Phillips calls on Metro Transit to increase productivity and rein in costs

June 11, 2009

Summary

Supports the recommendations from the Municipal League of King County

Story

With the economic climate challenging King County to deliver more with fewer resources, Metropolitan King County Councilmember Larry Phillips today introduced legislation asking Metro Transit to improve its performance and bring down its operating costs.

“With the economic crisis putting a strain on Metro’s ability to deliver bus service, we must respond by increasing productivity and lowering costs in order to keep buses on the streets with fewer dollars,” said Phillips. “A group of engaged citizens took an in-depth look at Metro and found its operating costs are above the peer average and that its performance measures don’t include tracking the productivity and cost-effectiveness of bus routes. I’m calling on Metro to change that.”

Phillips’ motion would direct Metro Transit to develop performance measures for its bus routes and to develop a 10-year strategy for bringing Metro’s operating costs down to within the national average for comparable transit agencies.

The Municipal League of King County convened a committee of citizens to review Metro Transit. The committee recently released a report entitled “Review of Metro Transit,” and conducted a series of public roundtables to discuss its findings.

The Muni League’s review of Metro found much to admire in Metro’s performance, as well as areas that need improvement. One of the report’s key findings was that Metro lacks an adequate range of performance measures and does not use existing measures to improve service quality or operate more efficiently. The citizen panel also found that Metro’s 2005 cost-per-revenue-hour was 22 percent above the national average of transit agencies and that Metro’s cost-per-boarding was 38 percent above the national average.

“Better performance measures will give the County a better basis for directing limited resources, and bringing down operating costs will free up more resources to use for service,” said Phillips. “I appreciate the Muni League’s work to develop these recommendations and look forward to seeing them implemented.”


Read the motion

Read the Muni League Report “Review of Metro Transit”