April 18, 2014

Seattle Times: Under the microscope

media mention

By Mike Lindblom

While most big transit agencies in the U.S. slashed service during the recession, King County Metro Transit managed to hang on.

Managers shifted a $100 million surplus from a fleet-replacement fund to keep existing buses rolling. And the agency made painful choices — raising fares, while cutting some low-use routes to cram more buses into the main corridors.

Washington state has one of the most regressive tax structures in the country. The poorest fifth pay 17 percent of their income to state and local taxes, while the richest 1 percent pay 3 percent, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.



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