<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default"><p style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="arial, sans-serif" color="#000000">Hello, I am following-up on the great idea to introduce a resolution in support of a measure to expand Metro Transit service in King County to build momentum and support. I am hoping to introduce a version of this resolution at the April meeting of the 36th District Democrats. Can you please provide me with any feedback? Dave, Wes, or others connected with the LDs, are you interested in signing on and/or helping to present? Thanks in advance for your thoughts! </font></span></p><p style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="arial, sans-serif" color="#000000"><br></font></span></p><p style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="arial, sans-serif" color="#000000">Sarah </font></span></p><p style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br></p><p style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="arial, sans-serif" color="#000000">___________</font></span></p><p style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-weight:700;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-weight:normal">Resolution in support of a measure to restore and expand transit service in King County </span><font face="arial, sans-serif"><br></font></font></span></p><p style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-weight:700;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="arial, sans-serif" color="#000000"><br></font></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-weight:700;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">WHEREAS </span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">the effects of global climate change are already being </span><a href="https://www.pugetsoundinstitute.org/2020/02/new-report-describes-anticipated-climate-change-effects-in-washington-state/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-skip:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">felt here in Washington</span></a><span style="font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> with natural catastrophes like this year’s heat dome, rising sea levels, unprecedented droughts, and rampant wildfires,</span></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font color="#000000"> </font></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-weight:700;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">WHEREAS</span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> transportation is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions of any sector in Washington, and transitioning to low emissions public transportation will be a crucial part of our survival as a species,</span></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font color="#000000"> </font></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-weight:700;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">WHEREAS</span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> King County Metro Transit service has languished since the pandemic, ridership as been cut in half, and transit riders have experienced canceled routes, delays in service, and a growing frustration that they are not a priority, </span></font></p><font color="#000000"><br style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></font><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-weight:700;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">WHEREAS</span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> challenges recruiting and retaining </span><a href="https://www.realchangenews.org/news/2023/03/08/king-county-metro-service-struggles-amid-bus-driver-shortage" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-skip:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">King County Metro bus operators</span></a><span style="font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> and a general shortage of bus drivers has led to canceled routes and delays in service, </span></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font color="#000000"> </font></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-weight:700;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">WHEREAS</span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> lack of access to reliable, frequent, fast, and convenient transit adversely impacts every resident of our region, but disproportionately impacts those who depend on transit including youth, elderly, those with fixed incomes, communities of color, and people with disabilities; </span></font></p><font color="#000000"><br style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></font><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-weight:700;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">WHEREAS </span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">we are losing major gains getting people out of cars and into environmentally sustainable and space-friendly transit.  </span></font></p><font color="#000000"><br style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></font><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-weight:700;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">WHEREAS</span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> the most recent </span><a href="https://www.commuteseattle.com/2022survey/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-skip:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Commute Seattle Survey</span></a><span style="font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> shows that to restore and increase ridership King County should invest in transit service to ensure it is frequent, fast, reliable, safe, and convenient. </span></font></p><font color="#000000"><br style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></font><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font color="#000000">THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the 36h District Democrats urges members of the King County Council to bring a revenue package to the people of King County to fund a Transportation Benefit District to restore and expand transit service in King County. Specifically, the funding package should do the following:</font></span></p><font color="#000000"><br style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></font><ul><li><span style="font-family:Arial;white-space:pre-wrap"><font color="#000000">Restore and expand Metro Transit service to increase frequency, speed, reliability, accessibility, convenience, and safety; </font></span></li><li><span style="font-family:Arial;white-space:pre-wrap"><font color="#000000">Provide bonuses, increased pay, flexibility and appropriate incentives to help to recruit and retain bus operations; </font></span></li><li><span style="font-family:Arial;white-space:pre-wrap"><font color="#000000">Expand free and subsidized transit to those who are cost burdened. </font></span></li></ul></div><div class="gmail_default"><font color="#000000"><br style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></font><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-weight:700;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED</span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the King County Council and Executive. </span></font></p><font color="#000000"><br style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></font><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font color="#000000">Submitted by Sarah Reyneveld, 36th District Democrats PCO and Transit Riders Union member (PLEASE ADD YOUR NAME…..) </font></span></p><br class="gmail-Apple-interchange-newline"></div></div>