Bus service in Issaquah and Sammamish could take a big hit by the fall of 2014.
King County Metro Transit announced April 1 that it may have to cut a large portion of its routes due to funding problems.
Ten of the 12 routes in Issaquah and Sammamish are on lists for possible deletion or reduction/revisions. Six of those 10 could be completely eliminated.
Metro is facing a $75 million annual budget gap starting in 2014 due to a depletion of the $32 million in state funds and an expiration of a $20 car tab fee.
In all, 65 Metro Transit bus routes are at risk of being canceled, and service could be reduced on another 86 routes.
“Our analysis shows that we should be adding service to meet growing demand, but the sad reality is that – without ongoing and sufficient funding – potentially one-third of our routes are on the chopping block, and another 40 percent of our routes face reductions and revisions,” said Metro Transit General Manager Kevin Desmond. “The result would be even more crowded buses, riders left at the curb, or people climbing back into their cars – something that would worsen the region’s traffic congestion and hurt the economic engine of the state.”
Metro is currently working with legislators in Olympia and the King County Council for help coming up with a long-term funding solution.
The following routes could be impacted in Issaquah and Sammamish.
Possible deletion: 200, 210, 211, 215, 216, 927.
Reductions/revisions: 209, 214, 269, 271.
For the complete list go to the Metro Transit website.