Seattle, Washington: Voters Approve Transit Measure for Largest Bus Expansion in City History

SEATTLE (Orbit Post) Seattle voters renewed and expanded the city transit tax on Tuesday by a wide margin, backing a measure that city leaders say will fund the largest expansion of transit service in Seattle history.

About 73 percent of votes were in favor of the Seattle Transit Measure as of Tuesday evening, KNKX Public Radio reported. The mayor's office, in a release published by King County Metro, put early approval at more than 72 percent, citing King County Elections.

Proposition 1 replaces the expiring transit measure that Seattle voters passed in 2020. It doubles the expiring sales tax from 0.15 percent to 0.3 percent and raises about 138 million dollars a year over 10 years, KNKX and the mayor's office said.

Where the money goes

Most of the funding pays for extra bus trips. The measure pays for about 275,000 bus trips a year, which is 95,000 more than the current measure funds. City officials said the added service will run all day, with more midday, night and weekend trips, because off peak ridership has grown faster than traditional peak commute ridership in recent years.

The measure also pays for construction projects that fix pinch points where buses get delayed, for Seattle Streetcar operations, and for city staff who support and speed up future Sound Transit light rail projects, according to the mayor's office release.

Free passes and who rides

The measure more than doubles the number of free ORCA cards given to people who need them most. It adds 12,000 free cards for Housing Choice Voucher participants, on top of the 10,000 cards now given to Seattle Promise Scholars, low income Seattle Preschool families and Seattle Housing Authority residents, for a total of 22,000 free cards, the release said.

Rod Brandon, executive director of the Seattle Housing Authority, said more than 6,600 of its residents took more than 1.3 million rides last year through the transit pass program.

"With this vote, Seattle voters are once again generously investing in building a transit system that is convenient to use, affordable to access, and that easily connects them to opportunity and prosperity," said Mayor Katie Wilson. She said the measure will deliver the largest expansion of transit service in the city's history and double the low income transit passes available to Seattle residents.

King County Executive Girmay Zahilay said the renewal adds thousands of hours of Metro service, expands early morning and late night service, and provides free transit passes to more students, working families and low income residents.

King County Metro general manager Michelle Allison said buses will arrive more frequently, later at night, earlier in the morning and on weekends. "Passage of this measure shows that riders support the great bus service they have and want even more, and we're glad to deliver," Allison said.

The transit vote was the biggest citywide question on Seattle's ballot this year. In the city's lone council race, Nilu Jenks led Julie Kang 58 percent in early results for District 5, which covers the northernmost neighborhoods, KNKX reported. Ballot counting in King County continues after election night, and results are updated as more ballots are processed.