In environment-conscious and poor economic times like these, bus riders should get more bang for their buck, said a report on King County Metro Transit released Nov. 24.

The Municipal League of King County, a nonprofit organization that, according to its Web site, works toward better government, released the report to initiate “an urgent call to rethink some of the County’s recent policies and management practices” as King County Metro faces budget deficits.

“Many routes are experiencing overloads, poor schedule performance and frustrated riders; Metro is at the limit of what it can raise through its currently authorized taxes,” according to the report.

The report highlights problems with performance measurements, service allocation and accessibility to public information.

“The big issue is the subarea policy,” said Kevin Desmond, general manager of Metro Transit. “It’s an issue of fairness and where the growth in population is.”

The report criticized the current “40-40-20” subarea policy, which provides 40 percent of new service hours each to the east and south subareas and 20 percent to the west subareas, including Seattle, Shoreline and the U-District.

While this policy caters to the larger tax revenues from the growing east and south subareas, the report asserts population of the west subarea is double the density of the east and south.

“That system is pretty outdated,” said Brad Meacham, chair of The Municipal League of King County. “That was just a political compromise. In this era of tight budget we need to use our resources effectively.”

Desmond said the issue will likely receive further policy discussion, especially in light of Metro’s current funding problems.

While the Municipal League praised the King County Metro system for its “well-earned reputation for being an innovative leader in the transit industry in many of its programs,” it notes Metro’s cost-per-hour was 22 percent above the national average in 2005.

Metro attributes its relatively high cost to factors such as no-emission trolley services, the Downtown Seattle Tunnel and high wages and benefits for its employees, and assures it is doing everything possible to provide high quality services, acknowledging that customer surveys show a high degree of satisfaction.

“The response [from King County Metro] so far has been good,” Meacham said. “They seem open to some of our suggestions. But change is difficult. I think it will take more citizen feedback before they can implement the changes.”

According to its Web site, King County Metro is facing a 2008 to 2009 biennial deficit of $70 million due to an increase in gas prices and drop in sales tax revenues. While fare increases will be a partial quick-fix, Metro is in need of long-term solutions. “As a community, we cannot afford to accept declining service, excessive costs and political definitions of equity,” the report concluded. “King County Metro must focus on the basics of sound service delivery and innovation that it has demonstrated in the past to meet the needs of these very challenging times.”

Reach reporter Emily Lee at news@dailyuw.com.