Task force will recommend policies to guide transit service investments

King County formed the Regional Transit Task Force in March 2010 to consider a policy framework to guide service investments or—if necessary—contraction of the King County Metro Transit system.

The Metropolitan King County Council directed the County Executive to form the task force when it adopted the 2010 county budget. The council later issued guidelines for the task force.

Formation of the task force comes at a time when Metro faces competing pressures. On one hand, demand for transit services is increasing countywide. On the other, Metro’s budget has been hit by a combination of rising costs and a steep decline in sales-tax revenues—an important source of Metro’s funding. As a result, Metro has had to defer planned investments in transit service, and could be forced to make service cuts if the economic situation does not improve.

In this context, the task force will identify short-term and long-term objectives for transit service investment, and will formulate a service implementation policy based on those objectives. The county council asked the task force to develop its recommendations by September 2010.

Members

The task force is made up of municipal and community stakeholders appointed by King County Executive Dow Constantine, plus three nonvoting members. The county has contracted with a consultant to facilitate the task force. read member bios

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