The Waiting is the Hardest Part: King County Council Finally Passes the Congestion Reduction Charge
Politicians love to put on a show.
On Friday, the King County Council and Dow Constantine did just that--in a big, flashbulb-y, headline-making announcement, they shook hands and smiles and patted themselves on the back, because they were going to save the transit dependent masses of King County from hours of walking and waiting in the rain. Because they were going to, as the hashtag that's been Tweeting the saga goes, save King County Metro.
Unfortunately, after the announcements come the minutia. And with the minutia, comes the waiting. The waiting and the waffling and the discussion. 4 long hours of it. But they made a show out of that, too.
Today, King County Councilmembers recessed for hours, as they deliberated on the tiny matters that surround the controversial, but critical, $20 congestion reduction fee, which would allow King County Metro to retain their current level of service. 4 hours of deliberation, during which transit advocates, citizens and journalists waited it out, wondering: was the deal dead? Would their bus line get cut?
Upon reconvening, the discussion was still not over, and went on for another hour and change.
Councilmember Patterson laid down the law: without the congestion reduction fee, Metro would lose about 9 million rides per year, and put thousands of cars back on the road. It was heartening to hear, after such a long period of waiting and nail-biting. But still, the mood was tense.
Next, the Council went on to add an amendment, which lumped together the 4 additional points raised on Friday, which acknowledges that, with tolling on its way to the area, some restructuring would be necessary, provides a voucher program for households with a registered vehicle to receive complimentary bus tickets, instigates the immediate implementation of right-size service plan, which includes van-pooling and other non-bus transit options, and clarifies that the Ride Free area will no longer be provided by King County Metro, but may be paid for and kept through Seattle.
Both Councilmembers Hague and Lambert, who had initially been against the decision and were rumored to be ready to back out, were highly praised during the meeting, lauded for reaching across the aisle to make a difficult decision.
Councilmember Patterson made it a point to pay Councilmember Hague big compliment for her plan: the addition of the vouchers for motorists, which motorists could either donate, or could use to give the bus a try. Hague even acknowledged that the "partisan bickering" needed to end to cut waste and keep jobs. She also admitted to wrestling with it, but assured the Council (and her constituents) that the decision to pass the charge was a good one.
Lambert echoed the necessity of difficult decisions and measures that make voters feel as if their representatives are in their corner, and voiced her concerns for the transit dependent in her district. Both Councilmembers, who are republicans, seemed hell-bent on defending the decision, in spite of potential partisan backlash.
Both Councilmembers Dunn and von Reichbauer spoke of their concerns about raising taxes without a vote from the citizens, and both vowed to vote against the matter. Other members where quick to point out other measure where Councilmembers passed similar votes councilmatically.
At long last, after discussions, debates, questions, comments and ruminations from the Councilmembers, at around 7:30 p.m., it was time for a vote. In favor? Kathy Lambert, Bob Ferguson, Joe McDermott, Larry Phillips, Julia Patterson, Larry Gossett and Jane Hague. Against? Reagan Dunn and Pete von Reichbauer.
Between long recesses and endless testimony and thousands of public comments, this vote, which has presented itself as a necessity for weeks, has been like the world's most boring roller-coaster, at times seeming impossibly far from passing, while at others, looking like a sure thing.
We are excited to see the matter finally put to bed, and congratulate the members of the County Council who stepped up and did what was right by the voters of Seattle and its surrounding areas.
