“Hop On Board!” Campaign Kicks Off

Transit advocates including Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck, ATU 587 President Greg Woodfill, and many others, launched the Hop On Board! campaign on Friday (Hop On Board Seattle).

Yesterday, a coalition of transit advocates launched Hop On Board!", the official campaign urging Seattle voters to pass the renewal and expansion of the Seattle Transit Measure this November. Speakers at the event included Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck, ATU 587 President Greg Woodfill, Nondrivers Alliance founder Anna Zivarts, Transit Riders Union General Manager Lam Ho, and Transportation Choices Coalitions Executive Director Kirk Hovenkotter and Policy Director Katy Ricchiuto.

The Transportation Choices Coalition is leading local advocates pushing for expansion of the transit measure, which proposes to increase the current 0.15% sales tax for transit to 0.3%, the maximum allowed under recently adopted state law. If approved by voters, the measure would take effect in April 2027.

King County Metro uses an equity framework to distribute service across King County but cities have the ability to purchase additional service. Seattle has been buying additional service since 2014, which brought frequent buses to most of the city and dramatically increased the viability of living car-free.

The current Seattle Transit Measure funds over 7% of all bus trips currently running in Seattle, mainly boosting service along key corridors during the day and providing the majority of Metro's Night Owl service in the city. The expanded STM would further boost service at night and on weekends, as well as more than doubling the number of free ORCA cards for those who need it and providing funding for several important accessibility programs. The measure also includes funding for capital funding for bus lanes.

At the event, speakers shared stories of how important transit is to their lives and how this measure would make public transit in Seattle more useful for more people. Mayor Wilson focused on the importance of late night bus service to help service workers get home at the end of a late shift without using a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft, or making it possible for a family with two cars to only need one.

Councilmember Rinck shared stories of three-seat rides to Tumwater and the importance of frequent, reliable service, and also highlighted the expanded late night service provided by the measure. Greg Woodfill posited that although sales taxes are regressive, this measure's taxes will go right back to serving the people who need it most, stating every $1 spent on transit is $5 back in the community". Anna Zivarts stressed the importantance of frequent and reliable service to those who cannot drive, and how the transit measure would bring more service to more communities. Zivarts put it simply: transit is freedom". Other speakers highlighted the proposed increase in free ORCA passes for low-income riders and the elderly, and the importance of pushing back against likely opposition to the measure.

If you are intersested in supporting the Hop On Board campaign, you can sign up to volunteer for upcoming events, or donate to the campaign.