Town hall meeting to focus on Eastside Transit
Summary
Panel will include members of the Regional Transit Task Force and community stakeholders
Story
Metropolitan King County Councilmembers Jane Hague and Kathy Lambert will host a public meeting on major transit policies effecting Eastside residents, including the recommendations of the Regional Transit Task Force (RTTF), the panel created to develop a vision for public transportation in King County:
Tuesday, January 11
6:30-8:00 p.m.
Community Center at Mercer View
8236 SE 24th Street
Mercer Island, WA 98040
Metro Transit is facing a cumulative deficit of more than a billion dollars between 2009 and 2015 and may need to eliminate nearly one-fifth of all bus service in response. To respond to the crisis, the Council and Executive convened a regional task force of transit stakeholders to examine the current system and recommend major changes.
The RTTF was a geographically diverse 28-member panel that included elected officials, representatives of labor, business and other regional interests, and rider interests. Last November, the panel unanimously adopted a set of seven recommendations for changing public transportation in King County. An Eastside member of the RTTF will attend the Town Hall, and there will be a briefing on the recommendations of the task force and the impact it may have on Eastside transit.
The town hall will also feature a stakeholder panel, and the opportunity for public testimony. Community feedback will be very important as the county evaluates potential changes to its transit policies in order to respond to Metro’s budget shortfall.