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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1975-05-28 Special MinutesMay 28, 1975 7:30 P.M. CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL OF COUNCIL MEMBERS DISCUSSION Tukwila shuttle bus with recommendations of the Citizens Ad Hoc Committee Tukwila City Hall Council Chambers TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING M I N U T E S Mayor Todd called the Special Meeting of the Tukwila City Council to order. GARDNER, STERLING, TRAYNOR, HARRIS, SAUL. MOVED BY TRAYNOR, SECONDED BY STERLING, THAT COUNCILWOMAN DAVIS AND JOHANSON BE EXCUSED. CARRIED. Mayor Todd stated he would turn the meeting over to Gary Van Dusen, Chairman of the Citizens Ad Hoc Committee on the Tukwila shuttle bus. Gary Van Dusen stated that on May 10, 1975 the Committee met and developed a question- naire for the purpose of providing the Committee with more specific information regarding community knowledge and support of the bus. It was decided by the Committee that the questionnaire would be mailed by use of the Recrea- tion Department's addressograph with Precinct 7 being hand addressed. In order to reach the citizens living in apartments the Committee members personally distri- buted the questionnaires to apartment tenants. Mr. Van Dusen stated that approximately 1,000 questionnaires were prepared and distributed with approximately 114 (11%) of the questionnaires being returned. He pointed out that in reply to Question 1: Are you aware that Tukwila has a free city shuttle bus between the residen- tial area and Southcenter? 102 (89 replied yes and 12 (11 replied no, 45 (39 stated they knew about the bus and rode it; 57 (50 answered they knew about the bus but did not ride it; 12 (11 stated they did not know about the bus and did not ride it. In reply to Question 2: Do you or members of your family ride the bus? 60 (50 replied no they did not ride the bus; 18 (15 replied that yes they rode the bus; 43 (36 stated that members of their family rode the bus. In reply to Question 3: Can you estimate the number of trips your family has made on the bus in the last three months? The answers indicated 42 (17.6 In reply to Question 4: I /we ride the bus in the morning 21 (30 afternoons 24 (34 evenings 25 (36 The answers to Question 5: Would you ride the shuttle bus if: (a) daily schedule changed 28 (34 answered yes and 55 (66 answered no; (b) route were changed? 12 (16 answered yes and 62 (84 answered no; (c) operated on week ends? 39(44 answered yes and 49 (56 answered no. The answer to Question 6: Do you have other conven- ient means of transportation if the bus were not avail- able? 90 (86 replied yes and 15 (14 replied no. The answer to Question 7: Do you feel the shuttle bus should be continued? 70 (67 answered yes and 34 (33 answered no. Answer to Question 8: Would you favor a bus reduced in size and /or expense, such as an alternate solution to the shuttle bus in the way of a subsidized taxi service or city owned van -type shuttle? 73 (71 answered yes and 30 (29 answered no. The answers to Question 9: Would you favor a fare for this service? 65 (67 answered yes and 32 (33 answered no. In answer to Question 10: What is the maximum number of blocks you would be willing to walk to use the bus? 67 replied that they would be willing to walk three blocks. Mr. Van Dusen stated that the comments on the questionn- aires were too numerous to go over one by one at this meeting but on the whole they indicated that better hours could be scheduled for the bus, and that a small fare be charged to those riding the bus, that the bus should run on week ends so people who work during the week could take advantage of the bus to get to Southcenter and that flyers be circulated so the citizens would know the bus service was available. Mr. Van Dusen stated that Ed Bauch and TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING May 28, 1975 Page 2 DISCUSSION Contd. /4 AS Tukwila shuttle and Eleanor McLester had been on the Committee with him. bus with recom- Mrs. McLester stated that 37 additional answers to the mendations of the questionnaire had come in that day and the results foll- Citizens Ad Hoc owed those received from the questionnaires that had been Committee Contd. tabulated: 12 stated yes they did know about the bus and therefore did ride it and 25 stated yes they knew about the bus but did not ride it. She added that most of the comments indicated that the citizens felt the bus should be kept running even though they did not ride the bus. Mayor Todd introduced Mr. Larry Kaufman and Mr. Carl Solly from Metro Transit and he stated that Mr. Carl Solly would address the audience and answer any questions that anyone might have. Mr. Solly said he would like to congratulate the members of the Committee on the survey they had made. He stated that the job of surveying was very good and reflected the same information they had expected. He stated he would like to take up the question of having a small van running around. He stated that some buses have long runs and some have community service. He added that regarding the cost, it reflects the total cost and they are working on changing the schedules and changing the days of the week that the buses will run. He said he thought that Saturday was a "must" for the bus to run. He stated that a survey of the country indicated that token fare is 35 40 cents and their fare is 20 cents. He stated that for senior citizens it is 10 cents a ride or $2.00 a month and very soon there will be a special fare for handicapped which will likely be the same as for the senior citizens. He stated this matter has been discussed with the Chairman, Aubrey Davis. He said their survey showed they had 150 riders a day. He continued that this matter is coming up at a good time as Metro is now ready to go into their next meeting. Mr. Solly stated he would like to recommend to the Committee that Metro take over full responsibility for the services in Tukwila and they will work out an operating schedule that will be sat- isfactory. He stated that he would like to look at the suggestions for schedules and plan a meeting as early as Thursday of next week. He added that Metro has some 1800 miles of routes now. Mayor Todd thanked Mr. Carl Solly for the information he had given to the meeting and stated he was pleased and surprised that we can start the plans for change in schedule and routes so early. Councilman Sterling asked Mr. Solly what would be the proposals on the routes. Mr. Solly replied that they would have to do some checking to see where the most riders are. He stated that they could use buses that will go to Kent, Renton, Auburn, etc. Mr. Solly told of recent tests to determine the least expensive type of bus and he said there was no economy in a small bus. Mayor Todd stated that if the people like this route and schedule proposal the people would settle for the present system until September. Mr. Solly stated that was correct. Councilman Saul stated that he lives in Mcicken Heights and he cannot see why the bus cannot make a swing around that area in order to pick up passengers and give them bus service. He stated he would like to see this route changed so the bus could pick up a lot of people. Councilman Saul added that his family would like to use the bus to go to Seattle, etc., but the present schedules and routes do not permit this. Mr. Solly stated they have been working on this and will arrange the routes so they can serve the greatest amount of people and passengers. Hubert Crawley, Fire Chief, asked if this TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING May 28, 1975 Page 3 DISCUSSION Contd. Tukwila shuttle bus with recom- mendations of the Citizens Ad Hoc Committee Contd. /A A,4 would be a seven (7) day schedule. Mr. Solly replied that it would likely be a six (6) day schedule with probably Sunday eliminated. He added that some of the stores are giving Sunday service and they are working on the seven (7) day schedule idea; that they will have signs up showing where the bus stops are located. Mayor Todd asked about shelters at the bus stops. Mr. Solly replied that about 700 of the shelters are in design and the rest of them will be out in about twelve (12) months. Ed Bauch, audience, asked if the citizens of Tukwila would be able to rely on the shuttle bus while the routes are being developed. Mr. Solly replied they would like to work with the City on that. Mrs. Anna Gilman, audience, stated that the shuttle bus is of no use to working people in the Auburn area. She stated that the Tukwila bus will come up the hill and not pick up anyone, and people have to meet those coming in on the bus from other locations. Mr. Solly stated there is a need for coordinating to be done. He added that you cannot expect to take a bus from Seattle going to Auburn or Kent and go up over the hill through Tukwila and double the trip time for those passengers. He stated that it will take some looking into to come up with a good schedule and route. Mayor Todd stated that the services to the working people has not been good and that is why the City wants to do something about it. Anna Gilman, audience, stated that as a passenger she had to take the first bus that came along and it is packed. She stated it is hard to get to Frederick and Nelson's warehouse. Mayor Todd then asked what the ad hoc committee thought of the proposal that had been presented by Mr. Carl Solly of Metro? Gary Van Dusen stated that the answers approach some of the things that have been brought up. He stated that he realized it is hard to go into routes right at this time. Mr. Van Dusen asked Mr. Solly if the citizens are unhappy with the routes that are established can they be negotiated. Mr. Solly stated yes they could, that routes are changed frequently, although once a route is established they like to leave it alone for at least a year to see if it will work out, although they will make immediate changes if it is nec- essary. Gary Van Dusen asked Mr. Solly what their plans were for publicizing the bus service. Mr. Solly stated that they have publicized in Renton and they have a project going to market the empty seats. Councilman Sterling stated that he hoped when Metro takes over they can still have routes that meet those buses going to Seattle, Renton, Auburn, and Kent. Mr. Solly said yes they will be spokes that meet other buses. Councilman Sterling asked if there is a possibility of "park and ride" in Southcenter. Mr. Larry Kaufman stated that this is difficult; that Star Lake is the closest one and there is one in Burien and Federal Way. Mr. Solly stated they will have flyer stops on the freeway and they will join with those coming in from local ser- vice; they have shelters underway and the plan should work good. He added that the Chairman of the Transporta- tion Committee will adopt the rules and should be able to give an answer soon. He added that it is necessary to go through these steps. Eleanor McLester, audience, asked if Metro intends to run the transit buses through Tukwila and end at Southcenter, but not on the same schedule or route as at the present time? Mr. Solly replied that they have to be oriented from Southcenter and then go north, east, west, and south; in this way it will make for more economical operation. TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING May 28, 1975 Page 4 Apr 7 DISCUSSION Tukwila shuttle bus with recommendations of the Citizens Ad Hoc Committee Contd. Mayor Todd stated that if the City Council feels this is a workable solution we could have a motion at the Monday night meeting of the City Council. Councilman Sterling stated that he thought it is a good start and he felt the City should take Metro up on their offer and establish interest in the problem of routing and schedules. A lady in the audience stated that she rides the bus and the drivers are very nice to the customers. Eleanor McLester, audience, stated that she would like to say that if the City Council introduces a motion Monday night at the City Council meeting that they will continue the present schedule as it is until Metro takes over. She added that we do have a very solid core of users in Tukwila and she would hate to see them abandoned. Mayor Todd stated that it would be funded until Metro takes over. Ed Bauch, audience, stated he felt the recommendation of the Ad Hoc Committee was that during the months of June, July, and August the bus run on a two day schedule one week day and one Saturday service and this would cut the cost by two fifths. Councilwoman Harris stated that if the present level of service is continued she would have grave concern as we are approaching vacation months and this is one of the complaints that people have had concerning the bus that of unsupervised children using the bus as a form of entertainment or going down to Southcenter and jeopar- dizing their own welfare as well as the merchants. She stated that she could not entirely support continuing the service at its present schedule. She stated that suggestions had been made that a taxi be used for these summer months until Metro takes over in September. Mr. Solly stated that part of the outlook of his company will be the fact that they are taking over the customers that are presently using the bus. If this service is stopped for the summer it will be hard to pick up these customers in the fall. Mayor Todd remarked that the bus was used more during the vacation months than during the winter. Mr. Solly stated that is usually the case and they will be going into a six day schedule in September which should increase the use of the buses. Eleanor McLester stated that she could understand that Metro would be more willing to take over a going route, but they have complaints from the oldsters stating the youngsters are rowdy and rough on the bus. She added that she thought with the sanction of the City the driver should be able to put children off the bus who were acting out of order and creating a disturbance. Mr. Solly agreed that they could be put off the bus. Mrs. Anna Gilman, audience, asked if Metro could go up the hill and see how many people would ride they could start in September. Mr. Solly stated a route would be determined that would be workable. Councilman Saul asked if there could be a charge to ride on the bus as a means of eliminating unsupervised children. Mr. Solly stated that their charge is 20 cents for children with no zone change and 20 cents for adults with zone change. Council President Traynor stated the 20 cent plan is great but now the kids could go from Tukwila to Enumclaw and back and be on the bus for a longer period of time. A lady in the audience stated that she enjoys the bus and the independence that it offers her as she doesn't drive, does not have a car, and dislikes asking others to take her places. Gary Van Dusen stated that if we are going to charge the senior citizens to ride he thought the bus should be kept free for the summer. He added that that was his personal opinion. Councilwoman Harris stated that she had ridden on the bus to Seattle and had seen reference to a monthly fee and a yearly fee and would like to know the details. Mr. Solly stated TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING May 28, 1975 Page 5 DISCUSSION Tukwila shuttle bus with recommendations of the Citizens Ad Hoc Committee Contd. that the annual pass for three zones was $150 a year and they had sold about 500 of them. The monthly permit gives you 10 cents off on every ride you take. It is $4.00 a month. If you ride the bus two times a day for 20 days it would pay for the $4.00 pass. Councilman Saul stated that we need buses and we need to go places and if buses were available more families would use them rather than their cars which use costly gasoline. Councilwoman Harris stated that she felt very strongly about writing your elected officials about riding public transportation. She stated she thought the citizens should write to them and let them know how they feel about this. She added that we have three of them Mooney, Forsythe, and Heavey in this area and she thought we should let them know how we feel about Metro taking this over. Mayor Todd thanked everyone for coming out to this Special Meeting to discuss the bus situation. He stated there would be a proposal on the agenda for the Monday night City Council meeting to approve or disapprove. Gary Van Dusen, Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Tukwila Shuttle Bus, stated he wanted to thank Mr. Kauf- man and Mr. Solly for coming out and explaining their services and intentions. He added that two or three citizens had stated they did not receive a copy of the survey that was sent out but they had used the Recreation Department's addressograph, plus hand delivery to apartment tenants and hand addressing to the McMicken Heights area. This makes it appear that the Recreation Department's list is not complete. Eleanor McLester stated that of the 250 letters that were mailed only 4% were returned by the post office as undeliverable due to lack of a forwarding address. Council President Traynor stated that some of the houses may have been built since the Recreation Department's listing was made up which would account for those individuals not receiving a survey letter. ADJOURNMENT MOVED BY TRAYNOR, SECONDED BY SAUL, THAT THE SPECIAL 8:40 P.M. MEETING ADJOURN. CARRIED. %.Y Shirlee A. Kinney, City Cjlerk