1. Seattle Transportation Benefit District
Nico Martinucci, Seattle Dept. of Transportation
CALACT Spring 2019

2. Program Overview

3. April 2014 King County Prop. 1 Results: 44% Yes, 55% No
$60 Vehicle License Fee
King County Sales Tax of 0.1%
Combined with County roads
Failed 55% to 44%
Map shows final election results
Blue indicates more than 50% yes votes, darker blue is higher percentage of yes votes
Red/orange indicates less than 50% yes votes, red indicates under 25% Yes
Prior to election, message changed from cutting 600,000 hours to 550,000 hours
Improved revenue forecasts
Metro began planning implementation of cuts
Mention need and creation of a new “Seattle rider” and “Seattle route” lens – how do transit needs differ for those living within the city? Greater diversity, beyond the typical commute; off-peak commuting, non-work-related transit trips, higher demand in general, all require greater span, frequency, and reliability
Source: Seattle Transit Blog

4. November 2014 – Seattle Prop. 1
Seattle adds Prop. 1 to November 2014 ballot after King County measure doesn’t pass
County sees improved sales tax revenue
Messaging shift from saving service to adding service
Approved on November 4, 2014
62% Yes, 38% No
Generates over $50M annually for transit service and access
Overwhelming support for Prop. 1 in City of Seattle
Metro planning to cut 550,000 hours
Proposed cuts – delete 26 Seattle routes and reduce/revise another 33; 550,000 annual service hours
Seattle introduces Prop. 1 for November 2014
$60 VLF
0.1% Sales Tax
Designed to save service
Metro to implement Phase 1 of cuts in September 2014
Phase 1 (of 4) cuts implemented – reduction of 54,000 annual service hours on 11 Seattle routes
September King County Council cancels plans for further cuts
Improved sales tax revenue
Saves ~400,000 annual hours of service3
Phases 2, 3, and 4 weren’t needed
Change in messaging
Moved from saving service to adding service
While the King County proposition failed overall, election results showed overwhelming support for the measure within Seattle. As such, consistent with City of Seattle priorities and understanding the growing demand for transit service in the city, Mayor Ed Murray proposed Seattle Transportation Benefit District (STBD) Proposition 1 on the November 2014 ballot to address transit funding shortfalls within the city.
On November 4, 2014, Seattle voters approved STBD Proposition 1 (62% Yes, 38% No), providing approximately $45 million annually for the expansion of transit service and low-income transportation equity.
While the measure was initially targeted to prevent Metro’s service reductions in the city, thanks to improved sales tax revenues and the corresponding shift in reductions, King County Metro canceled reductions after September 2014 and Seattle funds generated by the ballot measure were able to expand transit service throughout Seattle.

5. Where do STBD dollars go currently?

6. Added Service Across Seattle
Every Urban Center and Urban Village received new transit trips thanks to STBD

7. Access to Frequent Transit
2015: 25%
2016: 51%
2017: 64%
2018: 67%
2019: 71%
Surpassed 2020 Goal by 14%
Within 5% of 2025 Goal 7

8. Walksheds of Very Frequent Transit Routes

9. Continued Transit Growth in Seattle
Since 2010, the number of commuters traveling to downtown Seattle in the morning using modes like transit, walking, biking, and carpooling grew by nearly 10%.
Most of this growth occurred on transit: 48% rode the bus or light rail in 2017, compared to 42% just seven years prior.
Overall, ridership during the most congested times of day increased by over 200,000 rides per day, while SOV trips decreased 10% - from 35% in 2010 to 25% in 2017.

10. Increased Ridership throughout the City

11. Low Income Access to Transit
ORCA LIFT Pre-Loaded Cards
Education & Engagement
Vehicle License Fee Rebate
9,260 pre-loaded ORCA LIFT cards distributed (since start of program)
41% reloaded (3,823) for continued use
Since 2016, these cards have generated 1,226,707 boardings on all ORCA services, with 958,668 boardings on King County Metro alone.
22 events
9+ languages represented
2,300+ people reached
170+ mobility surveys collected
Year 1: 4,909 rebates issued
Year 2: 4,152 rebates issued
Year 3: 5,186 rebates issued
Highlights many of the primary activities of the program including:
9,260 pre-loaded ORCA LIFT cards distributed since start of the program; 41% loaded for continued use; generating about 960,000 boardings Metro alone.
Education and Engagement – informing folks about the suite of programs and products available to them and collecting information on mobility needs of different communities.
Income-eligible vehicle owners receive a $20 annual rebate on the costs of their vehicle license fee. (Mirrors UDP). Year 3 issued 5,186 rebates, saving Seattle residents $103,720
ORCA LIFT Enrollment: Metro’s low-income fare card program.
146,000 eligible Seattle residents
Year 1: 17,572 residents enrolled (11%)
Year 2: 28,816 residents enrolled (19%)
Year 3 : 40,424 residents enrolled ( 28%)
Seattle Residents account for 58% of total enrollment in King County (69,632)
NEW: Transportation Equity Workgroup 6

12. Lessons Learned & Key Takeaways

13. 1. Voter support is key
 2014, STBD Prop 1 ($50M/yr, 6 years); 2015, Move Seattle ($103M/yr, 9 years)
 2006, Transit Now ($55M/yr)
 1996, ST1 ($390M/yr, 10 years); 2008, ST2 ($1.2B/yr, 15 years); 2016, ST3 ($2.2B/yr, 24 years)

14. 2. Each community has different needs
Creating a functional network is not “one size fits all”
Frequency vs. Coverage
Peak vs. All-day vs. Nights & Weekends
What is the greatest need for your jurisdiction? What is most valued?

15. 3. Small improvements can have big impacts…
Metro’s Network
(~4.4M Annual Service Hours)
STBD’s Total Investment
(~350k Annual Service Hours)

16. 3. …but think big too!
81,000
73,000
65,000
36,000
2017
2018

17. 4. Access is as important as service
Q1 2019: 1,720,600 trips *
*May be closer to 33% in Seattle

18. 5. Think beyond productivity
of Seattle households are within a 10-minute walk of 10-minute or better all-day transit service
71%
of Urban Villages (growth centers) are served by at least one route providing 15-minute or better service
of Frequent Transit Network routes have a minimum of 30-minute service, 18-hours per day, 7-days per week

19. 6. Think carefully about the role of TNCs
Seattle Times, November 2018
~91,000 daily TNC rides in Seattle, 40,000 starting in greater downtown
Data is important!
SFCTA, October 2018
In SF, TNCs accounted for ~50% of change in congestion, 2010 – 2016
Congestion affects transit too!

20. 6. Think carefully about the role of TNCs
University of Kentucky, November 2018
TNCs enter the market: Light/Heavy Rail -1.3%, Bus -1.7% (per year, cumulative!)
Time is of the essence!
UC Davis, October 2017
Between 49% and 61% of TNC trips would’ve been by walking, biking, transit, or not at all
Don’t believe the hype!

22. Questions?
Thanks!