Divisions
Department of Transportation keeps people moving
Our mission is to improve the quality of life for people in King County by providing mobility in a way that protects the environment, helps manage growth, and reduces traffic congestion.
The Department of Transportation is made up of four divisions—Metro Transit, Road Services, Fleet Administration, and King County International Airport at Boeing Field—plus the Director’s Office. Some 5,000 employees work together to provide a variety of services for people who travel in King County. The department also works in partnership with many cities within the county as well as with subregional, regional, and state groups to integrate and improve transportation services.
Divisions
DOT Director Harold Taniguchi, right, checks out the control system in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel.
Director’s Office
The Director’s Office provides overall leadership, coordination, and support for the transportation department’s transit, road, airport, and fleet services.
The office leads several department initiatives such as developing strategies to keep people moving during emergencies, reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, and planning transportation improvements that will meet the needs of our growing population.
- To learn more, go to:
- »Director’s Office page
All Metro buses are equipped with lifts for accessibility.
Transit Division
King County Metro Transit offers bus, vanpool, and paratransit services providing a total of more than 113 million passenger trips each year. One of the 10 largest bus systems in the nation, Metro operates 220 bus routes throughout the county, with nearly 10,000 bus stops and 126 park-and-ride facilities connecting riders with those routes. Customers consistently give Metro high marks for friendly, on-time service.
Metro is recognized as a leader in reducing pollution with its use of clean-burning fuels, electric trolleys, and hybrid buses. The agency also provides extensive commute trip reduction services to 480 major employers in King County, and sells transit and commuter-van passes to more than 2000 employers to help encourage their employees to ride transit.
With the support of Transit Now, an initiative approved by county voters in 2006, Metro is expanding transit services. The expansion includes new bus service in growing communities, more service on heavily used routes, service partnerships with major employers and cities, new bus rapid transit service, and expanded rideshare and paratransit programs.
- To learn more, go to:
- »Metro Online
- »Transit Now
- »Transit Facts and Figures
Road surfacing is just one of the many jobs handled by the Road Services Division.
Road Services Division
The King County Road Services Division keeps people moving by improving traffic flow and safety on local roadways. The division manages one of the largest public road systems in the state, with more than 2 billion vehicle miles traveled annually on county roads. The agency designs, builds, and maintains roads, bridges, walkways, bicycle facilities, and intelligent traffic management systems in unincorporated areas of King County. It is responsible for nearly 2,000 miles of roadway and 185 bridges in a 2,134-square mile area. The division also provides contracted construction and maintenance services to 35 local cities and special districts, plus two adjoining counties. Road Services Division crews respond 24 hours a day in all kinds of weather to keep roads safe and passable.
- To learn more, go to:
- »Road Services Web site
- »Road Services Facts and Figures
Mount Rainier overlooks the runways of KCIA/Boeing Field.
Airport Division
Designated by the National Air Transportation Association as one of the country’s “100 most needed airports,” King County International Airport (KCIA) at Boeing Field is owned by the citizens of King County, and receives no general tax dollars. It was established in 1928 by voters, and continues to be vital to our local, regional, and state economies. KCIA supports 300,000 aviation operations (takeoffs and landings) each year, and is home to dozens of aviation-related businesses, including the world-renowned Museum of Flight.
- To learn more, go to:
- »KCIA/Boeing Field Web site
The Fleet Administration Division manages and maintains many kinds of vehicles, including police cruisers.
Fleet Administration Division
The Fleet Administration Division acquires, maintains, replaces, and disposes of the county’s 2,600 vehicles, from police cars to heavy-duty off-road equipment. It also provides accounting for the county’s equipment, tools, supplies, and other capitalized assets, and disposes of all surplus property. The division has been an industry leader in building a green fleet and using clean fuels. It was selected as the lead agency in a national consortium of public agencies formed to purchase hybrid electric vehicles, now considered a model for how government agencies can work together to reduce costs.
- To learn more, go to:
- »Fleet Administration Web site
- Go to:
- »Top of page
Last update: March 17, 2008