Today in King County, our gas prices are rising, more people are commuting than ever before and our employment base is growing.

King County’s overall population will soon top two million. Meanwhile, our bus service levels remain stagnant.

With today’s routes, King County Metro is not able to keep pace with tomorrow’s demands.

A population equivalent to the Portland metro area -- 1.2 million people -- will move to our region over the next 25 years. Our streets and highways will become more congested, and it will take more resources just to keep our existing busses running on time.

There is more road construction taking place today in King County than in the previous two decades combined -- and we know that more construction is on the horizon.

Major projects like completing State Route 509, replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct and improving Interstate 405 will create significant challenges for commuters in our region.

We must provide alternatives to driving alone during these times of major construction.

Communities across King County are demanding more service. From SeaTac to Des Moines to Redmond, the citizens of King County want more bus service than they are getting today.

As a representative of South King County, I am all too familiar with the substandard levels of bus service particularly in the suburban areas of our County.

Cities along Highway 99 in South King County have made major investments to construct car-pool lanes, but still have limited transit service to fill those lanes.

Cities like Kent and Renton have implemented major redevelopment of their downtown cores to increase residential, commercial and employment densities, but have limited bus routes to serve new downtown residents and employees.

Right now, South King County receives only 21 percent of the total bus service in all of King County.

A new proposal to dramatically increase bus service across King County could change all of that. Called “Transit Now,” it would add 21 million new bus rides within the next 10 years through a voter-approved increase of one tenth of 1 percent in the sales tax.

This would amount to an additional 10 cents on a $10 purchase, or around $25 per year for the average King County household -- about half a tank of gas at today’s prices.

Transit Now would change the face of bus service in King County by cutting in half the frequency on our most popular routes and adding service where there is none today. It would finally deliver reliable and frequent service to the growing suburban areas of King County that have been neglected for far too long.

The plan is coordinated with existing and potential extensions of light rail, commuter rail and express bus services to ensure a seamless transit system for King County.

Transit Now also prepares our region for the impacts of road construction on our local streets, so we can avoid congested areas by taking alternative routes served by transit.

Among other improvements in South King County, Transit Now would provide a Rapid Ride high frequency bus line from Federal Way along Highway 99 to the future light rail station at SeaTac Airport. This route would come with new bus shelters, real time signs so you know when your bus will arrive, and new distinct busses that will run every 10 minutes, so you can leave your bus schedule at home.

In the coming months, the King County Council’s Transportation Committee will hold public meetings and hearings to discuss and refine the Transit Now plan. This will involve the citizens of King County, transit riders, city officials and other key interests.

If the Council does decide to move forward with Transit Now, the voters of King County will have the final say on whether or not to increase bus service.

I encourage you to express your thoughts and opinions on this proposal. You can obtain more information about Transit Now by going to my website at www.metrokc.gov/patterson.

Editor’s note: Julia Patterson, D-SeaTac, represents South King County on the King County Council and serves as Chair of the Council’s Transportation Committee.