Reversing a Federal Transit Rule - But Only in Washington State?

23 September 2009 - 7:00am

A federal pro-privatization transit rule, which prevents local transit agencies from competing with private bus services on providing service to special events, could see an end in Washington State with this year's transportation spending bill.

"But the Senate's transportation spending bill would only reverse the bus rule "in the state of Washington" -- which happens to be the home state of Sen. Patty Murray (D), chairman of the appropriations panel that drafted the legislation.

Murray's motivation for trying to undo the rule, which the Bush administration pushed to help private bus companies avoid 'unfair competition by federally subsidized public transit agencies,' seems clear. Seattle Mariners fans in her home state lost out on $3 local bus service to baseball games this year, after the city turned down a private company's bid to charge nearly $20 for the same ride."

Source: DC Streetsblog, September 21, 2009
Bookmark and Share
In short, we’ve seen the last of the cheap oil on which we’ve built our economy, our communities, and our daily lives.