Seattle voters overwhelmingly backing Metro Transit funding
Nov 4, 2014, 4:37 PM | Updated: Nov 5, 2014, 9:25 am
Seattle voters are overwhelmingly approving a measure to raise $40 million a year to expand transit service across Seattle.
Proposition 1 calls for a $60 car-tab fee and 0.1 percent increase in the sales tax in Seattle for six years.
King County Elections reports the measure was passing 59-41 percent with just over 110,000 ballots counted – about 26 percent of registered voters.
The city decided to go it alone after King County voters rejected a ballot measure earlier this year to fund Metro Transit.
Proposition 1 will also dedicate $2 million to low-income riders, and up to $3 million to help suburban cities with the costs of bus routes entering Seattle.
After warning of drastic service cuts for over a year, the King County Council put off widespread reductions for 2015-2016 thanks to an unexpected increase in sales-tax revenue, Metro cost cutting and savings and projected increases in future cash reserves.
Meanwhile, the latest monorail proposal is failing 80-20 percent.
