Funding shortfall puts transit and road services at risk
Transit and roads are essential to keep people and the economy moving—but funding for King County Road Services and Metro Transit falls far short of the needs. New transportation financing tools are needed to maintain transit service and meet critical roadway needs.
 Road Services' funding from property tax, gas tax and grants has declined by one-third since 2009 and continues to fall. An additional $50 million is needed for 2014 just to stabilize the declining county road system—and more is needed to maintain and rebuild the system. At stake are 1,500 miles of county roads that carry more than 1 million trips daily, plus 180 bridges that thousands of people depend upon. Learn more
 Metro Transit's annual revenue will fall $75 million short of what is necessary to maintain current service after temporary funding runs out in mid-2014. Without new funding, Metro must cut service by up to 17 percent beginning in fall 2014. Metro might have to eliminate, reduce or revise roughly two-thirds of its bus routes to close the budget gap. Learn more
Potential solutions:
- The Washington legislature is considering legislation for funding transportation needs statewide.
- King County, the Sound Cities Association and the City of Seattle have joined together to ask the legislature for a new set of local transportation funding tools. Learn more
- The Washington State Transit Association is advocating for a statewide transportation funding package. Learn more
Metro and Road Services have taken action to manage the financial crisis
Faced with a $1.2 billion dollar shortfall for 2008-2015, Metro has been taking many actions to cut costs, increase revenue, and operate more efficiently. Metro has also revamped transit service to make it more efficient and productive—delivering the most value for the public’s fare and tax dollars.
These actions have substantially narrowed Metro’s budget gap and preserved most service. But some one-time actions—such as the use of reserve funds—will be exhausted after 2013, and temporary supplemental funding from a congestion reduction charge expires in mid-2014.
Road Services will have reduced its staff by one-third by the end of 2013, gained efficiencies and savings from an internal reorganization, and shifted its focus from capacity improvements to safety needs, preservation and repair. The division developed the Strategic Plan for Road Services and created a 5-tiered system to prioritize road services. To help preserve as much service as possible, employees have participated in countywide COLA freezes.
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