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News from King County Transportation
Release date:
Sept. 16, 2003
Metro’s seasonal service change targets
North King County and Federal Way
King County Metro Transit is
gearing up for a major service change starting Saturday, Sept. 27. This
particular service change focuses mostly on
North
King County and
Federal
Way - with some revisions to service in other areas.
Special Rider Alert brochures new orange timetables will be available Sept.
18. Look for detailed information after Sept. 18 on buses, in the racks near
the front of the coach. Timetables for the
10 brand new routes
are already available on Metro Online.
Updates for existing routes will be posted online on Sept. 26.
Here is an overview of the September service change:
- The bus network in North King County is being redesigned to make it
easier to get around in Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, and North Seattle. There
will be better east-west connections, improved local service, and more trips
on high-ridership routes.
There will be nine new routes on the north end, but there will also be
several routes discontinued. Metro feels it will be able to more efficiently
serve passengers by blending most of those routes into other service, or
replacing them with one of the new routes. This restructuring also means that
many of the local routes in North King County will have new route numbers.
That is why it’s important for riders to check out the changes ahead of time.
Routes being discontinued in North King County are: 16 Express, 78, 302,
314, 315, 317, 341, 370, 377 and 943.
- In the Federal Way area, changes are being made to provide better travel
connections between Federal Way and Northeast Tacoma, Sea-Tac, and downtown
Seattle. More buses will serve the Twin Lakes Park-and-Ride lot, and the new
Route 182 is being added to provide service along Southwest 356th
Street.
Several Federal Way-area routes will be changed, and some will be
discontinued. Other local routes will replace that service. Discontinued
routes are: 176, 178, and 188.
- In Seattle, the Route 16 Express is being partially replaced by the new
Route 316, and the Route 78 will be mostly replaced by the new Route 373.
There will also be schedule adjustments or route changes for Routes 5, 26, 37
Express, 38, 64, 75, and 77.
On Aurora Avenue North, Metro is working closely with the State Department
of Transportation and the cities of Shoreline and Seattle on both short-term
and long-term improvements to improve transit flow and ridership; and to
improve pedestrian and traffic safety.
With the September service change, passengers on Route 358 – which travels
the length of Aurora – will see service increased to every 15 minutes on
weekdays and Saturdays. Service will operate every 20-minutes on Sundays.
Metro is also installing improved bus shelters, with lighting and garbage
cans. And, there will be more technology to assist riders with schedule
information that will be unveiled in October in two locations on Aurora
North.
- In South King County, Metro is making changes to better coordinate with
Sound Transit commuter rail service. In anticipation of future changes to the
Sounder schedule, weekday trips for Metro Routes 110, 140, 150, 151 and 152
operating through the Auburn, Kent and Tukwila stations is being revised.
Most of the revised trips will arrive earlier at the stations, so passengers
should check the new orange timetables for specific changes.
- On the Eastside, there will only be minor adjustments. Route 167 will no
longer serve the Bellevue Transit Center due to the Bellevue Access
construction. There will be added commuter service on Route 271 between the
Eastgate Park-and-Ride and the Bellevue Transit Center. And, there will be
routing changes for Route 342 in downtown Bellevue.
Metro updates its routes and scheduling three times a year in February, June
and September to improve service and keep up with the changing needs of transit
passengers.
"These will be some big changes for most of our passengers in North King
County," said Metro General Manager Rick Walsh. "But, they have been asking for
transit improvements and it’s been more than five years since we've adjusted
service in that area. We believe these changes will allow us to better serve
more riders with our existing resources and within our current budget."
For a complete list of all the changes, visit
Metro Online, or call Metro Rider
Information at (206) 553-3000. The Special Rider Alert brochure will be
available soon on buses and at Metro information racks, libraries, and work
sites.
Passengers trying to do some advance planning can also visit Metro’s online
Trip Planner at
to plan trips that will include the upcoming changes.
Enter a travel date after Sept. 27 for trip plans that reflect the new and
changed service.
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