For Immediate Release Contact: Justin D. Leighton, Executive Director
Phone: 253-677-9448
Email: justin@watransit.com
Olympia, WA: The Washington State Transit Association (WSTA) Board of Directors has authorized legal action to challenge the constitutionality of Initiative 976. Additionally, WSTA will work with potential partners to join the efforts to ensure that all effected interests are represented.
“We owe it to our members and transit customers, in every corner of this state to ensure we are doing our due diligence in protecting the critical operating and capital dollars that will be lost due to the unconstitutional application of I-976,” said Justin D. Leighton, Executive Director of WSTA.
The WSTA Board of Directors met at their regularly scheduled annual Board meeting in Leavenworth this week and discussed options moving forward. After a briefing from legal counsel, the Board of Directors took this action as the necessary next step to uphold constitutional protections and guard against devastating impacts of I-976 on all transit agencies, no matter where they are operating in Washington State.
“The impact on agencies vary; they range from major capital projects that would need to be deferred or eliminated to potential services cuts of upwards of 75% for some agencies,” said Leighton. “From the commuters in Puget Sound to the transit riders needing lifeline service in the Palouse, all agencies in this state will feel transit cuts unless immediate action is taken,” Leighton continued.
WSTA will make statements regarding its legislative and legal milestones when possible.
