Comments

1
it's TWENTY FUCKING DOLLARS, kc council! you pansies. will some government official fucking GOVERN for a change?
2
nice job Josh
3
OK, stupid question: I saw that Metro has 400,000 daily boardings, right?

400,000 x $0.25 = $100,000. $100,000 x 365 = $36,500,000. Assuming you could recoup at least, what, 80% of boardings, and reduced some less busy 15/30 minute routes to say hourly or bi-hourly or even just reduce them to commute-time only--couldn't this still be pulled off less painfully with just a small increase if the tab fee fails?
4
If the KC council doesn't pass the fee, 600,000 hours of bus service—or 17 percent of Metro's entire system—would be eliminated over the next two years.


Is this accurate? I thought if the council doesn't pass it, it means we go to a public vote. Or are you just assuming a public vote has no chance of succeeding?
5
A public vote doesn't have much chance of succeeding because too many people are as short-sighted as Tim Eyman and think that because they don't use the bus, they shouldn't have to pay, not realizing that if people aren't on the bus, they'll probably be back in their cars congesting the roads even more.
Furthermore, losing/decreasing routes will complicate travel for HS students in SPS since they made the switch from the yellow school bus to using Metro. This means more HS kids could be driving (ugh), or more parents driving them to school on their way to work (also ugh), or kids spending up to 2 hours commuting by bus each way. Not sure I'd be happy having a teenager out waiting for the bus at 5:30am in the dark mornings so they can get to school by 7-7:30.
6
This report leaves out that the council is most likely to punt to voters. That's a nightmare for Constantine and Larry Phillips. Voters have been conditioned to fear for their wallets by local luminaries whose names rhyme with "MerKin" and "Fryman". Remember the high-earners state tax reform? No way we'd pass something like this. Argh.

As Constantine writes on the County website:
The Council can approve the fee directly (councilmanic action) with a two-thirds majority vote. Alternatively, the Council can vote with a simple majority to place the measure on the ballot for voters to decide. Or, the council could take no action.
http://metro.kingcounty.gov/am/future/in…

A council vote is a long shot but it would save so much grief and struggle compared to a vote. If you can't make the hearing, please call or email the council - since it's by district look up your council member here:
http://www.kingcounty.gov/council/counci…

Or submit your testimony online here:
http://www.kingcounty.gov/council/testim…
7
And yes, it's so important to cut service where the people actually ride and where the KC council has support. Briliant.
9
Looking at the proposed cuts, I can tell you that I definitely will be driving more. It's not that the bus I want to take will be more crowded -- the bus I want to take won't exist. Sure, I could take a 2 hour trip involving a few transfers instead. Or I could just drive.
10
@3: That overlooks two things - one is that many people board using monthly passes, such as ORCA or U-PASS, the pricing of which is determined contractually on an annual or quarterly basis (I think). You can update those prices, I suppose, but the bigger thing your scenario overlooks is...

Demand elasticity, meaning, yes, for some people a .25 increase in fare is a big fucking deal, and they would have to find another way to get to work/shop/whatevs, meaning Metro wouldn't get that .25 because the trip would've been made by car or bike or not at all. So the 400,000 boardings number would decrease. The elasticity would also affect how many people and business buy into the pass sales system, should those prices go up.
11

Here's what I want...

Metro, Sound Transit and WADOT should start using Google Location services data to figure out where commuters -- rail, bus and car -- are going every day.

The program would be voluntary. Just have Android users switch on their GPS service, add in demographic data, and have real time analysis of where the People are going.

I don't give a crap where the buses, trains are cars are going.

I want to know where the PEOPLE are travelling to.

With Android (iPhone?) I can know exactly where and when travel is occuring...
12
As members of the KC Council seem so all-fired in favor of letting the voters decide this one - how about a similar enthusiasm for putting their salaries to a public vote?
13
Is it just me or are these cuts really going to hurt Seattle more than the rest of the county?
14
Twenty dollars to help people who only have or rely on the bus to get anywhere. Or be selfish and keep your twenty dollars to spend on coffee or booze. Seattle voters should think of someone other than themselves for a change. It's called THE PUBLIC GOOD! Why'llwe are at it, let's eliminate Medicare, Medicaid, raise college tuition another 40%, and all social services for the working poor and mentally ill.
15
@10,

While I think fares are too high in general (for anyone who carpools or doesn't have to pay to park, it's usually cheaper to drive than take the bus, especially when you factor in time savings), I do think it's strange/ridiculous that the difference between peak and non-peak is now only 25 cents.
16
The infographic, while really nifty, didn't seem to relay a whole lot of new, useful info, IMHO, but it did point out one thing I hadn't noticed before: All the 80-series routes are slated to be cut completely!

That is: pretty much ALL the bus service after 1:00AM gone! So good luck getting home from the bar, folks -- guess you'll just need to drive home drunk instead!

(Or maybe this is really some some sort of super secret "Cabbie Stimulus Program" being engineered by the county?!?)

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