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Week of Apr. 18, 2006
Metro wants to hear from you about the Transit Now initiative
 Thousands of bus riders from Seattle to the Snoqualmie Valley to South Federal Way could have more transit choices than ever before with a new four-point initiative announced this week by King County Executive Ron Sims.
If approved by voters, the Transit Now initiative will help Metro Transit keep up with economic and population growth by adding up to 21 million more annual bus rides within 10 years. The proposal would get 60,000 drivers out of their cars thus reducing congestion and air pollution. Metro is currently looking for feedback on the Transit Now ideas and plans.
 "Transit Now will give people what they are asking for: more bus service more frequently," said Sims. "We will not be able to keep up with expected growth, unless we have new funding for more bus service. We have designed this proposal to include service so frequent in heavily traveled routes that more riders won't need a bus schedule, they can count on a bus arriving within a few minutes of them going to a bus stop.”
Transit Now will expand Metro service by up to 20 percent systemwide over the next 10 years, and get more commuters on the bus and off the road now by launching the expansion within months of a final decision, not years. As many as 700,000 new annual service hours – or about 200 additional buses – will be on the road by 2015. More than a half million people will be within walking distance of the new service.
The initiative will bring Bus Rapid Transit service to five of the most congested travel corridors in King County with buses at 10-minute intervals. Regular service on 35 high-ridership routes will also be expanded to 15-minute intervals all day cutting the wait time for thousands of passengers. And, new service will be added to serve residents in rapidly growing neighborhoods.
More transit service will provide environmental benefits, both by getting thousands of drivers out of their cars and adding nearly 200 clean-green hybrid buses. The cleanest burning fuels available will power the entire transit fleet. Almost half of Metro's fleet will be powered by electricity, hybrid diesel-electric and biodiesel.
Sims is proposing a public process to decide whether to put his proposal on the fall ballot for a vote. It would be funded by a one-tenth of one percent sales tax increase, or $25 a year for the average family – less than the cost of a tank of gas. The proposal would generate an estimated $50 million annually for Metro service and new buses to provide the service.
The Transit Now website has much more detailed information about the proposal, including service maps, charts, and different ways to provide your feedback on the proposal.
Gas prices have risen up to the $3-a-gallon level around the Puget Sound. Maybe it’s time again to calculate the costs of your commute and see if riding the bus won’t save you money. Last year at this time gas prices were also rising, and Metro Transit posted a commute calculator to help people figure out their daily travel costs. The calculator can help you determine if you can save money commuting by bus instead of driving alone. You input the number of miles you travel to work, and what you pay for parking and gas. And, the calculator compares that total to the cost of paying cash fares on Metro at different times of the day and in different parts of King County. There are also some hidden savings. The calculator does not take into account the cost of insurance and wear-and-tear repairs for your car. And, it doesn't count up the extra savings you get when you use a bus pass - especially if your employer picks up some of the cost of that pass. Check it out, and see what your savings might be.
The King County Road Alert has undergone a change to make it easier to use. Starting this week, the Road Alert Web site and subscription service, sponsored by the King County Road Services Division, has been redesigned and engineered with more user-friendly and up-to-date information. These improvements are designed to provide better information on road closures in unincorporated King County, and "spotlight" high impact traffic disruptions you'll want to know about before you take to the road. King County Road Alert includes some additional improvements. You can now take advantage of Really Simple Syndication, or RSS, which offers an additional tool to help you monitor road closure updates. The new technology behind the improved King County Road Alert will also provide increased customer reliability and performance. Current subscribers have been automatically migrated over to the new site. Others are invited to check it out and sign up. |
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Metro Transit is inviting horse-racing fans to ride its "Pony Express" to Emerald Downs on weekends starting this Saturday, April 22. Each Saturday and Sunday through Oct. 1, the Pony Express bus leaves from Second Avenue and Lenora Street in Seattle at 12:47 p.m. - makes a few more stops downtown - and is at the racetrack by 1:30 p.m. The return trip leaves 10 minutes after the last race, approximately at 6:40 p.m. The service is also offered on Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day. During the week when the Pony Express does not operate, or for additional weekend service, ride Metro Route 150 between downtown Seattle and the Auburn Park-and-Ride. At the park-and-ride, board the free shuttle bus provided by Emerald Downs. The Pony Express fare is $2 one-way, cash-only. Metro's Visitors Pass is accepted on the Pony Express, but all other passes and transfers are not accepted. Passengers pay the regular Metro fare on Route 150. For all the details, visit Metro Online. |
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