Valenzuela

Transit committee hears concerns

IT proposal to cut rural service faces April 4 vote

MICHAEL BURNHAM THE OLYMPIAN

OLYMPIA -- An Intercity Transit proposal to cut service to rural Thurston County will leave many commuters, elderly, disabled and low-income residents without transportation, speakers said at a Thursday hearing.

"I don't see why they have to cut our service; we're paying for it," said IT commuter Bill Lovelace, who advocated for IT to keep Route 98 serving Rochester.

"I don't think we're asking that much to have service in our area."

IT now has the authority to serve the entire county. However, the transportation provider wants to cut back, concentrating service on routes to voting precincts that generally mirror Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater's urban growth boundaries, as well as voting precincts that link Tenino and Yelm with the county's urban core.

The move would eliminate the Rochester/Grand Mound route, which IT says costs $70,388 to provide. In return, IT would lose about $464,000 of annual sales tax revenue and gain a more urban voting bloc that constitutes one-fifth of the county's geographic area.

A nine-member committee of Thurston County elected officials, which played host to Thursday's hearing, will vote on the proposed boundaries April 4. The committee is composed of an elected official from each incorporated jurisdiction within the county and the three-member County Commission. Each member has voting rights, and the County Commission has veto authority.

Twelve of the hearing's 14 speakers urged the committee to oppose the cuts.

Citing the future expense of providing regular and Dial-A-Lift service to Tenino, Tum-water City Councilwoman Karen Valenzuela said her council supports a transit area that includes only Yelm and the urban core. "It is the only thing that will assure that we remain a viable transportation provider," Valenzuela said.

Lacey Mayor Graeme Sackrison said his council supports a similar move.

Speaker Doug DeForest supported the proposal, calling the cuts a benefit if IT seeks future funding from voters.

"Sooner or later, we have to take this issue to the public," DeForest said. "We want to be in a position to say that Intercity Transit has taken every step to be leaner and meaner. It's a matter of public perception."

Should the state Legislature's transportation plan fail to win support from voters in the fall, DeForest said he would help put an IT sales tax increase before voters.

IT now collects a 0.3 cent sales tax -- one of the lowest sales tax collection rates in the Puget Sound region.

The transit agency last asked voters to approve a sales tax increase in 1999. The levy failed, drawing support from less than 40 percent of rural voters.

"What I see this as is almost a punishment to south county for not supporting a (sales) tax increase last time," said John O'Callahan, a former IT board member. "The way you win south county is to tell them that we will maintain your service, but we need more money."

Michael Burnham covers Olympia for The Olympian. He can be reached at 360-704-6869 or mburnham@olympia.gannett.com

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