(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) released
the following statement after a court ruling blocked a
provision that she worked to include in recent legislation that restored
the ability for King County Metro
Transit to provide affordable and efficient service to a number of major
sporting and special events.
“This is
about doing what’s in the public’s interest. And forcing fans and families to
swallow fare hikes and inconvenient service in the name of adhering to a
one-size-fits-all rule is not in anyone’s interest. Where private charters have
shown they can be cost-effective and efficient they should not be squeezed out,
but where it’s been proven they can’t get the job done, we need to be on the
side of fans and event-goers.
“While
the Federal Transit Administration and Department of Justice review this
ruling, I will continue to fight to make changes to this very flawed rule.
Especially now, as our economy struggles, we can’t stick families with steep
fares and sub-par service.”
The
Murray provision which was blocked by the U.S. District Court for the
District of Columbia was in included in the 2010 Senate Transportation
Appropriations bill in reaction to a 2008 Bush Administration rule that stated
that a public transit agency cannot provide service to games if private charter
operators are willing and able to do so, even at a much higher price. This Bush
Administration rule resulted in several specific problems in the Seattle region
including private charters operators that drastically increased fees for
service, inconvenient and delayed service, and in some instances, an inability to accommodate handicapped fans. Senator Murray’s inclusion of this provision was
in direct response to numerous complaints that were logged by area fans, sports
organizations and event-goers.
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