Seattle City Wire

Seattle residents recently voted overwhelming in favor of Proposition 1 which will fund critical transit service, according to a release from the Mayor's Office.

The six-year Seattle Transportation Benefit District (STBD) will ensure that elements essential to transit service will be maintained and will aid in COVID-19 recovery. The STBD will provide residents with equitable access to transit with the option to scale up service when passenger numbers recover to pre-pandemic levels.

The STBD will increase safe, efficient transit for residents, critical for essential workers fighting against the current health crisis; prioritize equity while preserving a robust and connected transit system; invest in areas that address critical mobility needs in areas like West Seattle; invest in ORCA Opportunity for students and Low-Income Access programs.

Funding for the STBD will be provided by an increase in the current  sales tax from 0.1% to 0.15% which will begin collecting revenue April  2021.

“The Seattle Transportation Benefit District is a critical tool for providing equitable access to transit in our City,” said Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan. “Seattle voters once again stepped up to support transit and transportation, especially to ensure reliable transit for essential workers during this pandemic. Our residents are the reason Seattle can claim one of the best transit networks in the nation. Seattle has had back to back wins for transportation with the Supreme Court overturning I-976 and the passage of STBD. We can build back from the pandemic better than we started and provide an important surge of investments to the West Seattle and Duwamish Valley neighborhoods as they deal with the impacts of the bridge closure.”