Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson announced a proposal Tuesday to double the city’s sales tax dedicated to bus transit, seeking a 10-year renewal of the Seattle Transit Measure.
Angela Brady, acting director of the Seattle Department of Transportation, noted that frequent all-hours service is a primary driver of affordability, particularly for residents in neighborhoods like White Center, Georgetown, and Beacon Hill.
In 2014, voters approved a $60 vehicle license fee alongside a smaller sales tax.
The mayor’s proposal seeks to address these reliability gaps by funding more frequent runs, even if buses are not yet reaching capacity, under the theory that frequency itself stimulates demand and supports long-term growth.
This shift suggests that the Wilson administration believes the public’s appetite for transit investment has not waned despite the rise of remote work and the resulting changes in commuting patterns.
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson seeks to double transit sales tax to 0.3% to fund 280,000 annual bus trips and expand low-income ORCA fare cards.