Seattle City Councilmember Dan Strauss is proposing two amendments that he says would improve bus service for Ballard, including prioritizing faster connections to downtown Seattle and light rail stations.
The proposals come as the City Council prepares to vote July 16 on the Seattle Transit Measure, a funding package that pays for additional transit service in Seattle before it goes to voters in November.
The first proposal, Amendment 10, would prioritize new and faster bus service connecting regional centers, including Ballard, to downtown Seattle and Link light rail stations.
In a newsletter to constituents, Strauss said Ballard’s recent designation as a regional center means the neighborhood is expected to see significant growth in housing and jobs, making improved transit increasingly important.
Strauss also said bus service between Ballard and downtown has declined in recent years. According to Strauss, the 15X and 18X routes were suspended, and the 17X has been significantly reduced, resulting in longer travel times for many riders.
“It is unacceptable that it takes 45 minutes to an hour to get to downtown from Ballard on the bus,” Strauss wrote.
His second proposal, Amendment 29, would require that at least 75% of Seattle Transit Measure funding be spent directly on transit service. The mayor’s proposal would require at least 60% of the funding to go toward transit.
Strauss said the higher requirement would help ensure that more of the measure’s funding is used to purchase additional bus service rather than on other transportation-related projects.
The proposed bus improvements also come as the timeline for Ballard light rail remains uncertain. In May, the Sound Transit Board approved an updated financial plan that allows the Ballard Link Extension to continue through final design but delays the Ballard segment between Seattle Center and Market Street until additional funding is identified.
The current Seattle Transit Measure, which funds additional King County Metro bus service within Seattle, expires at the end of this year. The City Council is considering a renewal that would appear on the November ballot, with the Select Committee on the Seattle Transportation Benefit District scheduled to vote on the proposed amendments and final package on July 16 following a public hearing earlier this week.