Seattle Transit Measure (STM) 2025 Annual Report
Seattle Transit Measure (STM) performance reports are released each year, covering the previous calendar year (January to December 2025).
About the Performance Report
Here is how every dollar of sales tax revenue generated from the Seattle Transit Measure is invested in a typical year (2021-2026):
If the typical average annual expenditures equaled one dollar, 55 cents would be for bus transit service, 16 cents capital projects and spot improvements, 13 cents streetcar operations and maintenance, 9 cents Transportation Access Programs, 3 cents for Emerging Needs, 2 cents for STM planning, analysis, and administration, and 2 cents to help staff the City’s ST3 team. Safety and Security funding is represented in three categories in the dollar bill: Transit Service: Metro Bus, Transit Service: Streetcar, and Emerging Needs.
2025 Performance Highlights
163,000 Hours of Service
Hours of Metro bus service funded by STM in 2025.
3,200 Weekly Bus Trips
STM funds additional trips on Seattle-based Metro bus routes.
140,000 Hours of Service invested in off-peak times
Almost 86% of STM service investments support midday, weekend, and evening/night service, supporting frequent transit all day, every day. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, ridership growth during these off-peak times have outpaced ridership growth during morning and afternoon peak on weekdays.
25 Capital Projects/Locations
25 capital projects supported by STM funds in 2025.
1.6 Million+ Rides
Rides taken in 2025 by participants in TAP Transit Pass Programs focused on youth, low-income residents, and aging adults.
6.3% of STM Funds
Support Metro’s Safety and Security programming.
300 engagements
STM-funded Metro Transit Ambassadors supported riders with directions or other needs.
2025 Investment Updates
STM revenue is used to add bus trips in Seattle in addition to what King County Metro provides. This offers an immediate and direct benefit to all Seattleites, especially those who rely on transit the most.
2025 STM service investments
In 2025, STM added over 300 weekly bus trips into the Seattle transit network, making the bus arrive more often on six bus routes. These new investments are in addition to the almost 3,000 weekly trips that STM already funds. New STM investments made in 2025:
- Route 107 (Beacon Hill, Georgetown, Rainier Beach, Lakeridge, Renton): +177 weekly trips – Improved service from 30-minute to 15-minute frequencies 7 days per week all day and added hourly night service on weekends where it did not previously exist.
- Route 36 (Othello Station, Beacon Hill, Chinatown/International District, Downtown Seattle): +50 weekly trips – Improved weekend service to 10-minute frequencies all day, creating a consistent schedule seven days per week.
- Route 8 (Seattle Center, Capitol Hill, Central District, Mount Baker): +42 weekly trips – Improved weekend frequencies from 20-minute to 15-minute service all day.
- Route 106 (Renton, Skyway, Rainier Beach, Chinatown/International District): +30 weekly trips – Added bus trips early in the morning and during the mid-day on weekends to create consistent 15-minute frequencies all day.
- H Line (Burien, White Center, Westwood Village, Delridge, Downtown Seattle): +11 weekly trips – Extended 15-minute frequencies from 9 pm until midnight, seven days per week.
- Route 124 (Tukwila International Blvd Station, Boeing Industrial, Georgetown, Downtown Seattle): +3 weekly trips – Extended 30-minute frequencies from 9 pm until midnight on weekends.
Other Transit Investments Funded by STM:
- Delridge/South Park Metro Flex Pilot: Launched in July 2024, this on-demand shuttle service addresses barriers to mobility such as hills, incomplete sidewalks, and limited east-west transit service. Funded entirely by STM, the pilot focuses on improving transportation in Equity Priority Areas. This is a two-year pilot.
- Trailhead Direct: STM covered 50% of the cost for this seasonal service, which connects Seattle to hiking spots along the I-90 corridor, helping more people experience the natural beauty of our region while reducing traffic and emissions for travel to our most popular trails.
- Seattle Streetcar: STM invested $10.2 million in 2025 to support operations and maintenance of the South Lake Union and First Hill Streetcar lines. This funding supported ridership growth of 9% in 2025, reaching nearly 1.6 million riders as well as an increased security presence, especially along S Jackson Street.
The STM TAP program bridges transportation gaps for low and no-income residents, seniors and youth. In 2025, SDOT operated several TAP programs to improve public transit access.
ORCA Subsidy Programs
SDOT provided fully subsidized ORCA cards to qualifying community members through several programs.
- Seattle Housing Authority (SHA) Transit Pass Program: SDOT provided fully subsidized ORCA cards to 6,000 low-income SHA residents. 1.3 million transit trips were taken by SHA residents who received a fully-subsidized ORCA card in 2025.
- Seattle Preschool Program (SPP) Transit Pass Program: SDOT provided 1,700 fully subsidized ORCA cards for all households with a preschool-aged child enrolled in the Seattle Preschool Program making under 350% of the Federal Poverty Level.
- Promise Scholar Transit Pass Program: SDOT provided 1,600 fully subsidized ORCA cards to all Seattle Promise Scholars 19 years of age and older. The Promise Scholar program offers tuition-free education for any graduating senior from Seattle Public high schools. 187,000 transit trips were taken by Promise Scholars who received a fully-subsidized ORCA card in 2025.
Community Engagement and Education Programs
- Transit Education Program: STM provided 16 field trips to help older adults learn how to use transit and feel more comfortable riding it.
- Youth Transportation Ambassadors Program: A paid learning program where high school students learn about transportation, meet professionals, and explore careers in the field. Eleven Seattle high school students participated in this month-long program in 2025.
- Youth Transportation Summit: An interactive event where young people share ideas with SDOT about transportation and city projects. 30 young people participated in 2025.
The Easy Loop (Formerly Solid Ground Downtown Circulator)
- The Easy Loop connects low- and no-income people and those with disabilities to human service agencies in downtown Seattle. In 2025, the service was rebranded to raise awareness about the service. More information here.
Research programs
- Uplift Seattle’s Equitable Access to Transit (USEAT): Studies how free transit passes affect low-income job seekers and whether better transit access helps them find jobs, get to those jobs, and improve their quality of life.
- Safe Access to Transportation Research Project: SDOT partnered with 12 community-based organization so explore how safety perceptions affect transit access for unhoused individuals.
Seattle is actively improving its transit infrastructure with more STM funding dedicated to capital investments focused on improving transit safety, reliability, and accessibility. The STM program's spending authority for capital projects has increased over the current measure, allowing SDOT to make important transit infrastructure improvements across the city.
Key Focus Areas
Transit Corridors
SDOT is designing safer, more efficient, and better-performing transit routes. Projects receiving STM-funding in 2025, include:
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- Funding to help get the Rainier Ave S Bus Lane Project completed in 2025.
- Construction funding for RapidRide J Line
- Design and Construction funding for NE 130th & NE 125th Mobility and Safety Project
- 30th Ave Transit Street: New sidewalk, bus stops, and repaving on 30th Ave NE from NE 125th St to Lake City Way NE to support Metro’s new, east-west running Route 77.
Safe Access to Transit
Improving paths to transit stops for pedestrians and cyclists. Enhancements include better crosswalks, sidewalks, signals, and lighting. Projects underway:
- Safe Streets for All: STM funded the delivery of seven locations near transit stops to support safe access to transit.
- Community and Mobility Hubs: improving connectivity and creating welcoming transit spaces near Mercer International Middle School and Mt Baker Link Station
Transit Spot Improvements
- Small-scale projects like new bus shelters and boarding pads.
- In 2025, STM continued to fund bus stop enhancements on Route 125, which connects Downtown Seattle with Westwood Village via South Seattle College. Six spot improvements were delivered.
Project Selection Guidelines
Considerations:
- Emphasis on safe transit access
- Maintain capital funding commitments for large transit-focused capital projects
- Transit Advisory Board (TAB) Guidance – Focusing on improving travel time, safety, and wayfinding for transit users
The Emerging Needs category responds to emergencies and helps fund innovative partnerships and pilot projects. In 2025, STM funding supported efforts to expand Metro’s Transit Ambassador program.
Transit Ambassadors
- A 2024 Council budget action allotted up to $1 million of STM funds to support more Transit Ambassadors on King County Metro bus routes.
- In 2025, STM funded Transit Ambassadors at two locations in Seattle: the University District surrounding the light rail station and the Rainier Valley corridor between Columbia City and Othello Stations.
Financial Information and Oversight
Financial Summary
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is committed to using Seattle Transit Measure (STM) funds responsibly. STM was approved by voters and provides annual spending details in this report.
Annual Revenue and Spending
- STM is expected to bring in over $50 million each year from 2022 to 2027.
- In 2021 and 2022, STM spent less than planned due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- STM spending increased significantly in 2023 and 2024 - reaching $61.7 million in 2024 and remaining essentially flat in 2025.
- STM plans to use all collected funds by the end of the measure in 2027.
Future Plans
- In 2026, SDOT will lose a $5 million annual credit from federal COVID-19 transit aid, which will lead to an increase in the amount spent on bus service.
- STM funds help pay for Metro Flex and Trailhead Direct, which connects people to trails near Seattle.
- STM will continue to support the Seattle Streetcar with an increased contribution in 2026.
Looking Toward 2027
- STM revenues will be collected until early 2027.
- Programs will continue into 2027, with budgeting depending on a possible replacement measure.
- With significant momentum and a clear vision, SDOT remains focused on ensuring that STM’s legacy is one of positive and equitable impact for Seattle residents.
Seattle City Council
The Seattle City Council is the governing board of the Seattle Transportation Benefit District (STBD). In June 2016, a city ordinance allowed the council to take over all functions of the STBD. This change made managing and understanding the district’s work easier and more transparent. The council makes decisions about transportation benefits and transit funding as part of the city’s budget.
Seattle Transit Advisory Board
Voters approved a transit measure in November 2014 that led to the creation of the Seattle Transit Advisory Board (TAB) in early 2015. The roles of this board include:
- Advising the City Council, Mayor, and city departments on transit-related issues.
- Commenting on city policies and projects that impact public transit.
- Serving in an advisory capacity regarding how the City invests STM revenues
In 2025, the TAB participated in the first ever joint meeting among all four Seattle modal advisory boards: Pedestrian Advisory Board, Freight Advisory Board, Bicycle Advisory Board, and Transit Advisory Board. These groups came together in June 2025 to provide input on the development of the Seattle Transportation Plan (STP) Implementation Plan and discuss their shared priorities.
The Transit Advisory Board includes five members appointed by the council, six by the mayor, and one youth member from the Get Engaged program.
Historical Annual Reports
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