Susan Hutchison, executive for King county sent a letter this week to County Council members urging them to take the budget currently appropriated for ferries and move it to fund more buses.

“Metro is facing cuts that could leave riders stranded at a time when our region is making tremendous strides to increase ridership. More than half of the $18 million annual ferry service levy which goes to fund future exploration or ‘demonstration’ routes in South King County and across Lake Washington can be reallocated to Metro. I believe these funds are best spent where people need them the most, preserving the bus service they rely upon,” Hutchison wrote.

Hutchison believes that the current Vashon and West Seattle bus routes are a crucial part of the cities transport system and must be maintained.

The county’s ferry office only claims financial responsibility for the routes that are passenger-only from Vashon Island to downtown as well as a ferry route from West Seattle to downtown. It is moving to expand these services to Puget Sound and to add across Lake Washington, but being met with opposition by Hutchison and by like-minded members of the city council and citizen groups.