Executive Summary - August 2015

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News from King County Executive Dow Constantine

August 2015  •  Issue 17

ORCA Lift named one of region's best innovations for 2015

For its 2015 edition of Best of Seattle, the Seattle Weekly looked back on the past year and chose five innovations that will do the most to make the region better. ORCA Lift, King County's low-income bus fare, is one those selections.

Actually, the program's "piggyback" system is the really innovative part of ORCA Lift, writes the Weekly. In 2013, Executive Constantine directed the County to develop partnerships with other public service agencies and nonprofits who shared our goal of enrolling people in affordable health care. Together, we cut King County's uninsured rate nearly in half.

For ORCA Lift, Executive Constantine made sure it was just as easy to sign up. This was done by leveraging the same income verification that already exists for people getting subsidized food, housing, health insurance, and energy. Instead of playing phone tag with various County departments, for example, people who come to our offices to learn about health insurance can get enrolled in ORCA Lift in a matter of minutes.


Nearly six months in, we're on track to enroll 40,000 people by the end of the program's first year. ORCA Lift is an example of what the Executive's commitment to building equity and opportunity looks like in action.


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The future of King County Metro Transit

Exec proposes more buses to link riders to light rail

With light rail service reaching Capitol Hill and the University District next year, Executive Constantine proposed new Metro bus connections that will connect riders in North Seattle, Capitol Hill, and the Central Area to the new, faster trains.

"It's amazing to think that, very soon now, the trip from the UW to downtown Seattle will take only eight minutes, every time, by light rail," says the Exec, who also chairs the Sound Transit Board. "The service I'm proposing will connect many more people to the fast, reliable new ride---or, if they prefer, they can still take a bus downtown during rush hour."

This closely-knit transit network is a result of the Executive's direction to fully integrate Metro and Sound Transit services to create greater operating efficiencies.

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Workers fix a road in unincorporated King County.

Task force created to solve roads and bridge funding crisis

A small bridge near Issaquah spans Fifteen Mile Creek. Its timber is rotting and the entire structure is at risk if the creek swells. It would take up to $4 million to replace it, but the region lacks support for County roads like this as cities annex more unincorporated areas and fewer people remain to pay for existing roads.

"Providing safe and reliable roads is a top priority, but the system of funding them hasn't been revisited in nearly 30 years, and it no longer works," says the Executive. "We must create a sustainable and regional solution to get our roads back on track."

The Exec's new 'Bridges and Roads Task Force,' convened in collaboration with Councilmember Kathy Lambert, will develop recommendations for funding and fixing the roads and bridges in unincorporated King County.

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Homeless veterans in King County need help.

Helping every homeless veteran find a home by end of 2015

After helping more than 1,200 local military veterans transition to safe, affordable housing since 2014, Executive Constantine has launched a community-wide campaign to help the estimated 662 remaining homeless veterans find a home by Dec. 31, 2015.

More than 225 local veterans have a housing voucher but can't find a property owner or manager who is willing to accept it. The highly-competitive rental market and strict screening criteria are serious barriers for homeless veterans.

Zillow has joined the effort to increase the availability of private market housing for people exiting homelessness, including veterans. The campaign established a command center for triaging calls, with one number for veterans to call and another for landlords.

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