The Save Our Transit Campaign

After the passage of a ballot initiative limiting taxes for public transportaiton in 2004, funding for bus service was slashed as much as 50 percent in some areas of the state. In Spokane, the Spokane Transit Authority announced drastic reductions in bus and paratransit services throughout the county beginning that summer. These cuts were a disaster for people with developmental disabilities, who rely heavily on public transportation to get meet their daily living needs.

In response to this emergency, The Arc of Spokane's Executive Director, Greg Falk,  and Lance Morehouse, Director of Advocacy and Family Support, launched the Save Our Transit campaign. Comprised of a broad coalition of community leaders, organizations and concerned citizens, the Save Our Transit campaign succeeded in persuading Spokane Transit Authority’s board of directors to put a second proposition before voters asking for a 0.3% increase in the general sales tax, which would increase STA’s funding and avoid the need for service cuts.

Save Our Transit campaign leaders then turned their attention to the general community, urging that preservation of the community’s public transit system would benefit the area’s economy and would provide citizens with low incomes and disabilities continued transportation to jobs, medical appointments, worship services, shopping and recreational opportunities.

The community heard Save Our Transit’s message and agreed. On May 18, 2004, the STA proposition passed with an overwhelming winning 69% of 78,586 votes cast. In an editorial the next morning, the Spokesman-Review said that “The electoral turnaround for a service that most voters don’t directly use is remarkable.”

While the Save Our Transit campaign required countless hours of work and an enormous amount of energy, it was a wonderful opportunity for The Arc of Spokane to fulfill its mission and to advocate for people with developmental disabilities.