For Immediate Release
November 24, 2008

Contact:  Saul Ettlin
               Director, Municipal League
               206-622-8333

Municipal League Publishes Review of Metro Transit

The Municipal League of King County today announced recommendations to improve Metro Transit based on a review conducted by a committee of citizens.

“Riders are frustrated because of overcrowded buses and poor schedule performance. Especially in this economy, policymakers need to rethink Metro in order to deliver the best possible service,” said Municipal League Chair Brad Meacham.

The review, conducted under the auspices of the Municipal League Foundation, made findings and recommendations in four areas:

1. Performance measurement and reporting needs to be strengthened through systematic published standards and greater transparency;

2. Policymakers and the public need to begin a dialog about the current 40-40-20 service allocation policy.  New service hours should be based on ridership demand and growth management goals, not geographic subareas;

3. The 2007-2016 Strategic Plan for Public Transportation needs clearer priorities for service development, greater focus on management and monitoring, and strengthened financial policies;

4. Public information on transit trends, agency meetings, and budgets needs greater clarity and accessibility.

The Committee gathered and analyzed information over several months. A copy of the full report can be found at www.munileague.org.

Download the full report here

Download Metro's response here

About the Municipal League

The Municipal League of King County is a nonpartisan volunteer organization that has worked to ensure good government that is open, effective and accountable since 1910. The Municipal League is dedicated to improving the caliber of public officials and the quality of public decisions. See www.munileague.org.