Action Required – contact METRO to save the #14bus

Hello Friends of Mt Baker Community,

This action is time sensitive. Do you travel on the #14 bus from Central District into Mt Baker? If so, METRO proposes that you now have to take 2 buses and 1 of those buses will be a diesel bus. We learned on 2/2/09 that METRO proposes to discontinue the #14 route to Hunter/Hanford Blvd, and proposes to replace that portion with a #38 diesel bus route.

We also learned that as a community, we did not have an opportunity to voice our concerns as was given to other impacted neighborhoods throughout the city. Please read the forwarded email for more detailed info and make a phone call by tomorrow, Friday – Feb. 6, 2009.

WHAT:
METRO proposes to discontinue the #14 electric service east of McClellan Street. METRO proposes to replace it with a diesel #38 bus that will run from the Hunter/Hanford Streets and not stop at the Mt Baker Light Rail station but continue to the Beacon Hill Light Rail station with 30 minute frequency (2x/hr) schedule – no increase for peak am/pm times.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:
Your voice is important!!! Please forward this email to a neighbor, a teacher, a student or post this to your Yahoo! user groups. There are students that live in Mt Baker and attend Washington Middle, Garfield High and other schools that ride the #14 daily. Print this email and share with anyone that may not have computer access.

There are a few ways to voice your support for the #14 route Southbound to have an electric loop to Hunter/Hanford and then go to the Mt Baker Light Rail Station.

At the February 2, 2009 Mt Baker Community Meeting we learned that the bus#14 layover in Mt Baker should be long enough for its SouthBound route to go to the Mt Baker Light Rail Station. You also heard how METRO is proposing a #38 diesel bus, only running 6 blocks that has decreased service times from the current #14 schedule. The proposed #38 will not drop off riders at the Mt Baker Light Rail – they will have to cross busy traffic. METRO could not answer the audience repeated questions on the cost of running the #38.

ACTION Required by this Friday, February 6th:
Please phone 206-684-1146 and leave a brief message stating:

1 – You are not for the current proposal for route #14.

2 – You want Metro to have the revised #14 route include a loop that goes to Hanford & Hunter Blvd.

3 – You want Metro to drop the #38 bus completely and use the saved funds to enable the Hanford & Hunter Blvd electric loop.

Other ways to contact METRO:
1 – Email your comments to “Eliminate the #38 proposed route and endorse the #14 electric loop to Mt Baker Light Rail Station & Hunter/Hanford” as above. The email address is [email protected]

2 – Mail your comments to
King County Dept of Transportation
Community Relations
KSC-TR-0824
201 S. Jackson Street
Seattle,WA 98104

3 – Fax your comments to 206-263-3489