Metro Transit Rider Report - June-July 2000
In this issue:
Service changes planned for September
Service changes planned for September will affect Route 230, pictured right, and six other routes.
Metro is changing several bus routes that provide service similar to Sound Transit routes in King County. The changes will reduce duplication of service between Metro and Sound Transit.
Metro plans to discontinue routes 263, 267, 275, 276 and 340. In addition, Route 254 will become a shuttle between Redmond and Kirkland, and Route 230 will begin serving the South Kirkland park-and-ride lot.
Replacement service will be provided by four new Sound Transit routes 540, 545, 546 and 560; three current Sound Transit routes 530, 531 and 535; and Metro routes 140 (Burien-Renton), 277 (University District-Kirkland), 341 (Shoreline-Bothell) and 342 (Shoreline-Renton).
In April, Metro published a questionnaire about the proposed revisions. Metro staff and the King County Executive revised the proposals based on the questionnaire responses, public comments received at three public meetings, and e-mails, letters and phone calls. The King County Council approved the service changes on June 12.
Paper timetables for new and revised routes will be available September 7. The new information will be available on Metro Online by close of business September 15. Service changes will begin Saturday, September 16.
Legislature helps fill funding gap
The state Legislature has authorized a one-time payment of $36 million to help Metro maintain current bus service for the next year. Metro lost about one-third of its annual operating budget, or about $110 million per year, when the motor vehicle excise tax was eliminated as a source of transit funding.
The Legislature also gave local jurisdictions the authority to ask voters to approve a local-option sales tax of three-tenths of 1 percent for transit. County policy-makers are discussing whether and how to use this local-option sales tax to fill the long-term funding gap.
The extra funding from the Legislature is not enough to restore service and routes suspended last February. In addition, we do not have enough bus drivers to restore suspended service. We have hired more drivers, but the number is just enough to maintain our current level of service.
Steer your future - drive for Metro part-time
Going to school and need to work? Working part-time and need more hours? Enjoying retirement but want to supplement your income? Working part-time as a Metro Transit bus driver is ideal for anyone who wants part-time work without weekend or late-night hours. Part-time drivers include students, retirees, artists, musicians, first-time job seekers and people juggling family responsibilities.
"It’s useful work," said part-time driver Gordon Taylor. "You pick up people and get them where they want to go. It’s a lot of responsibility and you’re paid well for it."
"It’s really the best of all possible worlds," said part-time driver Jennifer Cole, who has a craft business on weekends at Pike Place Market. "I earn a good hourly wage and benefits, and driving a bus is a nice change of pace from other parts of my life."
Part-time drivers earn from $14.07 to $20 per hour. Benefits include paid vacation and sick leave, medical, dental and vision programs, retirement and deferred compensation plans, and union membership.
Interested? You can find out more by visiting our Drive for Metro part-time web site or calling the Transit Operator Hot Line at 206-684-1024.
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