Tuesday, July 1, 2008 - Page updated at 12:00 AM
E-mail article
Print view Share:
Digg
Newsvine
Metro to keep running Mariners shuttles
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has given Metro Transit a reprieve to continue providing special shuttle service to Seattle Mariners...
Seattle Times staff reporter
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has given Metro Transit a reprieve to continue providing special shuttle service to Seattle Mariners games.
"The FTA said it was in the public interest to grant an exception for this unique event," said Kevin Desmond, head of Metro.
In April, the FTA announced that Metro must solicit bids from private bus-charter agencies for all sports and cultural events. Only if there were no bids could Metro continue to provide the service.
One company, Starline Transportation, bid on the service for baseball games but was rejected by the Mariners, which called Starline's bid "incomplete."
"They couldn't say whether they had access to coaches to provide the service and weren't able to say they could provide service to disabled riders," said Rebecca Hale, Mariners spokeswoman. "That was not good."
Gladys Gillis, head of Starline, said her company was prepared to take over the service but that the Mariners balked at the price. The Mariners pay Metro a maximum of $150,000 for the season to provide $3 shuttles to the baseball games, while Starline was asking $560,000.
"The taxpayers are subsidizing it," said Gillis. "It's a difficult environment when you're competing against the taxpayer for work."
Under the federal policy, contracting for shuttle service to several events — including Seafair, University of Washington Huskies games, the Northwest Flower & Garden Show and Seattle Seahawks games — was to be opened to private bus companies.
It's unclear what effect the exemption for Mariners games will have on the other events.
According to the FTA waiver issued Friday, Metro had first asked for a Mariners exemption when the rules took effect April 30. It was denied, but a 60-day extension was provided to give time for private operators to solicit the business.
Last week, Metro asked for an exemption for the rest of the season. Metro said if the exemption weren't granted, there would be no bus service to Mariners games.
The FTA said the Mariners and Metro tried to find a private charter company to take over the service but were unsuccessful.
![]()
The federal agency said it was in the public interest to grant an exemption.
"The FTA will not leave the public without transportation at this late date with little or no notice to them of its unavailability," the FTA said in its ruling.
The agency also pointed out that it won't be happy if an agreement can't be reached with private operators for Seafair and Huskies football games.
Last year, the University of Washington paid Metro $500,000 to carry 187,000 Huskies fans to seven home games on 180 buses, the largest Metro shuttle effort. Riders rode the buses for free because of the subsidy.
Metro shuttles to Mariners games had 66,000 boardings last year. The special buses provided 33,000 rides to the Seafair hydroplane races and 53,000 to Seahawks games.
Metro doesn't make or lose money on the shuttles because event sponsors cover the costs through fee payments and passenger fares.
Susan Gilmore: 206-464-2054 or sgilmore@seattletimes.com
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
UPDATE - 01:44 PM
List grows; 9 Seattle schools could be cut
Starbucks CFO: Company may miss 1Q profit estimate
Jerry Large: Correction? Try a connection
NEW - 02:49 PM
Abuse charges filed in assault of 2-year-old now in a coma
All viaduct options are unfriendly to pedestrians, study finds

This feature requires Flash 7.
Top video | World | Science / Tech | Entertainment
entertainment

events for Thursday, Dec. 4th
- Adaptation (Visual arts)
- UW Music: Wind Ensemble, Symphonic,... (Classical music)
- New Shift (Visual arts)
editors' picks
More shopping guides- Baby dies sleeping in car with parents in Lakewood
- Huskies Coaching Search | Texas Tech coach Mike Leach meets with UW
- Relative of slain Carnation family talks about the aftermath
- USC's Steve Sarkisian is added to Washington's coach list
- Mariners sign free agent Russell Branyan, hire Rick Adair, John Wetteland as coaches
- Atheists want God out of Ky. homeland security
- "Impeach Bush" ornament nixed
- Fox shows Olympia sign; calls come pouring in
- State suspends Seattle doctor's license in sex case
- List grows; 9 Seattle schools could be cut
- Danny Westneat | Real-estate bargains in the mist
- Michelle Obama's family: From slavery to White House
- Ancient pot stash found in China
- Washington banks trail industry in key indicators
- No woman is an island — unless she's on San Juan, offseason
- Ex-prosecutor's review finds fraud at Port of Seattle
- Nancy Leson | Good old Abruzzi's is back
- List grows; 9 Seattle schools could be cut
- Huskies Coaching Search | Texas Tech coach Mike Leach meets with UW
- "Impeach Bush" ornament nixed

