King County Metro Transit dedicated the new Eastgate Park-and-Ride Garage on July 15.

Last week, King County Metro Transit celebrated the recent opening of the $27 million Eastgate Park-and-Ride Garage, marking the completion of yet another in a series of capital improvements Metro promised in 2000.

The garage and surrounding lot has a total of 1,646 spaces, and usage has grown steadily since it opened last month. The increased parking at Eastgate – more than double the number of stalls at the old lot – also appears to be easing some overcrowding at other lots along Interstate 90.

The opening of the Eastgate Garage was a significant milestone for King County Metro's Design and Construction group, but there is no time for staff members to rest. There is another garage project out to bid, a new lot under construction, and an old lot being expanded.

Here's a roundup of park-and-ride construction activities.

Eastgate – The five-story garage opened June 5 on the site of the old lot. Metro put a lot of effort into making this garage blend into the community, with artwork and architectural features appropriate for the neighborhood. But the most important element is how well this new facility is already working to relieve congestion along the I-90 corridor.

Usage has been climbing every week since the garage opened. As of last week, there were 730 vehicles parked both outside and inside the garage. Which is more people using the new park-and-ride than used the old lot.

It has benefits beyond the Eastgate area. Park-and-ride lots in Issaquah and Mercer Island have been at capacity for years. In the few weeks since the expanded Eastgate facility opened, Metro has seen some of the overcrowding at those other lots ease a bit. That trend is expected to continue, as more and more people discover the convenience of using the new garage.

Redondo Heights – Metro is building a brand new park-and-ride lot on Pacific Highway South at South 276th Street, and construction should be wrapped up by late this year or early next year.

There will be 700 stalls in this surface lot, which will be served by bus routes 173, 174, 175 and 190. It is expected to open in time for the February 2005 service change. The project also features HOV lanes on Pacific Highway South, a new traffic signal at South 276th Street, pedestrian walkways, bicycle and motorcycle parking, and attractive landscaping. The total project cost is $17.9 million.

“This is an important project for the south end,” said Judy Riley, Metro's Manager of Design and Construction. “There is increased ridership there, and additional park-and-ride capacity has been needed in the south Interstate 5 and Highway 99 corridors.”

Kenmore – Metro is currently constructing 220 new stalls on property adjacent to the existing Kenmore Park-and-Ride. This will bring the total number of parking spots to 652.

The lot faces State Route 522, which is becoming an important transportation corridor for the Eastside and Northshore areas. Transit service has been increased in the corridor in recent years, and response from passengers has been positive.

Metro is selling the under-utilized Northshore Park-and-Ride for redevelopment to fund the Kenmore expansion. Riley said Metro believes expanding Kenmore will be more convenient for customers than trying to build a new lot in separate location – plus it improves transit-operating efficiencies.

Issaquah Highlands – Ground will be broken for a second Metro Park-and-Ride garage in the fall. It will be located at the Issaquah Highlands development north of I-90 and will be very similar in appearance to the new garage at Eastgate.

The five-story Highlands garage will have 1,000 stalls, and space along the perimeter will be sold for retail development that can be integrated into the Highlands' urban village. The garage will also be located within walking distance of the proposed Microsoft campus. The goal is to have it open by February 2006.

Burien Transit Center – Redevelopment of the existing Burien Transit Center and the Burien Park-and-Ride is a joint project between Metro and the city of Burien. It is in the design phase now, and could be under construction as early as next year.

This park-and-ride expansion program was made possible through a “Yes on Metro” ballot measure approved by King County voters in November 2000. By next year, Metro will have delivered on every capital project identified in that measure.