Initiative 976
Potential Impacts on the City of Seattle and
the Seattle Transportation Benefit District

Date (xx/xx/xxxx)
11/7/2019

Department
Name
Page Number
Seattle Department
of Transportation

1

 Seattle Transportation Benefit District
• 99 active TBDs state-wide, 62 of which collect vehicle fees
• STBD Prop 1 currently generates approximately $54.5 million
annually, with 55% of the revenues in 2019 coming from sales tax
($30 million) and 45% of the revenues from the $60 VLF ($24.5
million). In addition, Council-approved $20 VLF is about $8
million per year.
• STBD collects revenue through $80 VLF and 0.1% Sales Tax
• 2011 – Council-approved $20 VLF
• 2014 – Voter-approved STBD Proposition 1 ($60 VLF & 0.1% sales tax)

Date (xx/xx/xxxx)
11/7/2019

Department
Name
Page Number
Seattle Department
of Transportation

2

 Initiative 976 – Direct City of Seattle Impacts
• I-976 Impacts: $32M annually ($24M for transit, $8M for
basic services)
• $24M annually from $60 VLF to fund improved transit service, low
income access to transit, transit capital programs, and ORCA
Opportunity through 2020
• $8M annually from $20 VLF to fund basic services

Date (xx/xx/xxxx)
11/7/2019

Department
Name
Page Number
Seattle Department
of Transportation

3

 How STBD revenue is programmed
($60 VLF and 0.1% Sales Tax)

Date (xx/xx/xxxx)
11/7/2019

Department
Name
Page Number
Seattle Department
of Transportation

4

 Transit Service Funded by STBD
(VLF and Sales Tax)
• Transit Service Priorities and
peak/off-peak breakdown overlap

Off-peak (Night Owl)
3%

Off-peak (Weekday
midday/evening)
24%

Peak (to/from
Downtown)
21%

Peak (outside
Downtown)
2%

Off-peak (Saturday & Sunday)
50%

=~350k
Service Hours

Date (xx/xx/xxxx)
11/7/2019

• E.g. Improving a route that serves
Downtown to 15-minute service
both improves the Frequent Transit
Network and improves downtown
mobility (Routes 1, 11, and 14)

Department
Name
Page Number
Seattle Department
of Transportation

• Individual investments can help
address many priorities
5

 Programs Funded by $20 VLF

• $20 VLF funds the majority of some
basic service programs such as pothole
repair and neighborhood traffic control
• I-976 passage would result in an $8.3M
reduction in revenue in 2020

Date (xx/xx/xxxx)
11/7/2019

Department
Name
Page Number
Seattle Department
of Transportation

6

 Next Steps

• Legal Action on Unconstitutional I-976
• $20 VLF
• One-time 2020 Budget Proposal

• $60 VLF
• $20 million in reserves to ramp down
• City and SDOT working on a long-term funding plan in the event our lawsuit fails
in Court
• No service disruptions until March when at least 100,000 hours will need to be
cut in 2020
• ORCA Opportunity funded through only the end of Summer 2020

Date (xx/xx/xxxx)
11/7/2019

Department
Name
Page Number
Seattle Department
of Transportation

7

 Principles for Potential Cuts
110,000 service hours are at risk in 2020
• Minimize impact on transit dependent communities using RSJI
lens
• Reducing trips with lower demand, including off-peak, weekend
and first mile/last mile services
• Maintaining maximum service in Center City for downtown
mobility

Date (xx/xx/xxxx)
11/7/2019

Department
Name
Page Number
Seattle Department
of Transportation

8