Today Councilmember Rob Saka (District 1) announced that he’s introducing transit-focused amendments to the 2025-26 Budget package for consideration heading into final stages of the adoption process. With respect to the South Lake Union Streetcar transition amendment: “As Transportation Committee Chair, I’m deeply concerned that residents aren’t getting what they paid for when it comes...
Tag: transit
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During “Seattle Squeeze,” public transit should be free
Traffic during the “Seattle Squeeze” – the upcoming three weeks of extreme congestion during the Viaduct demolition – is going to be a disaster if the mayor and county executive don’t do more. Today I wrote to them, calling on the city and county to make public transit free during the “Seattle Squeeze.” Seattle Squeeze […]
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Sound Transit 3 – Time for Feedback
The City Council received a briefing this morning about the proposed Sound Transit 3 expansion of our regional light rail and bus network. The draft includes several large projects in Seattle, including lines to Ballard and West Seattle and a...
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Solidarity with students rallying for free public transit!
Tonight, October 22, 2015, students, teachers, staff, parents, and community activists will be rallying at Rainier Beach High School to demand free bus passes for ALL public school students that need or would like to use Metro to get to school. Currently, students who live two miles or less away from their schools are ineligible for the free […]
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Lowrise Multifamily Code Updates: Balancing Design and Density
Legislation a Council committee discussed earlier this week has been characterized by one side as a dramatic giveaway to developers and, by the other side, an unnecessary and dangerous downzone. Both characterizations are false. The Council’s land use committee considered...
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The Rapid Evolution of Transportation
New technologies are revolutionizing transportation in Seattle and elsewhere. It is becoming easier and easier to live, work, shop, learn and play in the city without owning a car, a change that makes Seattle more affordable as car ownership carries...
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Public Campaign Finance Statement
Consistent with my earlier blog post on this topic, I shared the following statement at the Full Council meeting this afternoon explaining my vote to not move forward a public campaign finance system this year: We face a tough choice...
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Public Campaign Finance: Right Idea, Wrong Time
There has been news coverage recently about how as City Council President I won’t introduce legislation that would send a measure to establish public financing of political campaigns back again to the voters in November.* The Stranger has a story...
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Why I’m Sponsoring the Minimum Wage Legislation
I am cosponsoring Mayor Murray’s minimum wage legislation because it’s time for cities to demonstrate bold and necessary leadership to address the stagnation of wages that has plagued our country for decades. Why does this matter? An economy where the...
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Councilmembers Rasmussen, O’Brien, Bagshaw Pledge to Give Seattle Voters Chance to Save Transit Service
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 5/9/2014
Councilmember Sally Bagshaw
Councilmember Mike O'Brien
Councilmember Tom Rasmussen
Councilmembers Rasmussen, O'Brien, Bagshaw Pledge to Give Seattle Voters Chance to Save Transit Service
Seattle - Councilmembers Tom Rasmussen, Mike O'Brien and Sally Bagshaw issued the following statement today:
"Metro bus service is critical to the people of Seattle. It is necessary for those who cannot afford cars and depend on buses to get around. It is essential for our environment that people have multiple options for mobility and it is essential to reducing traffic congestion as well. Too many buses in the city are at capacity, and with ridership at an all-time high we simply cannot afford to lose bus service.
"Seattle voters deserve a chance to preserve bus service in the city and we are committed to giving them that opportunity in November. We are exploring every option available to keep the busses running in Seattle in cooperation with our colleagues on the City Council and Mayor Ed Murray. We are also committed to working with King County Metro and cities in our region to ensure that we preserve and build a strong regional transit system.
"We commend Mayor Murray for his leadership in developing a proposal, which will be released next week. We also commend Keep Seattle Moving for keeping public momentum going to ensure we do not lose the bus service we so critically need in Seattle.
"On Monday, May 19 we will have a briefing in City Council Chambers at 9:30 a.m. to learn more about the impacts of the potential loss of bus service in the City and to learn more about the Mayor's proposal. We will convene additional City Council meetings as needed throughout the summer to develop a proposal to send to the voters for the November ballot."
Editor's note: The City's deadline for submitting a ballot measure to King County Elections for the November election is August 5, 2014.