EVERETT – Continued softness in sales tax revenue has forced Community Transit to plan for a 20 percent cut in service, beginning in February 2012.
Community Transit CEO Joyce Eleanor made the announcement April 7 in a news release.
Community Transit cut service by 15 percent in
June 2010, including elimination of Sunday and holiday service, but the long-term effects of the recession make another cut necessary.
“The recession has taken a large toll on public agencies that rely on sales tax revenues,” Eleanor said in the news release. “While we expect sales tax revenues to climb slightly this year, we foresee a long, slow economic recovery.”
In 2007, before the recession began, Community Transit collected $76 million in sales tax revenue, its primary funding source. The past two years, sales tax collections have been stuck at about $62 million, Eleanor said. Community Transit collects a voter-approved 0.9 percent tax on retail sales in its Snohomish County service district, the maximum allowed by the state.
“These cuts are necessary to keep our agency sustainable, so that we can provide transportation for Snohomish County residents far into the future,” she said.
The 2012 service cut will equal about 80,000 hours of service, roughly the same amount of service that was cut in 2010. In the last three years, Community Transit has cut about $29 million in program and administrative expenses, raised fares twice, deferred projects and purchases, and cut service by 15 percent. More than 100 positions have been eliminated at the agency so far due to budget cuts.
“By this time next year we will have cut about a third of the service and about a third of the employees that we had at the beginning of 2010,” Eleanor said. “We are making this announcement now so that we can involve the public in a conversation on how our service should be restructured.”
On June 2, Community Transit will release to the public three alternatives for achieving the 20 percent cut. Two of those alternatives will focus on reducing the frequency of trips, while a third alternative will propose a complete restructuring of bus service in Snohomish County. At least one of the alternatives will restore some Sunday service, which will mean deeper cuts the rest of the week.
Details of the proposals will be available in June on the agency’s website. Throughout the month of June, the agency will take public comment on the alternatives at five community open house meetings and a dozen rider forums and bus ride-alongs.
On July 7, the Community Transit board of directors will hold a public hearing on the three alternatives. The board is expected to take action on a final service cut scenario in September. The cuts will take effect on Feb. 19, 2012.
“It is very unfortunate that these cuts must be made, but in order to be in a position to provide transit service far into the future, Community Transit must face the economic realities and begin to make changes,” said Eleanor.
Open house meetings
6 to 8:30 p.m., Monday, June 6, Mountlake Terrace Library, 23300 58th Ave. W., Mountlake Terrace
2 to 4 p.m., Tuesday, June 7, Edmonds Community College, Snohomish Hall, Room 0304, 20000 68th Ave. W., Lynnwood
6 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, June 15, Monroe High School Performing Arts Center, 17001 Tester Road, Monroe
10 a.m. to noon, Wednesday, June 22, Everett Station, Weyerhaeuser Room, 3201 Smith Ave., Everett
5 to 8 p.m., Thursday, June 23, City of Arlington Community Room, Hadley Hall, 18513 59th Ave. NE, Arlington
Public hearing
5 to 8:30 p.m.,Thursday, July 7, Rose Hill Community Center, 304 Lincoln Ave., Mukilteo
Rider forums
Community Transit staff will hold rider forums at park and rides and transit centers throughout Snohomish County at dates and times to be decided.
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