The D Line bus that carries thousands of Ballard and Crown Hill riders every day would lose its planned weekend frequency upgrade if District 7 Councilmember Bob Kettle's amendment to Seattle's $1.4 billion transit measure survives the July 16 committee vote.

Riders who depend on that route — ranked third-highest ridership in the city, according to Select Committee materials — would keep waiting 15 minutes between buses on Saturdays and Sundays instead of getting the 10-minute service Mayor Katie Wilson's proposal would fund.

July 13 is the first and only scheduled public hearing on Council Bill 121226, the Seattle Transit Measure renewal. The council's Select Committee on Seattle Transportation Benefit District will take remote testimony starting at 9:30 a.m. and in-person comment at City Hall's Council Chamber at 5 p.m.

Wilson's proposal doubles the expiring 0.15% sales tax to 0.3%, raising an estimated $138 million per year over 10 years. That money would boost city-funded King County Metro service from 176,000 hours annually to 280,000, a 60% increase, and fund 22,000 free ORCA passes for low-income residents, more than double the current 10,000.

Kettle's amendment, introduced July 2, caps the tax at 0.2% and reserves the remaining 0.1% for the council to deploy on what the amendment text calls "any emergent transportation investment," without requiring voter approval.

According to SDOT's analysis presented to the Select Committee, a 0.223% rate is the minimum needed to hold 2026 service levels steady. Kettle's 0.2% falls below that floor, meaning the amendment would not just block expansion but require cuts to existing bus service.

The gap: roughly $500 million and 1.1 million fewer service hours over the life of the measure, according to council records.

"Every day, I hear from neighbors about how living in Seattle is becoming less and less affordable," Kettle said in his July 2 announcement. "My alternative offers a pragmatic increase in transit funding for bus service and ORCA cards while preserving the flexibility we need for emerging transit-related investments."

The stakes are sharpened for Ballard by Sound Transit's decision to delay light rail to the neighborhood indefinitely. Councilmember Dan Strauss, who represents District 6, told the Select Committee that the closest frequent transit to Ballard's core reaches only Leary and 15th Avenue NW, an industrial zone far from housing or commercial activity.

Strauss has pushed for the STM renewal to fill that gap with bus service. Under the full 0.3% proposal, according to the mayor's office, the city would fund frequency improvements on 10 to 15 routes citywide, prioritizing nights, weekends, and midday periods when service is thinnest.

Committee Chair Rob Saka (District 1) introduced five amendments July 2, including one that would shorten the measure's term from 10 years to six years and nine months, ending December 31, 2033.

Saka's package also commits STM funds to the King County Regional Transit Safety Task Force's recommendations for behavioral health staff and security on buses.

Councilmember Debora Juarez (District 5) filed Amendment 20 on July 6, expanding capital investment definitions to cover ADA upgrades, accessible stops, and wayfinding.

Juarez noted that less than 4% of the $1.4 billion package goes to infrastructure for riders with disabilities.

The committee vote on the full package is expected July 16. The council must approve a final version by August 4, to place the measure on the November 3 ballot.

How to testify

• Remote: Register starting 8:30 a.m. Monday, July 13. Testimony begins at 9:30 a.m. Two-minute limit.
• In-person: Register at City Hall starting 4:30 p.m. Testimony begins at 5 p.m. Two-minute limit.
• Written comments: Email [email protected] or mail to Councilmember Saka, PO Box 34025, Seattle, WA 98124-4025, at least four business hours before the hearing.

Residents may register only once, either remote or in-person.

Government week ahead

Monday, July 13 — Select Committee on Seattle Transportation Benefit District, public hearing on CB 121226. Session I (remote): 9:30 a.m. Session II (in-person, Council Chamber): 5 p.m. Key accountability target: Chair Rob Saka and amendment sponsor Bob Kettle. At stake: public input on the transit measure before the July 16 committee vote.

Thursday, July 16 — Select Committee on Seattle Transportation Benefit District, expected vote on amendments and final STM package. At stake: whether Kettle's 0.2% cap or Wilson's 0.3% proposal advances to full council.