From staff reports:

Metro Transit will hold a meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 20 at the Federal Way Community Center, 876 S. 333rd St., to discuss the possible impact of cuts to Metro Transit service in the near future.

This marks the first of a number of community meetings throughout the region.

Because the state Legislature has not helped create a stable funding source for public transit, Metro itself could face the cancellation of 74 bus routes, along with revisions to 107 other routes, if no funding is forthcoming from Olympia.

According to Metro, if the funding is not found and the agency is forced to cut the services, it would be the “loss of an unprecedented 14 million rides annually, and would revert Metro’s service to levels not seen since 1997.”

Metro warns that this reduction would come as ridership nears an all-time high again that was first seen in 2008. Metro provides about 400,000 rides a day, according to the transit agency.

In Federal Way, according to information provided by Metro, up to four routes could be completely eliminated, and a number of others would be revised.

The funding shortfall is anticipated to be $75 million, which would cover 600,000 hours of services and assorted bus purchases. Metro experienced the same issue in 2011, and was able to avert the funding issue when the King County Council enacted a new car tab fee on King County residents.