White Center Now: The blog about White Center

Short on money, long on needs. How should county leaders move forward? You have a chance to speak out tomorrow (Wednesday, February 25):

King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci, as Chair of the King County Transportation District (KCTD) Board of Supervisors, is convening a special meeting of that body to look for options to address major underfunding of the county Roads Division and future needs of Metro transit.

“Given the dire state of our roads fund and the future needs of our transit system to make the most of connections to expanding regional light rail, now is the time to move forward with the most-needed funding and to make a plan for the future of the KC Transportation District,” Balducci said. “It is important to surface these issues and to hear from the public now before we vote whether to activate KC Transportation District funding for the first time.”

King County’s Roads Services Division manages roughly 1,500 miles of roads and 188 bridges in unincorporated King County, connecting cities and communities and providing access to trails and natural areas. The Roads Division reports that the system needs about $200 million in maintenance and safety investments each year, while its capital budget is only $6 million for the 2026-2027 biennium. Even with reserves, transfers, and grant opportunities, the Roads fund is woefully short of meeting even basic roadway needs. To make matters worse, December’s flooding caused at least $10 million in damage to county infrastructure.

King County Metro is the largest public transit system in the region, operating about 11,500 bus trips each weekday for a total of about 89 million boardings every year. Metro Connects, the long-range plan to increase transit service to meet the region’s needs, is not fully funded, and Metro is facing funding challenges to continue its current level of operations. Metro now estimates it will face a $1 million reserve shortfall by 2030-2031 and a $755 million reserve shortfall by 2032-2033. In addition, Metro and local communities have expressed the need for more resources for transit safety and security.

Wednesday’s meeting will hear about the extent of the problem, possible options to fill the gaps, and hear public input. A vote on possible funding is expected in March or April. Any proposals would need action at a future Transportation District Board meeting.

This will be a hybrid meeting, hosted at the Issaquah City Council Chambers but livestreaming via KCTV and interested citizens can access it via Webex at https://issaquah.webex.com/issaquah/j.php?MTID=ma3fa3afa78dfd9b768ed1d048f01752e (meeting password 98027) or by calling 1‑206‑207‑1700, enter meeting number (access code) 2493 720 1628#.

WHEN: 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25

WHERE: Issaquah City Hall Council Chambers, 130 E Sunset Way, Issaquah, WA 98027, or livestreaming on KCTV

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