The City of Everett is looking for input from the public on the future of transit. Everett is one of few cities in the Puget Sound that offers residents bus service. Financially that is not a stable proposition and with a multi-million dollar budget shortfall the city says it’s time to Rethink Everett Transit.
Everett is growing, with the population expected to increase by up to 60% in the next 20 years. The city’s goals include supporting the transportation needs of this growing population and business community.
To help accommodate growth, the Everett Transit Long-Range Plan was finalized in 2018. The plan defined objectives for Everett’s transit planning through 2040. Everett Transit engaged more than 2,000 community members during the development of the plan.
Since adoption of the plan, it appears funding for transit will not be enough to meet Everett’s growth goals. The City of Everett has identified three options for managing future transit service in Everett:
Option 1 – Growth: Follow the “Growth Option” from the Everett Transit Long-Range Plan, which would require asking voters to increase the transit sales tax from its present level of 0.6% (6 cents on a $10 taxable purchase) to 0.9% (9 cents on a $10 taxable purchase) in Everett. This option would allow for those revenues to be invested in sustaining and improving transit mobility within the city.
Option 2 – Growth through consolidation: Explore a consolidation and annexation of the City of Everett into the taxing and governmental boundaries of Community Transit. This option would require asking voters to approve the annexation into Community Transit. Under current law, this would increase the transit sales tax from its present level of 0.6% (6 cents on a $10 taxable purchase) to 1.2% (12 cents on a $10 taxable purchase) in Everett. This option would allow those revenues to be invested in improved transit services in Everett and integration with countywide transit.
Option 3 – Current system: Explore the outcomes of maintaining the current transit tax rate of 0.6% (6 cents on a $10 taxable purchase). No new revenue would be invested in transit service.
If you’d like to take the survey and provide your input, click here.
June 9, 2020
Everett Government