King County Council to listen to public testimony on Metro cuts
Metro and county leaders have been working for more than five years to reduce costs and achieve stable funding to preserve transit service. However, given current finances, plans are to reduce service levels to balance the budget. County Executive Dow Constantine recently sent the County Council a proposal to delete 72 bus routes and reduce or revise another 84 routes. (Learn more)
These recommended service reductions are now being reviewed by the Council, whose Transportation, Economy and Environment (TrEE) Committee will host three public hearings:
- Tuesday, May 13 @ 5:30pm – Union Station (Ruth Fisher Boardroom) 401 S. Jackson St., Seattle
- Thursday, May 15 @ 5:30pm – Bellevue City Hall (City Council Chambers) 450 110th Ave. NE., Bellevue
- Tuesday, May 20 @ 5:30pm – Renton Pavilion Event Center 233 Burnett Ave. S., Renton
The Council will also accept testimony online.
After months of public outreach about proposed service cuts, Metro’s official public comment period ended Feb. 7. Metro documented comments in a Public Engagement Report, which was transmitted to the County Council. (Read the complete report or the executive summary).
Public participation helped Metro make small changes to the original proposal that will minimize impacts on some riders. Learn more on Metro’s website FAQ page.
The Council plans to make a decision about the proposed service reductions by June 9. Visit their website to learn more about their outreach and decision-making process.