million annual gap in Metro Transit’s budget. To address these financial challenges, King County commenced significant reforms at Metro Transit and in the Roads Division:
- Roads Division has reduced its workforce by one-third;
- The County Council’s auditors identified $100 million in one-time savings and more than $20 million in annual ongoing savings at Metro Transit;
- Metro has implemented dozens of reforms recommended by our auditors; and
- Metro has also raised fares 80% in four years.
Metro Transit will lose critical temporary funding when the $20 Congestion Reduction Charge expires in June of 2014, and faces up to a 17% cut in service hours – some 600,000 annual hours of service, starting late next year.
As Chair of the Regional Transit Committee, and a member of the Transportation, Economy & Environment Committee, I am working to maintain our roads and transit infrastructure to support our region’s economic recovery. From my seat on the Government Accountability & Oversight Committee, I will continue to insist on further reforms and savings in our Roads and Transit Divisions. I am also working with leaders throughout the region to identify permanent, stable funding for our roads and transit system to ensure that we avoid gridlock and keep our regional economy growing.
District 1 Events and Activities
Tunnel Vision: Burke-Gilman Trail
If you or someone you know is an artist, here is a great opportunity to get involved with our community and display your art to more than 2 million people each year! 4Culture, working in partnership with King County Parks, is seeking an artist or artist team that can make the experience of navigating the 250 ft. long Wayne Tunnel on the Burke-Gilman Trail (BGT) in Bothell more beautiful!
Lake Forest Park Farmers Market 2013
Kicks off the season, Sunday, May 12th in front of the Professional Building at the intersection of SR522 and Hwy104 in Lake Forest Park. The farmers market will run every Sunday, through October 20th from 11AM-4PM. I look forward to seeing you there!
14th Annual Strawberry Festival
The 14th Annual Strawberry Festival will take place Saturday, May 11, from 12:00PM to 5:00PM at the Richmond Beach Community Park. It will be a day full of activities, food, fun and live music!
Rod and UW Bothell Chancellor Kenyon Chan.
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UW Bothell Veterans Archway Dedication
The Student Veterans Association of UW Bothell raised funds for the Veterans Archway Dedication, which honors the sacrifice and contributions of veterans. The dedication will be held on Tuesday, May 28, 12:00 – 2 p.m. on the UW Bothell Campus.
Juanita Friday Market
This great farmers market begins Friday, May 10th and runs every Friday from 3:00PM to 7:00PM until October 4th. The market takes place at 9703, NE Juanita Drive, Kirkland, WA 98033.
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