Select Committee on Seattle Transportation Benefit District - June 18, 2026

The Select Committee on the Seattle Transportation Benefit District met on June 18, 2026, at 9:32 AM in Council Chamber, City Hall, to discuss and receive a briefing on Council Bill 121226, which would place a proposition on the November 3, 2026 ballot to increase the sales and use tax by 0.3% to fund transit and related transportation programs in Seattle. Chair Rob Saka presided. The meeting included public comment, a presentation by central staff, and substantive discussion among council members. No votes were taken on the bill.

Consent Calendar

• The agenda was adopted unanimously without objection.

Public Comments & Testimony

Public comment featured 19 in-person and 4 remote speakers. Nearly all speakers expressed strong support for the transit measure, though several raised concerns about the regressive nature of the sales tax and the need to prioritize transit service over capital spending.

• Greg Woodfill (President, ATU 587, representing ~5,000 transit workers) expressed full support for the full 0.3% taxing authority, stating that every dollar invested in public transit generates an estimated five dollars in long-term economic returns. He urged the council to limit capital spending in favor of more service.
• Noah Williams (Seattle Transit Riders Union) thanked Chair Saka and supported the measure, noting it doubles the size of the last measure and adds over 100,000 trips per year, with expanded night and weekend service and more free ORCA cards.
• Kirk Hovencotter (Executive Director, Transportation Choices Coalition) supported the chair's proposal, calling it a bold investment that will make the city more affordable by reducing car ownership costs.
• Lakeisha Jones (SDOT Transportation Equity Work Group) supported the measure but noted that a 0.3% sales tax is regressive; she urged the council to pursue more progressive funding strategies and strongly supported maintaining and expanding the ORCA subsidy program.
• Rita Holzman (West Seattle resident, widow of cyclist killed in 2023) spoke about traffic safety and asked the committee to work with SDOT to make meaningful safety improvements after a recent fatal crash near her husband's death site.
• Daisy Gould supported full transit service and urged the council not to cut the First Hill Streetcar and to keep the measure focused on transit rather than sidewalks.
• Jonathan Gonzalez (Say Ballard Rail) supported the measure and stressed the need for frequent transit in Ballard.
• Lynn Drake (Alki resident) asked for more reliable transit, especially for late-night trips home from downtown.
• Bill Benner spoke off-topic about a city decontamination facility contract.
• Multiple other speakers (Jason Lee, Greg Cannon, Andrew Liu, Cecilia Black, and others) expressed support, emphasizing the benefits of frequent transit for safety, climate, affordability, and equity. A few remote speakers questioned the sales tax mechanism and urged consideration of car tab and parking fee alternatives (Alberto Alvarez, David Haynes).

Discussion Items

Central staff Calvin Chow and Amanda Allen presented a detailed analysis of the proposed measure. Key points included:

• The existing 0.15% sales tax raises about $45 million annually; the proposed 0.3% would raise an average of $138 million annually over 10 years.
• To maintain current service levels, a 0.223% rate is needed due to inflation and increased costs.
• The measure requires minimum 60% of revenue be spent on transit service (up from 50% in the current measure), with up to $12 million per year for low-income transit access and up to $5 million per year for transit accessibility infrastructure (revised up from the original $3.5 million per year after negotiations between Chair Saka and the mayor).
• The accessibility line item is a 69.51% cut from the previous maximum of $16.4 million per year.
• The measure does not include dedicated funding for transit safety and security beyond the baseline 9% embedded in Metro service contracts.
• Amendments are due by noon on June 24, 2026. The committee will meet next on July 6 to review amendments, with final committee action expected July 16, then full council consideration to meet the August 4 deadline for the November ballot.

Council members raised several points:

• Vice Chair Rinck emphasized that bus service hours should not be sacrificed for capital projects. She noted that the $1.5 million annual increase for accessibility equates to about 4,500 service hours per year (45,000 hours over 10 years, or about 10 weeks of bus service). She also highlighted the recent King County transportation benefit district success, which will bring ~$5 million in capital funds to Seattle.
• Councilmember Kettle stressed the importance of transit safety, arguing that the COVID-era decline in ridership was partly due to public safety concerns, not just the pandemic. He called for a holistic view of cumulative tax burdens on residents and urged coordination with other government levels.
• Councilmember Lynn supported the measure and noted the need for a 10-year dedicated funding stream to align with comprehensive planning. He asked about flexibility to adjust the tax rate if other funding sources emerge and highlighted the regressive nature of the sales tax, noting that Seattle's tax dollars are often diverted to other parts of the state and country.
• Councilmember Foster emphasized that the increase from 0.15% to 0.223% is needed just to maintain current service, so the expansion is only the increment between 0.223% and 0.3%. She questioned how the measure would be evaluated for reduced door-to-door travel time and how the King County service restoration effort might affect Seattle's service purchases.
• Councilmember Strauss argued that the current proposal does not provide adequate transit to the Ballard Regional Center, pointing out that it takes as long to travel from downtown to Ballard by bus as it does to Tacoma. He urged amendments to align the measure with the comprehensive plan and to make more efficient use of existing coaches and operators.
• Chair Saka highlighted the Reynolds consent decree and the need for accessible curb ramps. He noted that the $5 million annual accessibility allocation is a 70% cut from the previous maximum and urged the council to consider the duty to invest above legal minimums for people with disabilities. He also requested follow-up on farebox recovery ratios and the reasons for unmet service hours in the current measure.

Key Outcomes

• No action was taken on CB 121226. The bill remains in committee for further discussion and amendment.
• Amendments from council members are due to central staff by noon on June 24, 2026.
• The committee will reconvene on July 6, 2026, to review amendments. A public hearing and final committee vote are scheduled for July 16, 2026.
• Full council consideration must be completed by August 4, 2026, to place the measure on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
• Central staff will provide follow-up information on farebox recovery ratios, the cost of curb ramps, the cost of achieving full funding for the frequent transit network, and the status of transit safety and security efforts.