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Metro rolls out new bus routes, more service starting Sept. 20
The new service includes two new bus routes and added service on 20 existing routes. Metro’s new schedule begins Sept. 20, but many of the changes for the weekday commuter routes don’t begin until Monday, Sept. 22. The new bus routes are:
• Route 157 is a new weekday peak-commute route providing service to
neighborhoods east of Kent. The service connects the Lake Meridian
Park-and-Ride and downtown Seattle with stops at Kent East Hill,
Glencarin, South 212th Street, and Interstate 5.
Metro's ridership has recently climbed to about 400,000 boardings each weekday, and is expected to increase this fall. “We’ve listened to riders, cities, and businesses and are pleased to have these improvements hit the road as ridership continues to climb and more service is needed,” said King County Executive Ron Sims. “So many more people are taking the bus here in King County that Metro is among the fastest growing large transit agencies in the nation.” Most of the additional service for the September service change is funded through the voter-approved Transit Now initiative. More than 48,000 new annual hours of Transit Now service will begin to operate on Sept. 20 – with about 33,000 new hours related to partnerships formed with local cities and employers. By the end of this year, Metro will have added a total of 110,000 hours in Transit Now-funded service to increase service and relieve overcrowding. The Transit Now partners involved in funding September’s new service are the cities of Seattle, Issaquah, Kent, Redmond, Renton, Sammamish, and the Microsoft corporation. Metro is also launching a demonstration project to make riding your bike and riding the bus more convenient. In response to requests from the cycling community, starting Sept. 22 bicycles can be loaded and unloaded on buses at any stop in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel – not just the first and last tunnel stations. Cyclists are urged to take care when moving off the platform to load their bikes on the front of the bus, and are reminded to use the stairs or elevators – not escalators – between street level and the platforms in stations. If the demonstration project proves successful, Metro will consider making the changes permanent. And next spring, Metro is planning to expand the hours that bike loading is allowed on streets within the Ride Free Area in downtown Seattle. Currently, bike loading is very limited in the Ride Free Area. Metro updates its routes and scheduling three times a year to improve service and keep up with the changing needs of transit customers. Bus riders can find all the September changes detailed in the Special Rider Alert brochure available on Metro Online. New orange timetables will soon be available on buses and in Metro information racks. The information is also in the online Trip Planner. Enter a travel date for Sept. 20 or later to find trips that reflect Metro's changed service. Sometimes people need more than bus service. That’s where Rideshare Services can help by providing resources for carpooling, vanpooling or vansharing. For information about all the services Metro provides, visit Metro Online, or call Metro Rider Information at (206) 553-3000. |
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