About 25 years ago, Snohomish County voted for Public Transit Benefit Area. Everett residents voted not to join, they already had a transit system. At that time Community Transit’s Board of Directors deemed it necessary for the success of CT that it be allowed to operate in the city of Everett. The county taxpayers had said that is where their buses should go.
Everett residents pay $7 million a year in taxes to operate Everett Transit. They pay $14 million a year into RTA (Sound Transit). The city of Everett is just finishing the $44 million regional transit facility called the Everett Station. When asked to participate in the funding of the project, Community Transit declined.
When is CT going to ask King County Metro to pay their share? CT operates 60 percent of their routes into King County. Two years ago CT cut Sunday service; at the same time they doubled the frequency of Route 610 to match with Metro (140 hours a week, enough to offer limited Sunday service). When is CT going to ask Island Transit to pay their share? You can watch CT buses load up on ferry passengers from the island.
For 25 years the city of Everett has allowed CT to operate within their city limits. The city of Everett has tried to cooperate, has shown great leadership in the regional transit issues, and provides a taxpayer friendly service. In 25 years CT has grown into a large, inefficient bureaucracy. Community Transit’s solution to all its problems has been to open the taxpayers’ wallets.
It is time for Community Transit to get out of Everett – before Everett taxpayers have to get out their wallets.
Everett
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