Are you still riding public transit? Take our short survey!

Even as much of Washington state is shut down, many people – including hospital and grocery workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis – still rely on public transit every day. Are you still riding transit? If so, is it meeting your needs? Take this short rider survey we put together in collaboration with Transportation Choices Coalition, to help us understand how we can advocate for you right now.

We’re asking Seattle to step up

Together, we can make a huge difference to how Seattle gets through this incredibly tough time. We can come out on the other side stronger and better able to support one another, with more robust social programs, a more progressive tax system, and a more powerful movement. Here are three actions you can take now, and some lists of resources if you need help.

TRU is working with allies and calling on local, state, and national leaders to act urgently to support everyone impacted by this crisis, whether it’s people losing their livelihoods, workers on the front lines who need better protections, or people experiencing homelessness who are even more vulnerable and forgotten than usual right now. The City of Seattle is in a position to step up and make a big difference. We’re asking Seattle elected officials to step up and pass a local economic relief package, with major new progressive revenue such as a tax on large corporations, to provide flexible funds and prevent a downward spiral. You can help by taking a moment to email the Council and Mayor.

From the deepening climate emergency to so many horrible decisions coming from the other Washington, if you found it hard to keep your spirits up this year, you’re not alone. The best antidote we’ve found to news-induced blues? Solidarity and action. This year we at the Transit Riders Union joined together with allies to fight the good fight, and we achieved a lot! Here’s a quick look back at some of the progress we made in 2019:

Changing the conversation on homelessness

Last year we at TRU experienced first-hand how narratives about the homelessness crisis became toxic and misleading during the “head tax” debate. We knew we needed to be part of the solution, so this year we launched an innovative project called “We Need to Talk.”

“We Need to Talk” brings neighbors together in living rooms and community spaces to share their perceptions and experiences of the homelessness crisis and to discuss its root causes. Our volunteer facilitators meet people where they’re at, creating a space where participants can expand their compassion and understanding of this complex issue. We’re planning to scale up this project in 2020. If you’d like to host a conversation or be trained as a facilitator, get in touch!

Improving mobility for disabled riders

‌Working with disabled transit riders and allies at Stop Veolia Seattle, Washington ADAPT, and Disability Rights Washington, we won a major victory when King County finally gave irresponsible contractor Veolia/Transdev the boot. This corporation aggressively privatizes transportation and water systems and has been implicated in many abuses of workers and people around the world.

We pushed for and won major improvements to King County Metro’s Access Paratransit contract, promising better service for riders with disabilities. The new contract, which went into effect this fall, more strongly enforces pick-up and drop-off time windows and the time riders spend on board. Customer service is now handled directly by Metro, instead of a private corporation with clear conflicts of interest. We know this new contract will require strong oversight, and ultimately we believe this vital public service should be operated directly by Metro, so we will be continuing to organize on this front.

Beating back privatization of public transit

In March we learned that Sound Transit was quietly taking steps to contract out its Express bus service to a private, for-profit corporation. We teamed up with ATU 587 and MLK Labor to fight back, mobilizing members and supporters to send hundreds of emails to the Sound Transit Board and CEO and testifying at board meetings. Sound Transit rapidly changed course in response to our pressure, saving good union jobs and keeping our transit public.

Moving All Seattle Sustainably

Last fall TRU played a major role in bringing together the MASS Coalition to fight for a sustainable, equitable transportation system in Seattle. This powerhouse partnership of transportation, climate, and disability rights groups has made waves in 2019.

In May we hosted five candidate forums around the city, giving many hundreds of Seattleites an opportunity to hear from and ask questions of city council candidates. In June, hundreds joined our Ride for Safe Streets, which sent a powerful message to city officials. This fall we pushed many pieces of our ambitious MASS Transportation Package through the city council. These policy wins will make it easier and safer for all people to ride transit, bike, walk and roll around our city. And we have much more in store in 2020!

Launching ORCA for All

TRU’s organizing team and volunteers have been busy this year, surveying Seattle workers to learn about how they get to work and how their commutes could be improved. Building on that outreach, this September we launched ORCA for All. In 2020 we aim to pass a law requiring that large Seattle employers subsidize transit for all their workers.

We also made good progress on several related efforts: pressuring Sound Transit to decriminalize fare non-payment and reform their fare enforcement policies; advocating for a strong free transit pass program for the lowest-income riders; and challenging the University of Washington to step up and fully subsidize transit for ALL UW employees. We’ll continue working on all these fronts under the ORCA for All umbrella, expecting some decisive victories in 2020!

Electing a progressive Seattle city council

Remember how Amazon and the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce tried to buy our city council elections? Remember how they fell flat on their faces? TRU is proud to have endorsed and helped get out the vote for a slate of progressive Seattle City Council candidates, and other candidates running in our region, who are pro-transit, pro-worker, and will fight for a sustainable and equitable future for all. Most of the candidates we endorsed won election in November. We are looking forward to working with our new (and old) elected officials in 2020 to win ORCA for All and many other good things. We hope you will join us!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25

Today the Transit Riders Union (TRU), the disability rights group Washington ADAPT, and the Northwest-based clean energy economy nonprofit Climate Solutions joined the lawsuit against Initiative 976, which threatens to slash funding for voter-approved public transit service and infrastructure projects across the state.

The groups intervened in the suit filed on November 13 by the Garfield County Transportation Authority, King County, the City of Seattle, and other plaintiffs. The groups are also joining in the motion for a preliminary injunction to stop I-976 from taking effect, which will be heard on Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. in King County Superior Court.

“The voices of transit riders need to be heard in this case,” said Katie Wilson, General Secretary of the Transit Riders Union. “Our quality of life is at stake. Many people depend on public transit for their basic mobility, and we can’t let this misleading and unconstitutional measure wreak havoc on our transportation system.”

“The legal right to accessible public transit for disabled Washingtonians is in serious jeopardy,” said Janine Bertram on behalf of Washington ADAPT. “King County has threatened to cut over $12 million from Access Paratransit. Fixed route transit cuts are also planned. Disabled people will be unable to get to work, school, appointments or exercise a normal social life if these drastic cuts occur.”

“I-976 poses a profound threat to Washington’s efforts to combat climate change and give people mobility options outside of driving alone,” said Vlad Gutman-Britten, Washington Director for Climate Solutions. “We’re determined to create a broadly accessible, low carbon transportation system, and so we’re committed to fighting this illegal and harmful initiative.”

Initiative 976 annuls a revenue source that was approved by over 62% of Seattle voters in 2014. According to the City of Seattle, this will lead to cutting over 100,000 hours of bus service next year. “I am devastated by I-976 passing,” says Karen Taylor, a member of the Transit Riders Union. “I don’t have a driver’s license, and rely on public transit exclusively, because Social Security Disability does not give me enough money to take Taxis or Lyft. The bus routes that will be affected are crucial to my survival and well-being.”

Also under threat is a program that provides free ORCA transit passes to many Seattle public school students. TRU advocated alongside low-income students at Rainier Beach High School who led the campaign that won this life-changing program in 2015. “I don’t live near my school and I don’t have anyone to give me a ride,” said Sara Abraha, a 9th grade student at RBHS. “But I do live near Othello Station. If the free ORCA card went away I probably would not come to school as often or I would have to risk a fine from fare enforcement just to get to school.”

TRU, Washington ADAPT, and Climate Solutions plan to coordinate with the City of Seattle and King County in bringing their lawsuit. “Just like the last two times Eyman used deception to push this proposal, I-976 is unconstitutional and will be overturned,” said Knoll Lowney, an attorney at the Seattle law firm of Smith and Lowney who is representing the organizations.

It’s that time of year again! Come celebrate and support TRU’s work at our annual Happy Hour Fundraiser. There will be complimentary beer, wine, and light appetizers. We’ll have a photo booth, a silent auction, and most importantly great company.

Our theme is Rock the Bus, because that’s what we need to do to get sh*t done!

RSVP here and help us to spread the word on Facebook. There’s no cost to attend, but we will be asking guests to make a donation that is meaningful to them at the event. Or, you can make a donation online. We can’t do this work without you!

Rock the Bus Happy Hour Fundraiser
Wednesday, December 4, 5:30-7:30pm
Flatiron School @ Downtown Seattle
1411 4th Ave, 13th Floor

Thank you to our wonderful co-hosts: Speaker Emeritus Frank Chopp, Rep. Nicole Macri, Councilmember Mike O’Brien, Councilmember Kshama Sawant, Tammy Morales, Girmay Zahilay, John Burbank, Brady Walkinshaw, Mike McGinn, Cary Moon, and Kirsten Harris-Talley

Thank you to our allies who are generously sponsoring this event: ATU 587, UFCW 21, SEIU 6, SEIU 925, SEIU 1199, Transportation Choices Coalition, Teamsters 117, Protec17, WFSE 1488, Working Washington

And finally, thank you to the businesses that are donating food, drink and space: Flatiron School, Fremont Brewing Co.

We hope to see you there!

This year, Access Paratransit riders won a major victory when King County Metro signed a new contract promising higher standards of service for disabled riders who can’t easily use the fixed-route bus service.

For years, TRU has been organizing with disabled riders & allies including Washington ADAPT West and Stop Veolia Seattle, and working with elected officials like King County Councilmember Larry Gossett. Together we fought for and won an audit of Access service that highlighted severe problems, and a new contract that includes improvements such as: definitions and enforcement of excessively long trips; improved standards for drop-offs; higher penalties for the contractor; and better oversight of complaints. Drivers also have a strong contract, and irresponsible contractor Veolia/Transdev is out!

Check out the new Know Your Rights pamphlet for Access riders

At the same time, we know our work isn’t done. The new contract still falls short of what’s needed to hold MV Transportation accountable and to enforce the standards for acceptable transit service mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Ultimately, we believe this vital service should be brought in-house and operated as a truly public service, rather than contracted out to a private corporation. TRU and allies will be continuing to organize with Access riders to push for better transit service for disabled riders!

 

In August, the MASS Coalition launched an ambitious set of  proposals to make it easier to take transit, bike, wall and roll around our city. We called it the MASS Transportation Package. Since then, with the support of elected officials including Councilmembers Mike O’Brien and Abel Pacheco (pictured here), we’ve been making progress!

Most of us, including transit riders, are pedestrians at some point during our day. On September 30th the Seattle City Council unanimously passed two resolutions aimed at making it easier and safer to walk and roll in Seattle. One directs the city to develop a new program for maintaining our sidewalks. The current system is broken: It’s the responsibility of property owners to make repairs, but this almost never happens. Sidewalks fall into decay, and too often people fall and get injured. We’re encouraging the city to work on a new program that is both equitable and effective. The other resolution directs the city to develop a consistent and safe policy for traffic signal timing. Right now, too many signals privilege car traffic over people walking and rolling. Everyone should have time to cross the street, including those of us who move more slowly, and people need to know what to expect when they get to a crosswalk.

This comes on top of three big wins for safe streets and people biking earlier in September:

• A Bicycle Safety Ordinance requiring that when the city does major road work, it also makes any improvements listed in the Bicycle Master Plan at the same time – or explains to city council members and to the public why this isn’t possible.
• A resolution requesting that unfunded projects in the Bicycle Implementation Plan be funded, including all south end projects and two-way bike lanes on 4th Ave.
• A resolution requesting that SDOT request funding for additional off-sidewalk bike and scooter parking (bike corrals) to ensure pedestrian access on sidewalks, especially for those of us with disabilities.

Stay tuned as the MASS Coalition leaps into the city budget process and takes more steps towards realizing our MASS Transportation Package!

The Global Climate Strike on Friday, September 20th was amazing. In the morning, thousands gathered at Cal Anderson park to participate in workshops and take action for climate justice. We gathered petition signatures for ORCA for All and invited people to write and draw their vision of transit justice on a large canvass, which quickly filled up with color and energy.

The march proceeded to City Hall, merging with thousands of Amazon employees who walked out and rallied at the Spheres to demand that their employer step up and lead on climate. Their pressure is starting to work!

After the march and rally at City Hall, dozens of people, including middle school students and Seattle folk music legend Jim Page, testified in support of ORCA for All in a special meeting of the Sustainability & Transportation Committee. Members of the campaign discussed our proposals with Councilmembers Mike O’Brien and Lisa Herbold. Check out the video! The first 40 minutes are public comment, and the committee discussion starts around 1:20:00.

TRU is proud to launch a new campaign called ORCA for All! You can learn more and sign up to get involved on the campaign website, orca4all.org. This fall we have five main goals:

1. Transit benefits legislation: To increase employer provision of transit benefits, especially to lower-wage workers, through Seattle legislation mandating that large employers subsidize transit.

2. Transit benefits for public contract workers: Seattle and King County should commit to figuring out how to provide transit benefits for human services workers, construction workers, and other workers employed through publicly-funded contracts.

3. Step it up, UW: Fully-subsidized transit passes for all University of Washington employees! As Seattle’s second largest employer, the UW needs to set a better example.

4. No-cost fare program: The King County Council will consider a no-cost fare program for the lowest-income riders. We want this program to be as good and successful as possible!

5. Fare enforcement reform: King County Metro has made progress decriminalizing fare enforcement. We want Sound Transit (link light rail) to step up and do the same.

The Seattle Times recently reported that deaths and serious injuries from traffic violence are up in the first half of this year, especially collisions between moving vehicles and people walking or biking. This is unacceptable. With climate change accelerating and Seattle’s emissions rising, we need our elected leaders to take decisive action for a carbon-free transportation system with safe streets for all. The past year and a half has been filled with disappointing set-backs. It’s time to turn that around.

Last week Crosscut published a two-part article by TRU’s General Secretary Katie Wilson, calling for a transportation revolution in Seattle:

Part I: Durkan can’t make Seattle a climate leader without fixing our commute

Part II: Four things Mayor Durkan must do to spark Seattle’s transportation revolution

Here’s how you can help. The MASS coalition has just released a new package of transit, biking, walking & rolling improvements that we are asking the city to act on in the next few months. Please take a moment to send an email to Seattle elected officials:

Email Mayor & Councilmembers

TRU is working hard with our allies in the MASS Coalition and with councilmembers to turn the MASS transportation package into actionable legislation that can be passed this summer and fall. Stay tuned for further actions!

Two years ago, the Seattle City Council unanimously passed a tax on high-income households championed by the Trump-Proof Seattle Coalition, which TRU co-convened with the Economic Opportunity Institute. We knew this tax would be challenged, and that was the point: We wanted to give the Washington State Supreme Court a chance to overturn flawed 1930s rulings that have stymied efforts to fix our state’s upside-down, regressive tax system for generations. Venture capitalists and other members of Seattle’s wealthy class immediately sued the city, and since then the tax has been winding its way through the court system.

On Monday, the Court of Appeals handed down its ruling. While as expected it didn’t uphold the tax— only the higher court can overturn its own previous decisions— the ruling was extremely favorable for us. It affirmed Seattle’s authority to tax income, and opened the door for the State Supreme Court to address precisely the question we want them to address: Whether income is a form of property (we say not!) and thus, according to our state’s constitution, only taxable “uniformly,” not in a graduated or progressive way.

If the State Supreme Court upholds Seattle’s tax, our City will have a robust, progressive, revenue source, revolutionizing our ability to provide essential public services and guarantee a dignified standard of living for every Seattle resident. Even if the higher court strikes down Seattle’s specific tax, its ruling could still open huge new possibilities for state and local tax reform. This decision from the Court of Appeals is extremely encouraging, and while we are trying not to get our hopes up too much, we are thrilled and our opponents are “dumbstruck”!

Next stop: On to the State Supreme Court!