I want to thank the people of Everett who showed on Sept. 14 that we are a community. Proposition 1 passed because voters chose to support our neighborhood-based transit system. What makes the vote especially gratifying is that most of the voters are not daily transit riders; they are showing support for others.
When Everett Transit cut service in August 2003, I wrote to apologize for the inconvenience those cuts would cause. The Amalgamated Transit Union members of Local 883 got quite an earful over the course of the last year. Passengers vented when they needed to. I want to thank those members who handled the stress with courtesy and professionalism. Your generosity has returned tenfold.
I have every confidence city leaders and Everett Transit management will wisely apply this vote of confidence from the voters. People should see increased levels of service starting in November. While revenues from the increased tax rate will not be available before mid 2005, we have been assured by city leaders that our priority will be to restore the most recent cuts as soon as possible.
I look forward to returning service to neighborhoods cut off during the cutbacks and a future that brings new service to growing areas of the city. I especially look forward to increased levels of service that will allow for more seamless transferring to Sound Transit and Community Transit. Hopefully, the increased levels of service will dispel the myth that the transit agencies that service Snohomish County and Everett to do not coordinate services. We coordinate transit services all the way into King County.
I would like to thank Mayor Ray Stephanson, the City Council, the SAVE ET committee, Everett Neighborhood councils, Snohomish County Labor Council, ATU 883 members and the Amalgamated Transit Union Locals who provided assistance.
Don Shagam
President , ATU 883
Everett
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