Associated Students of the University of Washington
Student Senate
Session 16
 

A Legislative Directive Seeking to Preserve the U-PASS Program

WHEREAS all net income from University of Washington (UW) parking facilities is used to subsidize the U-PASS program; and

WHEREAS a doubling of the parking tax to 20% would divert an additional 10% of each dollar of gross income from UW parking away from the U-PASS program; and

WHEREAS payments to King County Metro account for approximately 80% of the U-PASS program costs; and

WHEREAS any parking tax on University facilities thus serves to divert funds that would predominantly have been paid to King County Metro regardless; and

WHEREAS a significant effect of parking taxes on the University is therefore to impose a burden on all students who reach campus through either public transit or a personal vehicle by necessitating increases in either parking costs or U-PASS prices; and

WHEREAS U-PASS riders currently comprise 9.6% of King County Metro bus ridership; and

WHEREAS increases in the price of the U-PASS will discourage retention of the U-PASS; and

WHEREAS this will likely suppress University ridership on King County Metro busses; and

WHEREAS this will decrease the number of rides paid for under the U-PASS program and reduce King County Metro revenue from the University; and

WHEREAS proposed route cuts based on sources of tax revenue do not reflect ridership in King County; and

WHEREAS any increase in transportation costs or loss of transportation options will decrease the accessibility of the University; therefore

BE IT ENACTED BY THE ASSOCIATED STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON STUDENT SENATE:

THAT the ASUW opposes the continuation of sudden and drastic increases in King County Metro fares; and

THAT the ASUW opposes any increase in commercial parking taxes that would apply to the University of Washington while University parking revenue is used to support alternative forms of transportation; and

THAT the ASUW supports basing any route changes on ridership; and

THAT the ASUW Student Lobbyist and the ASUW Office of Government Relations be therefore directed to oppose any unreasonable increases in King County Metro fares, generally considered to be increases of twenty five cents or more per year; and

THAT the ASUW Student Lobbyist and the ASUW Office of Government Relations seek to avert the application of increases in King County Metro fares to the U-PASS program that would increase the U-PASS per trip rate more than 5% per year; and

THAT the ASUW Student Lobbyist and ASUW Office of Government Relations also support an amendment to Seattle Municipal Code section 5.35.050 excluding University of Washington parking facilities from the City of Seattle commercial parking tax; and

THAT should the elimination or modification of bus routes become necessary the ASUW Student Lobbyist and ASUW Office of Government Relations advocate for a ridership-based metric for such changes.

History of Legislation

01/6/2010: Submitted for consideration

Legislation ID:
LD-16-1

Date Submitted:
01/6/2010

Sponsor:
Matthew D Zemek

Cosponsor(s):
Dusty Wight
Madeleine McKenna
Chris Paredes