Snohomish County’s Community Transit proposes “status quo” 2016 budget

After adding 39,000 service hours in 2015, including the restoration of Sunday and holiday bus service, Community Transit is proposing a “status quo” budget for 2016 that offers modest capital investments and no new service.

October 23, 2015 6:00 am
Snohomish County Community Transit
Snohomish County Community Transit

The following is a release from Community Transit of Snohomish County:

After adding 39,000 service hours in 2015, including the restoration of Sunday and holiday bus service, Community Transit is proposing a “status quo” budget for 2016 that offers modest capital investments and no new service.

“Keeping up with demand has been one of the agency’s greatest challenges, and the lengthening commutes between Everett and Seattle and throughout Snohomish County continue to add to the cost of bus service,” said Community Transit CEO Emmett Heath.

“The proposed 2016 budget keeps our current service levels while allowing us to invest in a radio system upgrade and other investments that help to improve the current service we offer. Without new funding, we will be able to main the status quo for one more year,” Heath said.

The 2016 Proposed Budget includes operating revenues of $115.8 million minus Sound Transit contracted operations, $82.6 million of which comes from local sales tax. Sales tax revenues are forecast to grow about 5 percent over 2015 levels, while the overall budget is about 1 percent higher than the 2015 budget due to lower state and federal revenues.

Community Transit’s 2016 budget funds the first year of a major upgrade of its wireless radio system, as well as construction of a Mukilteo Park & Ride on the west side of Paine Field. The agency will also purchase 18 replacement buses, 45 replacement vanpool vans, 20 expansion vanpool vans and 11 replacement DART paratransit vehicles, all of which are largely funded by state and federal grants.

A public hearing on the 2016 Proposed Budget will be held at 3 p.m. Thursday, November 5 at the monthly Board of Directors meeting at 7100 Hardeson Road in Everett.

The 2016 Proposed Budget can be found online at www.communitytransit.org/budget.

 

Potential new funding

Despite the 2016 Proposed Budget’s forecast of no new service, a measure to bring new funding to Community Transit is on the November 3 ballot. Proposition 1 would increase sales tax by 0.3 percent, which would increase Community Transit’s revenues by about $25 million a year.

If new funding is approved, Community Transit would provide:

  • More local bus trips throughout the day, as well as expanded service hours every day of the week.
  • A second Swift bus rapid transit line between the state’s largest manufacturing job center at Boeing/Paine Field and Canyon Park/Bothell, Snohomish County’s high-tech job center.
  • More commuter bus trips to downtown Seattle and the University of Washington.
  • Increased east-west connections within the county.
  • More service to job, housing and educational centers throughout the county, including communities such as Arlington, Monroe and Stanwood.
  • New routes, such as Marysville-to-McCollum Park via Lake Stevens, Snohomish and Silver Firs via Highway 9.
  • Reconfigured local bus service to connect with Sound Transit Link light rail when it reaches Mountlake Terrace, Lynnwood and, eventually, Everett.
  • More vanpools and expanded DART paratransit service.

If the ballot measure passes, the Community Transit board would considered a revised 2016 budget to accommodate new revenue and new service costs.