Two Seattle City Council members are raising questions about Mayor Katie Wilson’s proposal to double the city’s transit sales tax, saying the plan needs closer scrutiny before they can support sending it to voters this autumn.
Budget Chair Dan Strauss said he supports transit investment in principle but is concerned that the proposal as written fails to address longstanding service gaps in parts of the city that need it most, particularly Ballard. “I’m concerned that Metro is not serving Ballard. I’m concerned that Sound Transit is not serving Ballard. I’m concerned that this proposal, as transmitted, is not serving Ballard,” Strauss said during a council briefing. He described Ballard as a major employment and housing growth center that receives less frequent service than other neighborhoods, and questioned whether voters are being asked to pay significantly more while actually receiving fewer bus service hours than were available several years ago. “I’ve been a lifelong transit rider. I’ve been a lifelong supporter of measures like this, but I’ve got some concerns as it’s been transmitted,” Strauss said.
