WEST SEATTLE

TRANSIT COALITION
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September 24 WSTC Agenda

Introductions and background of the formation of the Coalition. What are the goals of this meeting?

Slide presentation.
Transit challenges from group representatives. Open floor find additional challenges. Transit solutions from group representatives. Open floor find additional solutions. Discuss long term goals, and what form the West Seattle

Transit Coalition should take after this meeting.

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Bus service keeps getting cut back but populations keep growing.
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Funding, population, worries.

1999: I-695 cut the MVE tax and 33% of Metro funding. 2008: Metro lost 15% of its funding during the recession. 2014: Metro will have another 17% in cuts. Roughly -45% funding/service reduction in 15 years.

Seattle population is up at least +12.6% in those 15 years.

KING 5 survey this week of 652 voters for major issues:
72%+ are Very Concerned about transit in Seattle
Next nearest issue rated Very Concerned: schools at 58%
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2009-2012

West Seattle numbers

From a Metro report

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Transit service demand grows

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Transit service demand grows

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West Seattle population, 20 years

Seattle population overall: +8% a decade. Overall on pace for a +14% to +17% jump from 2010-2020.
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Transit demand in West Seattle:

Up at least +20%

West Seattles population:

Up at least +10% Transit funding & service hours:

Keep going down anyway

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On top of this, Metro is getting a NEW funding cut.

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17% Metro Cuts.

Red: Lines to be 100% cut

Blue: Lines to be reduced.

Unaffected neighborhoods: None.

Within any important issue, there are always aspects no one wishes to discuss.
- George Orwell

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Some givens.
Transit money to King County Metro appears unsustainable.

In the ongoing political climate (Olympia, Eyman, etc.) Without constant ongoing voter approval. History over the past 15 years.

The Viaduct has to come down. The Tunnel is being built. People are not going to stop coming to live in Seattle.

National news list us among the fastest growing cities in America. We are a leader in lowest national unemployment rates. We are a center of technology, biomedical, and other industries. Seattle = destination. People come here for jobs, culture, scenery. No decrease or deceleration in growth since the 1970s.
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What do we do now?
- West Seattle Transit Coalition

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Some possible solutions.

Draft a letter ASAP to all relevant officials.

Call for action and on-the-record commitments to mitigate cuts.

Drafts are floating around the meeting. We need to act today.

Press hard for Light Rail to West Seattle.

Possibly cant be as easily manipulated as Metro service hours.

A possible long-term stable solution.

Form our Transit Coalition as a permanent advocacy group.

Reports to neighborhood groups and West Seattle District Councils. Does not answer to any one group or neighborhood. Pursue long term solutions for the ALL of West Seattle.
www.westseattletc.org

Some possible solutions.

Draft a letter ASAP to all relevant officials.

Call for action and on-the-record commitments to mitigate cuts.

Drafts are floating around the meeting. We need to act today.

Press hard for Light Rail to West Seattle.

Possibly cant be as easily manipulated as Metro service hours.

A possible long-term stable solution.

Form our Transit Coalition as a permanent advocacy group.

Reports to neighborhood groups and West Seattle District Councils. Does not answer to any one group or neighborhood. Pursue long term solutions for the ALL of West Seattle.
www.westseattletc.org

Agenda for the rest of the night.

Transit challenges - group representatives. Open floor - for additional challenges. Transit solutions - group representatives.

Open floor - for additional solutions.

Discuss long term goals.
Do we make it a permanent group for the peninsula?
Do we walk out with initial board members tonight?
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Additional notes / slides past here

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Metro funding breakdown, 2013.

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