On Monday, the King County Council will pass a controversial $20 vehicle license fee, preventing drastic 17 percent cuts to Metro services that would’ve put an estimated 15,000 more vehicles on the road. But the council votes needed to pass the fee didn’t come without a package of amendments, including one serious concession from Seattle—the five-part plan unveiled at a press conference this morning calls for an end to Seattle’s downtown ride free area in October, 2012.
“The city of Seattle pays $400,000 a year to support free rides—only 18 percent of the $2.2 million it costs Metro each year to operate the free ride area,” explained King County Executive Dow Constantine. “This isn’t something we take lightly but it can no longer be sustained.” Roughly 9,000 free trips are taken through Seattle’s downtown core each day.
By taking action itself, the KC Countil has prevented sending the measure to voters, and risked them voting it down.
- KC Council member Jane Hague, pleased as punch.
“This is a great deal for the Eastside, for King County,” said council member Jane Hague, who previously said she’d vote down the $20 proposal. ““This is not a change of heart, it’s a change in the plan. We’re talking about real reform in metro with the discontinuation of the free ride zone.”
Seattle City Council member Tom Rasmussen, head of the council’s transportation committee, said that the council would “work for the next year [to find a way] to keep the benefits and advantages” of the free ride zone but admitted that $400,000 wouldn’t buy the city much in the way of service. The elimination of the free ride zone also means that all buses will revert to a pay as you enter format, which will eliminate delinquent fares.
The council’s proposal now also includes a plan to provide eight bus tickets (worth up to $24) for each car tab renewal. “We know people who give the bus a try are inclined to ride the bus again,” said Constantine. If families don’t want the tickets, they can check a box to donate them to a pool of 150 human service agencies who distribute tickets.
In addition, Metro will also either increase the current number of discount tickets they offer human service groups (or discount tickets to these groups even further).
Other amendments include adding Dial-a-Ride Transit services, vanpools, and vanshares, to sparsely populated communities to make transit more efficient, as well as adding more buses to heavily used routes, such as those that travel along the 520 bridge and on Aurora Avenue.
“Cuts to metro would’ve taken us back to 1996 service levels,” said Larry Phillips, chair of the KC transportation committee. “There was controversy in raising the $20 [car tab fee] but the tremendous hurt, the harm done to the community in cutting services… would’ve been unacceptable. Twenty dollars is affordable, transit cuts are not.”
I’m so happy the Free Ride Nightmare is over. I don’t understand why people can’t purchase day passes that can be used as a day pass on the monorail and street cars to cater to tourists. This is assuming that’s what the city thinks it gains from having the free zone: easy accessibility for tourists to see stuff around downtown. Expanding this to street cars, and the monorail would also get tourists into surrounding neighborhoods. Maybe have a small area of downtown buses that allow you to ride free if you have a monorail or street car day pass. I would think the ticketing system would all be the same, but this is Seattle.
They also really need to dump orca all together. It’s terrible. Have you ever lost your password for their site? Fucking nightmare. They want a goddamn retina scan in before they will give it up, you can’t just reset it like EVERY OTHER site on the internet.
Instead of once again raising yhe car tabs, Why dont you charge $20.00 for bycicle licenses?
seems like evertthing is being done for bicycles. Just because I drive, does not mean that I can afford higher car tabs
If the free ride zone is what makes the down town buses so filthy then why isn’t the 348/347 pristine? Buses are always gonna be gross.
Oh, and the 43 barely spends any time in the Free Ride Zone and it’s hella gross too.
@53, Yes, because that new multi-billion dollar tunnel is for bikes only. And the 520 bridge is being widened only to accommodate bikes. And all of the repaving and pothole repair is needed due to the road damage bicycles cause.
Look, I get that you hate bicyclists. I hate most of them, too, and I’m one of them. But you shouldn’t let your hatred steer you into sounding like an idiot.
#46 and 47: Fuck you and your “ordinary” Americans. What’s funny about the right (and this makes you similar to the far left) is that you’re completely disingenuous. You don’t give a fuck about the middle class; you just care about yourself. Your class is just an extension of yourself so you’re protective of it. The idea that you care about other people is laughable. Even more laughable is your strange contention that 20 bucks is too much for the middle class and the poor to bear. Oh, poor little drivers can’t afford 20 bucks. Bullshit. Bull-fucking-shit. If you afford to put gas in your tank and make your car payments you can skip your two or three value meals and pay a 20-dollar tab. I have never seen a bigger pool of crybabies than the conservatives in this country. Oh, who will cry for the white man?
You know what, if voters rally to your side because of your stupid ideas, they deserve the shitty, fast-declining country they live in. And I’m not saying that as a leftist. I’m saying that as a believer in small-r republican ideals.
@57 Apparently your anger thrives off of perpetual defeat at the polls.
Keep it up!
I’ve been a bus driver for 13 years, and I can tell you that getting rid of the ride free area will not make the bus any more pleasant. Most of the smelly pants-pissers and seat-shitters have reduced fare cards that they use. Also, the ride free area speeds up boarding during rush hour downtown and helps keep traffic moving. Get rid of the RFA and be prepared to see a looooong line of buses up second, third, and fourth while dipshits hold everything up standing at the farebox looking for a nickel in their backpacks. Having said that, I am no fan of the ride free area- there’s nothing worse that having some d-bag who got on downtown walk off the bus in the U-District without paying.
58: You’re the ones polling low dipshit; I see no evidence that the majority of Americans like you at all. Pay attention to the world around you much?
“You’re the ones polling low dipshit; I see no evidence that the majority of Americans like you at all. Pay attention to the world around you much?”
Really? when was the last time a loony left, progressive won a national position? Bernie Sanders? thanks for the laff.
FYI, Obama is a moderate which is why I voted for him and will again. WHo will you vote for?
Why should homeless people be discouraged from riding the bus? Maybe it’s you who needs to change your perception about homeless people instead of just adopting an out of sight out of mind mentality. If their body odor is the worst part of your day, maybe you should try living on the street for a while. Of course, I’m annoyed when I smell old alcohol and garbage coming off the person sitting in front of me. But I also get to go home to a nice smelling bed and a clean bathroom. They don’t.
And I promise the ride free area downtown is not for tourists. A city wants a tourist’s money and will do anything to get it. It’s really not for them.
I am not staunchly against getting rid of the RFA. I realize the amount of money this will save will also save the metro system. However, I do not support its elimination because I am ashamed of the homeless population or think that wealthy people DESERVE better public transport. If you don’t like the bus, don’t take it. But some people have no other option.
” I am ashamed of the homeless population”
We all are but sadly they are not.
“Why should homeless people be discouraged from riding the bus”
They can ride, they just have to pay. If you can afford beer and smokes everyday, you can afford the bus.
Timebomb, since you have it all, no one cares what you think.