Hello friends,

Happy New Year! I hope you have been enjoying the start of 2023 and staying dry with all the rain. I’m excited for this year at the Council and look forward to continuing to work together. I wanted to share a few things that are happening at the Council as we head into 2023. Feel free to share this information with those you know!

Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration

On Thursday, the King County Council will hold its annual celebration honoring human rights leader and King County namesake Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. The theme of this year’s celebration is “Truth, Light, and Hope.” The event will be virtual and can be livestreamed through King County TV (KCTV) from 12-1 pm on January 12th. I encourage you to join me in viewing this celebration and taking the time to reflect on our connection to Dr. King’s legacy.

New Location for new ORCA cards

ORCA is expanding their retail seller locations across King County in the hopes of doubling the number of locations and adding more availability and accessibility at locally owned businesses. For those of you that live on Vashon Island, you can now purchase an ORCA card at Vashon Thriftway. You are also able to reload an older card. To find where to purchase an ORCA card in your area, you can visit their locator. You can also find details about which stores will reload ORCA cards here.

Spokane Street Bridge Closure

The Spokane Street Bridge remains closed to repair machinery that was damaged during the December ice storm. To make transit easier during this closure, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has partnered with King County Metro to expand access. They are offering free credits for trips on the West Seattle Water Taxi and bus during the closure through the Transit GO Ticket app. These credits are available for anyone traveling to or from West Seattle on the water taxi or bus and can be transferred between those modes. Information about how to access these credits can be found on the SDOT website. This program will continue while the Spokane St Bridge remains closed to people.

Have a great weekend,

-Joe

Joe McDermott
King County Councilmember