On the heels of the Seattle City Council’s vote this afternoon to place a Seattle transit measure on the November 4 general election ballot, a coalition of transit supporters announced today that they are launching Yes for Seattle Transit, a campaign to pass the Seattle Transportation Benefit District Proposition 1 plan.

If approved, the Council-approved plan will fund Metro Transit service within Seattle city limits and along key inter-city routes, preventing many of the looming deep service cuts planned within the city due to King County Metro funding shortfalls.

“The people of Seattle understand the importance of transit and have demonstrated their willingness to fund it,” said Rob Johnson, Executive Director of Transportation Choices Coalition and a leader in the coalition. “This measure is dedicated to one thing -- funding transit -- and will ensure we avoid deep bus service cuts in Seattle that will directly impact tens of thousands of Seattle residents, will further congest our roads and harm our ability to get around the city.”

With major Metro service cuts looming, the voters of Seattle will have the opportunity to approve a funding plan, based on a .1 cent sales tax increase and an annual $60 Vehicle License Fee, to generate $45 million per year to stave off the majority of these cuts within the city.

Proposition 1 will preserve, protect and enhance the bus service that so many Seattleites rely on as an essential way to get to and from work, school, and daily activities. Busses also serve as a lifeline for some of our city’s most vulnerable residents, our seniors and low-income families.· And the measure includes important provisions designed to ensure this doesn’t hurt our neighbors who are struggling to make ends meet, including a low-income rebate on the Vehicle License Fee and a provision to make it easier to for those who need it to access a low income fare pass. This is a fair proposal that is designed to protect the most vulnerable among us.

Yes for Seattle Transit is a rapidly growing broad coalition of respected non-profit, labor, business and community organizations. Coalition members include, Transportation Choices Coalition; FUSE; Futurewise; Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness; Amalgamated Transit Union Local 587; the Downtown Seattle Association; the Martin Luther King County Labor Council; the Washington Bus, Professional and Technical Employees Local 17, and many others.