On the Ballot This November
All aboard: renew and expand Seattle's transit measure.
Since 2020, this measure has put more buses on the road across Seattle. Now it's set to expire in 2027 — and the City Council is finalizing a renewal that expands it: 60% more bus trips, night and weekend service that actually shows up, and twice as many free ORCA passes for riders who need them most.
What this measure funds
$138 million a year, allocated across five priorities:
Bus service — $96.1M/yr
The largest share. About 60% more Metro trips than today, with real investment in nights, weekends, and midday service. Brings Seattle to 89% completion of its Frequent Transit Network. Routes 1, 2, 7, 8, 21, 36, 40, 44, the D Line, and E Line are among those set to benefit.
Streetcar operations — $23.4M/yr
Keeps the First Hill and South Lake Union streetcar lines running for the 1.7 million riders who use them each year.
Transit access programs — $9M/yr
Doubles the free ORCA card program from 10,000 to 22,000 passes for low-income riders, Housing Choice Voucher participants, preschool families, and Seattle Promise scholars.
Sound Transit support — $6.1M/yr
Funds planning, engineering, and pedestrian/bike design work around future Link light rail stations at Graham Street, West Seattle, and Ballard.
Transit infrastructure — $3.5M/yr
Bus lanes, signal upgrades, stop shelters, and lighting so buses run faster and more reliably.
Frequently Asked Questions
Seattle voters first approved a transit funding measure in 2020. It's set to expire in 2027, and this November, voters decide whether to renew and expand it. The proposal renews the dedicated transit sales tax for 10 more years and raises it from 0.15% to 0.3% — raising an estimated $138 million a year for buses, streetcars, and rider access programs.
About 60% more Metro bus trips than today — 280,000 a year, up from 180,000 — with real investment in nights, weekends, and midday service. It brings Seattle to 89% completion of its Frequent Transit Network, doubles free ORCA passes from 10,000 to 22,000, and funds planning for Sound Transit's Graham Street, West Seattle, and Ballard light rail extensions.
The current measure expires in 2027. Without a renewal, the service gains Seattle has made since 2020 — more frequent buses, streetcar operations, and discounted ORCA passes — would be at risk, along with the added trips and access programs this renewal is meant to fund.
The measure raises the dedicated transit sales tax from 0.15% to 0.3% — about 3 cents for every $10 spent, up from roughly 1.5 cents today. That would bring Seattle's combined sales tax rate to 10.7%, among the highest in the country. Supporters don't dispute that a sales tax is a regressive way to raise revenue — but they argue the alternative, a city where more people are forced into car ownership because transit isn't there for them, falls even harder on people who can least afford it.
Yes. The 2020 version of this measure passed with over 80% voter support and delivered real results — for example, Route 60 now runs every 15 minutes on weekends, instead of every 30.
Have another question? Contact the campaign.
Endorsements
A growing coalition backing this renewal:
Keep Seattle Moving Forward
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