King County Metro Transit is gearing up for a major service change starting Saturday, Sept. 25. This particular service change features bus stop relocations for many who travel to or from downtown Seattle, plus some major service revisions – including new bus routes – for the Burien-White Center and Rainier Valley-Tukwila travel corridors.

 “These will be some big changes and major service improvements for many of our passengers,” said Metro General Manager Kevin Desmond. “It’s really important that bus riders familiarize themselves with the changes before they go into effect on Sept. 25, so they can take advantage of the upgraded service.”

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. Here are the highlights of the upcoming service change:

• Bus stop relocations in downtown Seattle
  If you currently board or exit the bus on Olive Way, Second Avenue, or Fourth Avenue in downtown Seattle, your bus may be stopping at a new location beginning Sept. 25. Most bus stops only move about a block, but some routes will be making fewer stops along those streets. Also, there will be a few bus stops downtown that will permanently close, but service will be offered at other nearby stops. Notices have been posted at the stops that will be moved or closed.

These changes are being made to improve the transit and traffic flow downtown. This will become even more important next year, when the downtown transit tunnel is closed for major upgrades and retrofitting to accommodate Sound Transit’s Link light rail service. The tunnel is expected to be closed for up to two years, and more buses will be using surface streets during that time.

Metro, Sound Transit, the City of Seattle and Community Transit have begun implementing bus service changes and a $16 million package of downtown street improvements in preparation for the tunnel's closure. When the tunnel does close next year, Third Avenue will be dedicated to transit-only during peak commute hours, and most of the actual construction will take place underground.

• Changes for southwest communities
  Metro is revising its network of bus routes for Delridge, White Center, Burien, Des Moines, and neighboring areas in order to speed service to and from downtown Seattle. This means new service, revised service, and new bus route numbers for almost all bus riders in this area.

Metro worked with residents, bus riders, and a sounding board made up of area riders to develop these changes. Since open houses were held in January and February, numerous changes have been made to the original proposals in response to the public comments. Changes include:

• New Route 23 with consolidated service for White Center and Highland Park;

• New Ambaum-Delridge Route 120 with better all-day service;

• New routes 121, 122, and 123 providing State Route 509 express service to downtown;

• New Route 125 with improved service to South Seattle Community College;

• New Route 131 replacing local service between Des Moines and downtown Seattle;

• New Route 134 from Burien via Fourth Avenue Southwest to downtown Seattle;

• Several discontinued routes replaced by new and revised routes.

• Major service revisions for the Rainier Valley
  Metro is revising its network of bus routes for Rainier Beach, Capitol Hill, the University District, and neighboring areas in order to make transit service more efficient and reliable. Most of the changes on Sept. 25 focus on routes 7, 9, and 39 – with some other local service adjustments. The revisions will be split between this September’s service change, and major changes on routes 7 and 9 scheduled for next June.
  
  Metro worked with residents, bus riders, and a sounding board made up of area riders to develop these changes. Here are some highlights:

• End-of-the-line changes for Route 7;

• New stops for the Route 7-Express;

• A shorter Route 9;

• New Route 34 replaces Route 39-Express;

• Routing, schedule revisions for local service on Route 39;

• New Route 126 replaces portions of routes 39 and 124 during peak commute hours.

Details for these service, routing, and bus stop changes are included in a special Rider Alert brochure, new blue timetables, and in Metro Online. Starting on Sept. 23, there will also be street teams of Metro employees stationed in areas impacted by these changes to help bus riders.

The Rider Alert brochures and new blue timetables are now available on buses in the racks near the front of the coach. The brochures and timetables are also available at Metro information racks, libraries, and work sites. Timetables for brand new routes are already available on Metro Online. Updates for existing routes will be posted online the evening before the Sept. 25 service change.

Transit customers can also visit Metro’s Online Trip Planner to plan trips that will include the upcoming Metro changes. Enter a travel date on or after Sept. 25 for trips that reflect Metro's new and changed service.

For a complete list of all the changes, visit Metro Online, or call Metro Rider Information at (206) 553-3000.

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