Councilmember Kettle proposes transit measure alternative with sharpened focus on service needs and affordability

Reduces sticker shock while also investing critical transit needs

Today, Councilmember Bob Kettle (District 7) announced that he’s introducing an affordable alternative to the Seattle Transit Measure renewal, CB 121226, proposed by the mayor and currently being considered by the City Council. The mayor’s proposal would increase the sales tax by 0.15% to 0.3%, while Councilmember Kettle’s amendment would increase the sales tax by a more affordable 0.05%

“A healthy transit and transportation system is absolutely essential for Seattle. As both a strong supporter and believer in public transit, I know how vital these connections are to our daily lives,” said Councilmember Kettle. “However, we must spend our public dollars strategically, rather than raising the sales tax simply because we can. Every day, I hear from neighbors about how living in Seattle is becoming less and less affordable. My alternative offers a pragmatic increase in transit funding for bus service and ORCA cards while preserving the flexibility we need for emerging transit-related investments.”

Mayor Wilson’s current version of the transit measure was released on June 3 and doubles the City’s sales tax that supports transit from 0.15% to 0.3%. It’s expected to raise an average of $138 million annually over 10 years, while also assuming major increases in transit ridership. As of 2024, post-pandemic bus ridership has recovered to only 70 percent of 2019 numbers. Fifty percent of today’s riders are commuters, compared 60 percent in 2019. The amendment acknowledges the 100,000-transit service hour increase anticipated to be made by King County Metro in 2028, which will help to support Seattle’s service.

“As we head into the final stages of this process, I urge community members with affordability concerns to stay at the table and engaged. We want to hear from you,” added Councilmember Kettle.

What the alternative does

Councilmember Kettle’s alternative limits the proposed sales tax increase to just 0.2% — which is 0.1% less than the mayor’s version. The alternative reserves 0.1% sales tax to be used for any emergent transportation investment that can be approved by the City Council. Examples of potential use range from adding hours if demand for transit service rebounds significantly, or for major infrastructure maintenance, if needed. The amendment also reduces duplicate funding for capital spending, as voters approved the $1.55 billion Transportation Levy in 2024 which sets aside over $151 million for transit corridor spending. It additionally maintains the Transit Accessibility Program, giving out 22,000 free ORCA passes, to further reduce the regressive impact of the sales tax.

Next steps

The City Council is expected to discuss amendments to the current transit measure on July 6 at 11 a.m. A public hearing is set for July 13. The City Council must approve a proposed package to send to voters by the August 4th primary, for the measure to be considered by voters in the November general election.

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