Council calls on Legislature to provide counties with revenue options for transportation

April 16, 2012

Summary

Funds for roads, transit too vital to wait

Story

The Metropolitan King County Council today warned the Washington State Legislature that without local transportation revenue options, bus service is in danger of being cut and county roads could be reduced to gravel for lack of funds to maintain them.

In the wake of the inaction of the Legislature on providing counties with financial options to support public transit and fund necessary road maintenance, the Council gave its unanimous support to a motion calling on lawmakers to make local options proposals their top priority for the 2013 Legislative session.

“This resolution strongly reaffirms our need for local revenue options from the legislature,” said Councilmember Jane Hague, prime sponsor of the motion. “The alternative will be the closing bridges and streets, using gravel rather than paving others streets and cutting transit. It is timely and needed now more than ever.”

“All around the county, I continue to hear from people who want more transit to meet our growing job and population needs, not less,” said Councilmember Larry Phillips, co-sponsor of the motion and chair of the Council’s Transportation, Environment and Economy Committee. “Metro needs the financial certainty of permanent stable funding in order to continue the critical work of making our transit system more efficient in getting more people to more places.”

“Today’s action should send a strong signal that the Council and I are united in seeking sustainable solutions for transportation,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “State lawmakers must be prepared to act swiftly in the next session to give voters a choice on desperately-needed transit and road revenues.”

King County’s 2012 Legislative Agenda encouraged the state to provide sustainable funding tools to support public transportation and road maintenance. During the 2012 session of the state Legislature lawmakers discussed, but did not adopt, legislation that would have provided counties with options to raise such revenue.

The adopted motion points out to the legislature the steps King County has taken to make Metro Transit more efficient and aligned to regional priorities, including the use of a two-year temporary funding tool to bridge the financial gap for the Metro Transit system. Without the availability of funding, Metro is looking at service cuts requiring the elimination of up to seventeen percent of the bus service throughout the County.

The motion also warns that because of the current budget crisis, that without additional revenues, the County would be forced to adopt a Strategic Plan for Road Services for its unincorporated area road network that will result in closing bridges and converting roads to gravel based on existing funding capacity.

The motion urges the Legislature to develop and adopt local transportation funding options to stem the financial gap and enable local and regional governments to preserve economic vitality and community priorities through mobility. While the Legislature has adjourned for 2012, the motion calls for the state to make funding options a priority for 2013 or for any potential special session called before the start of the regular legislative session.