Nine of the ten Pierce Transit Board of Commissioners participated in a work session yesterday with the goal of ensuring that they had all the information they needed to make a decision about next steps after the failure of Proposition 1, which asked voters to approve using the final 0.3% sales tax authority available to Pierce Transit to preserve existing service levels.

The Board directed staff to go forward in reducing the system by approximately 35 percent by October, 2011.  All service and staff reductions will occur by that date.  These actions will stabilize the agency’s finances and allow for short and long-term sustainability.

Public hearings will be held in the following communities in April:

o   Tacoma

o   Gig Harbor

o   Puyallup

o   Lakewood

o   Bonney Lake

Dates and times for the public hearings will be announced in a later communication.  The Board will take formal action for the October service reduction at their May 9, 2011 meeting.

Claudia Thomas, Board of Commissioners Chair, stated, “The Board is deeply regretful about the impacts of this decision on Pierce Transit riders, the community and employees.”

The Board will not pursue exercising ballot authority at this time but did not rule out using it in the future.

-from a press release