King County Metro Transit, the City of Seattle and the Washington State Department of Transportation are working together on a variety of projects to improve traffic flow on Lake City Way.

Project goals include faster, more reliable bus service, and better pedestrian and vehicular safety along Lake City Way from Interstate 5 to Northeast 145th Street.

For Metro, the focus is on improving bus travel times through the corridor. Along fast-moving, high-traffic volume streets such as Lake City Way, placing bus stops at signalized intersections relieves congestion and improves pedestrian safety.

Metro is proposing to consolidate a number of bus stops that are too closely spaced or not located at signalized intersections. This should speed up bus travel times, concentrate pedestrian crossings at safer locations, and smooth out the ride by having fewer stops and starts.

The bus stop changes would be made in September, when the new Sound Transit Route 522 will replace Metro Route 307. Sound Transit Route 522 will begin in Woodinville and stop along Lake City Way to Northeast 125 Street before traveling non-stop to downtown Seattle. Riders traveling to Northgate would transfer at Northeast 130th Street to Metro Route 41. Route 41 service would increase to 15 minutes between Lake City Way and Northgate.

Metro is accepting comments on this bus stop consolidation proposal through July 8. You are invited to e-mail, call or write: