[Transit] Termination of Bus 20 Route

[Doug Trumm]

I think deleting Route 20 sets a bad precedent even if it's relatively top
of the list if you absolutely had to cut in Seattle. As the letter
mentions, it leaves a pretty significant swath in the Latona corridor that
will have no bus route within a half-mile walk, made worse by the I-5 chasm
obstructing the walkshed of the bus routes to the east. A bus route within
a half-mile of every residential block is a bar the agency could be able to
clear, especially in Seattle, given the population density. Maybe we could
live with losing Route 20 (although Stephen Fesler did make a pretty good
argument for keeping it
<https://www.theurbanist.org/2023/01/31/metro-unveils-lynnwood-link-bus-restructure-concepts-in-an-austerity-redux/>),
but what bus routes would be next? Is Metro managing decline or serious
about ridership growth and improving service?

Stephen also argues the agency's service guidelines are not being followed
and outmoded anyway
<https://www.theurbanist.org/2023/08/26/op-ed-metros-alarming-latest-bus-restructures-illustrate-the-need-for-reform/>
to
allow such cuts. They should require the agency to offer some sort of
coverage in this proposed service gap. Even if Route 20 is underperforming
by Seattle standards, it'd be a pretty good performing route next to some
in the burbs.

All in all, I'd be in support of signing on to the letter or adapting a
similar version to signal our opposition to Metro's managed decline
approach. Metro might think this cut makes sense in their equity framework,
but it betrays a lack of vision to solve for their shortage of
labor/service hours and make it so no one has to suffer such a severe cut.

-Doug

On Sun, Jul 7, 2024 at 1:53 PM Wes Mills <wesmills at wesmills.com> wrote:

> That’s the same thing I’ve heard from Metro people.  Apparently the south
> end of the 20, past Northgate, is sparsely ridden and has been sparsely
> ridden as far back as it being the 26.  So in our current era of “not
> enough drivers”, Metro can’t swing it.
>
> I’m one of the people who is cheesed off about us cutting service,
> especially since we seem to keep cutting bus service in, around, and
> through Northgate when we do a train station opening.  Essentially the ask
> is “do you want the 61” (the Lake City Fred Meyer to Greenwood Fred Meyer
> via Northgate route that we *should* have gotten at the Northgate Link
> opening) or “do you want the 20."
>
> I wish we would keep the 20 on the route map so we could add frequency
> later, which would induce people to ride it more.  But Metro seems
> unwilling or unable to do that.
>
> I’ll read over their letter when I get home tonight.  Are they asking us
> to sign on as well?
>
> On Sun, Jul 7, 2024, at 11:52, Dave Schuldt wrote:
>
> Low ridership at least on the south end from what I’ve seen.  Some of the
> service can be covered by the 45 & 62 with a longer walk.
>
> Dave Schuldt
>
>
>
> On Jul 7, 2024, at 11:35 AM, Katie Wilson <katie at transitriders.org> wrote:
>
> Just in. Any thoughts?
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> *From: *James W Little <littlejamesw at hey.com>
> *Subject: **Termination of Bus 20 Route*
> *Date: *July 6, 2024 at 11:48:44 PM PDT
> *To: *contact at transitriders.org
>
> Hello TRU,
>
> I'm one of several neighbors who are dismayed that KC Metro is cancelling
> the #20 Bus Route and not continuing service to the south half of the route
> from Northgate to U-District west of I-5 through Licton Springs, Green Lake
> and East Wallingford.  We've reached out to Seattle City Council Members
> and King County Council Members without any resolution.  We've contacted KC
> Metro leadership and requested a meeting but they've not responded to our
> request.  Our last hurrah is to contact KC Executive Dow Constantine in
> hopes that he can reverse the harm that will result if this bus service is
> not replaced.  *HERE*
> <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BzdGNi9TF6f2T31YdYudq9mbAIHcQJcbMFLx9VvPjQo/edit?usp=sharing>
>  is our draft letter to Constantine.  We would appreciate any suggestions
> that you might have on our letter or on strategy.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Jim Little
> Neighbors Helping To Save Local Bus Service
>
>
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