Seattle City Councilmembers set to ride, and blog about buses that will see specific Prop 1 transit corridor improvements.

SEATTLE – Over the next week and a half before the November election, Councilmembers Bagshaw, Burgess, O’brien and Rasmussen will be blogging first hand about the speed andreliability improvements that Prop 1 would fund on their respective local bus rides.

Nearly half the money ($100 million) raised by Prop. 1 is dedicated to transit improvements to help buses move up to 20% faster and on schedule.  Improvements like signal priority for buses, bus bulbs, dedicated bus lanes and signals that let buses jump ahead of traffic are all effective ways to help get people where we need to go easily and efficiently by bus.

“Our buses are an affordable alternative to paying high gas prices, but too often, people think that the bus is too slow or that they can’t depend on it consistently,” said Seattle City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen. “Prop 1 can fix this and make transit work better by making our buses faster and more reliable. These blogs are a fun, simple way to highlight the specific ways Prop 1 helps our transit work better for everyone in Seattle.”

The Councilmember blogs will get posted to the Seattle Transit Blog, the Streets For All Seattle website and the Streets For All Seattle Facebook page.  The first entry, written by Councilmember Rasmussen, is up now and can be viewed at: http://seattletransitblog.com/2011/10/28/tom-rasmussens-commute/

“No one enjoys riding the bus and hitting every single light, waiting at the bus stop and not knowing when the next bus will actually arrive, or standing there waiting for a bus that’s already fifteen minutes late,” said Craig Benjamin, Co-Chair of Streets for All Seattle.  “The bus blogs are a fun way to illustrate how Prop. 1’s thousands of smart, simple improvements will fix these problems and help our buses move up to 20% faster.”

Designed by a citizen panel, Prop. 1 will implement a $60 annual vehicle license fee in Seattle for 10 years to pay for better transit, increased road maintenance and pedestrian and family-friendly bicycle infrastructure.

Citizen panel would provide accountability and oversight of funds raised through Proposition 1

SEATTLE – This week the Seattle City Council unanimously passed Resolution 31330 creating the Seattle Transportation Implementation Review Panel (STIRP).  STIRP would provide oversight of revenues and expenditures and monitor program and project implementation related to the Seattle Transportation Benefit District, should Seattle voters approve Proposition 1.

“We applaud the Council for forming a citizen panel to ensure robust public oversight of Transportation Benefit District revenues and expenditures that would be raised through Prop 1,” said Craig Benjamin, Co-Chair of Streets for All Seattle. “This will help guarantee accountability and citizen oversight of Prop 1 dollars to ensure that the money is spent on faster transit and safer streets.”

Introduced and sponsored by Councilmember Nick Licata, STIRP would consist of thirteen members: six members appointed by the City Neighborhood Council to represent the geographic regions of the City; six members appointed by the Bridging the Gap Oversight Committee, including representation from transportation-related City advisory boards, at least one of which must be a member of the Seattle Commission for People with Disabilities; and one member appointed by the Seattle Office of Civil Rights.

“Prop 1 one is going to invest millions to make transit faster and fix roads across the whole city, helping people get to where they need to go, whether it’s to their job, school or just get around town,” said Jon Scholes, Vice President of Advocacy and Economic Development for the Downtown Seattle Association. “It’s important that the money is spent wisely. Given that Prop 1 was developed by a Citizen’s Transportation Advisory Committee with extensive public outreach and neighborhood input, it’s only appropriate that we have a strong citizen review panel and the resolution passed by the Council does just that.”

Designed by a citizen panel, Prop. 1 will implement a $60 annual vehicle license fee in Seattle for 10 years to pay for faster transit, increased road maintenance and pedestrian and family-friendly bicycle infrastructure.

Stressing the needs for faster and reliable transit, local home care and nursing home workers announce support for Seattle’s Prop. 1

SEATTLE – SEIU Healthcare 775NW this week announced their endorsement of Seattle Prop. 1.

“Working families need a reliable, affordable way to get to work, and with gas prices rising out of control, more people everyday are turning to transit as an affordable alternative,” said Adam Glickman, Vice-President of SEIU Healthcare 775NW. “Prop. 1 will help thousands of home care and nursing home workers in Seattle get to their jobs by investing nearly $100 million into our transitsystem to make our buses faster and more reliable.”

Designed by a citizen panel, Prop. 1 will implement a $60 annual vehicle license fee in Seattle for 10 years to pay for better transit, increased road maintenance and pedestrian and family-friendly bicycle infrastructure.

With roughly half of the total funds dedicated to transit ($100 million over 10 years), Prop. 1 will make buses in Seattle move up to 20% faster and more reliably.Over $2 million per year will help improve neighborhood access and connections to transit, helping the system better serve low-income and traditionally underserved communities.

“SEIU has been a strong and forceful voice fighting for working families and a fair economy,” said Craig Benjamin, Co-Chair of Streets for All Seattle. “Having their support demonstrates how important it is for working families and our local economythat we have a transportation system that can connect people to their jobs and schools and that the system is affordable and dependable.”

If passed, the measure will invest $69 million into repaving, repairing and maintaining Seattle’s streets over a 10 year period. It doubles the amount of street repairs Seattle will be able to make annually.

SEIU Healthcare 775NW represents more than 42,000 home care and nursing home workers in Washington state and Montana. SEIU is one of the most effective grassroots advocacy organizations both nationally and here in the Northwest. Their endorsement also comes as the Martin Luther King County Labor Council and the Seattle Building and Construction Trades Council have also recently endorsed.

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ATU 587 endorses Seattle measure for faster and more reliable transit

SEATTLE – Transit workers from Amalgamated Transit Union Local 587 this week announced their endorsement of Prop. 1, citing the need for investments to make Seattle’s transit faster and more reliable.

“Everyday our local bus drivers are carrying tens of thousands of riders to their jobs, school and wherever they need to go through Seattle’s ever more congested roads. They know firsthand how simple, common sense investments can ease congestion, make our buses faster and run smoother, helping everyone,” said Paul Bachtel, President of ATU 587. “These are the kinds of investments Prop. 1 makes, and this is why local transit workers in Seattle support it.”

With roughly half of the total funds dedicated to transit ($100 million over 10 years), Prop. 1 will make buses in Seattle move up to 20% faster and more reliably. The measure will enhance the electric trolleybus network in the city to help our buses run cheaper and cleaner. Over $2 million per year will help improve neighborhood access and connections to transit, helping the system better serve low-income and traditionally underserved communities.

“A big reason why we have such a great transit system are the men and women who get us to our destinations every day. We’re proud to have the support of ATU 587,” said Craig Benjamin, Co-Chair of Streets for All Seattle. “Prop. 1 will help our drivers do their job so Seattleites can safely get to their jobs by making our buses faster and more reliable.”

Designed by a citizen panel, Prop. 1 will implement a $60 annual vehicle license fee in Seattle for 10 years to pay for better transit, increased road maintenance and pedestrian and family-friendly bicycle infrastructure.

ATU 587 is comprised of bus, van, light rail operators and maintenance employees inKing, Clallam and Jefferson Counties. Local 587 is the largest ATU local on the West coast with about 4000 active and 300 retired members. Their endorsement also comes as the Seattle/King County Building Trades and SEIU 775 have also recently endorsed.

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With endorsements coming in from across Seattle, Prop. 1 campaign boasts large, broad grassroots support.

SEATTLE – Streets for All Seattle today announced that the campaign to pass Prop. 1 has collected over 1,000 individual endorsements from residents across Seattle.

“Having a transportation system with fast, reliable transit and safe roads for everyone is key to making Seattle the great livable community we all want it to be,” said Judy Halls from Columbia City. “That’s why I support Prop. 1. Now is the time to invest in transit, fix our roads and help make our roads and sidewalks safer for commuters, families and seniors.”

In a little over a month since the campaign launched, Streets for All Seattle has collected over 1,000 individual endorsements, the support of over 40 local business, labor, community and environmental organizations. This is in addition to over 700 followers on Twitter and 1,700 who have ‘liked’ the Streets for All Seattle Facebook group.

“All across the city, people are coming forward to support faster transit and safer roads,” said Craig Benjamin, Co-Chair for Streets for All Seattle. “Parents, seniors, students, blue collar and white collar workers are all coming together to support Prop. 1. Today’s announcement is proof of how large and diverse the support is for building a better transportation system.”

Designed by a citizen panel, Prop. 1 will implement a $60 annual vehicle license fee in Seattle for 10 years to pay for better transit, increased road maintenance and pedestrian and family-friendly bicycle infrastructure.

With roughly half of the total funds dedicated to transit ($100 million over 10 years), Prop. 1 will make buses in Seattle move up to 20% faster and more reliably.Over $2 million per year will help improve neighborhood access and connections to transit, helping the system better serve low-income and traditionally underserved communities.

The measure will also invest $69 million into repaving, repairing and maintaining Seattle’s streets over a 10 year period.

The list of Prop. 1 endorsers can be viewed at: www.streetsforallseattle.org/endorsements

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Progressive organization is joined by other longtime Seattle activists calling for more transit, safer streets, and road maintenance to help working families moving

SEATTLE – Puget Sound SAGE announced their endorsement of Prop. 1, joining other longtime progressive activists and advocates for social justice stressing that now is the time to invest in faster transit and safer streets in Seattle.

“Low-income families travelling by car or bus need more reliable, faster, and safer trips to work, school, and services, now.  This means sustainable funding for transit, neighborhood connections and basic street and safety improvements — especially in neighborhoods like Rainier Beach, one of the greenest communities in our city,” said Rebecca Saldana, Program Director for Puget Sound Sage. “This is why Sage is proud to join with labor unions and low-income advocates in supporting Prop. 1 because it supports family wage jobs and begins to reorient transportation funding to meet the needs of low-income underservedcommunities.”

Designed by a citizen panel, Prop. 1 emphasizes the need to invest in good jobs and transportation systems that meets the needs of low-income families. Half of the funds raised by Prop. 1 would be dedicated to transit ($100 million over 10years), helping buses in Seattle move up to 20 percent faster and more reliably.

“The best transportation investment you can make is public transit. By far, it’s more affordable than driving, and for many low-income workers, it’s the only option to get to work,” said Tony To, Executive Director of HomeSight. “Which is why it’s so important that Prop. 1 passes so that our buses are faster, more convenient and on time.”

Due to Tim Eyman initiatives over the years and limiting state law, transit funding has beenseverely compromised, limiting Seattle’s ability to fund transit and transportation to a handful of options.

“In the end, we’re left with a simple choice,” said Tim Harris, Executive Director of Real Change. “By voting ‘YES’ for Prop. 1, we can have faster, convenient transit and safer roads for all working families. Or, we can continue our cripplingslide of broken roads and slower transit by voting ‘NO.’ Now is the time make our transit faster, not slower.”

“Prop. 1 is our opportunity to create safer and more vibrant communities for Seattle’s families,” said Sharon Lee, Executive Director of the Low Income Housing Institute. “In too many neighborhoods we don’t have enough sidewalks and safe streets for families to walk their kids to school, the park or just to simply cross a street safely. By investing $44 million in our neighborhoods for better family-friendly infrastructure, Prop. 1 will help build the strong, healthy communities we want for our families and children.”

Prop. 1 doubles Seattle’s annual investment in new sidewalks and focuses $44 million in our neighborhoods on pedestrian improvements and family-friendly infrastructurethat will make our roads and sidewalks safer for everyone.

“For many seniors and disabled, they need safe sidewalks, and transit that is easy toaccess,” said Bill Hobson, Executive Director of Downtown Emergency Services Center. “Prop. 1 will help make transit more accessible in our neighborhoods, helping people get to the social and medical services they depend on.”

If passed, the measure would also invest $59 million into repaving, repairing and maintaining Seattle’s streets over a 10 year period, doubling the amount of street repairs Seattle would be able to make annually.

In total, Prop. 1 would raise $204 million over 10 years to pay for faster transit, road maintenance, and pedestrian and family-friendly bicycle infrastructure.

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Seattle business leaders stress the need for transit investments and street maintenance to keep local economy moving.

SEATTLE – The Downtown Seattle Association this week announced their endorsement of Seattle Prop. 1.

“Each day, more people commute to their jobs in Downtown Seattle on transit than any other way, and that number is growing,” said Kate Joncas, President and CEO of the Downtown Seattle Association. “To keep Seattle moving and Downtown competitive, now is the time to make investments that will make our buses faster and our roads safer. Improving our transportation system is crucial to the health of Downtown Seattle and the entire city’s economy. Prop. 1 is our opportunity to make getting around Seattle and downtown easier, faster and safer.”

Designed by a citizen panel, Prop. 1 would implement at $60 annual license fee in Seattle for 10 years to fund these critical transportation investments. Half of the funds raised by Prop. 1 would be dedicated to transit ($100 million over 10 years), helping buses in Seattle move up to 20 percent faster and more reliably. If passed, the measure would also invest $59 million into repaving, repairing and maintaining Seattle’s streets over a 10 year period, doubling the amount of street repairs Seattle would be able to makeannually.

In total, Prop. 1 would raise $204 million over 10 years to pay for faster transit, road maintenance, and pedestrian and family-friendly bicycle infrastructure.

“Getting people to work quickly and conveniently is good for our economy and good for our businesses,” said Craig Benjamin, Co-Chair of Streets for All Seattle. “Prop. 1 will help thousands of people get to their jobs faster, and the DSA’s endorsement speaks to the business community’s commitment to investing in the efficiency of our buses and the safety of our roads.”

The Downtown Seattle Association is a non-profit member-based organization dedicated to ensuring Downtown’s health and vibrancy through advocacy, economic development and marketing, as well as a variety of commuter and neighborhood cleaning, hospitality and safety services. Their endorsement comes as the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce and Martin LutherKing County Labor Council have also recently endorsed, building on the growing and diverse coalition of organizations, businesses and individuals supporting Prop. 1.

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