Mariners service is a line drive for Metro
Many regular bus routes serve Safeco Field.
Starting Tuesday, April 8, baseball season is here as the Seattle Mariners (external link) host the World Series champion Anaheim Angels in the 2003 home opener.
There have been a lot of coaching and roster changes for the Mariners, but once again they have King County Metro Transit in their lineup to deliver some relief to and from the ballpark.
Metro offers a combination of regular routes and special shuttle service for trips to and from Mariners games at Safeco Field in Seattle. Over the past several years, baseball fans have averaged 107,600 trips a year on Metro.
Depending on the time of the start of the ballgame, there are several transit options:
Afternoon games, Monday-Friday: Travel to and from Safeco using regular Metro service. There are more than two dozen routes that stop at or near the ballpark. Metro’s convenient online Trip Planner allows you to easily research which routes will provide the best connection from your home or office to the ballpark.
For night games with start times after 5 p.m., Monday-Friday: Use regular Metro to arrive at the ballpark. For after the game, there are three choices: use the regular routes; the free shuttle that travels to downtown Seattle and makes several stops; or ride one of the special shuttles that run between Safeco and 12 outlying park and ride lots. The shuttles run only after the weeknight games, and the one-way fare is $2.50.
When shuttle service is available, the special buses serve the following park and ride lots: Northgate; the transit center at Northgate; South Kirkland; South Bellevue; Eastgate; Mercer Island (post-game only); Federal Way; Star Lake; Kent-Des Moines; Kent; South Renton; and Tukwila.
Weekend games: The special shuttles provide service to and from Safeco for $2.50 each way, and the free downtown shuttle is in operation. There is also a variety of weekend Metro routes that serve the ballpark. Once again, the Trip Planner is a great way to figure out all the options.
If bus service doesn’t fit your needs, use Metro’s “Event Match” to find a carpool partner who has tickets to the same game you do. The Rideshare program offers an alternative way to get to the next Mariners game, Seattle Center festival, or any number of special events going on in the Puget Sound area by sharing the ride. Registration is simple, just visit the Rideshare Online Web page.
Detailed information is available on Metro Online. Or, call (206) 553-3000 (voice) or (206) 684-1739 (TTY).
Fleet scraps waste
The King County Department of Transportation’s Fleet Administration Division is continuing its efforts to reduce the amount of waste material sent to landfills. Last year 628,000 pounds of scrap steel was recycled by Fleet through sale to metal dealers.
These efforts help the environment and the county’s bottom line. The county would have paid $51,000 in fees if this steel had been sent to landfills. Instead of an expense, the county received a small amount of revenue and reduced the stream of waste headed for the landfill.
The program continues in 2003. As a result of competitive bids, Fleet recently signed new contracts for the sale of scrap steel from three county sites, and the scrap steel from transit bases will go out to bid next month.
Goodbye to the 'Generals'
March 27th marked the end of an era in local bus travel, as King County Metro Transit retired the last of its AM General 900 series trolley buses.
For 24 years, these 40-foot buses have traveled on overhead wires up Seattle’s hills, down its valleys, and across the flats. Although its being retired, the AMG 900 series will live on because the propulsion systems from 100 of the old trolleys have been rebuilt and installed in the new, state-of-the-art trolley buses that began serving the public in 2002.
“We’ve been calling it the ultimate recycling project,” said Metro General Manager Rick Walsh. “Reusing the propulsion systems saved us about $200,000 per coach, or $20 million for the purchase of 100 trolleys. The AMGs will be gone, but not forgotten.”
A special public trip is being arranged by Metro Employees Historic Vehicle Association (MEHVA) (external link) for fans of the AMGs. A date has not yet been set, but information will be posted on the MEHVA website, and on the telephone hotline number (206) 684-1816.
 Watch the video report!
» RealVideo file
» Windows Media file
Pot holes are a pesky sign of spring
After the freezing, thawing and storms of winter, spring is a time when many pesky problems crop up along county roads such as pot holes, shoulder erosion, and brush obscuring road signs.
If you see something wrong with a road in unincorporated King County, the Roads Services Division wants to hear from you. The best way to report a problem is to call (206) 296-8100, or toll free at 1-800-527-6237. The TDY number is (206) 296-0933.
For more information about getting problems fixed on a county road, visit the division’s "Need Something Done?" Web page.
Stay up to date with Transit Alerts
When buses need to be re-routed significantly because of traffic disruptions, it’s nice to get that news as soon as possible. One of the easiest ways for bus passengers to stay up to date is by signing up for the Transit Alert! Service.
Metro offers a free subscription to Transit Alert! which is an e-mail notification system for regular Metro Transit routes and Metro-operated Sound Transit routes. Transit Alert! staff makes every effort to provide timely, accurate updates as conditions warrant, but under fast-changing circumstances it may not be practical to send multiple alerts.
Find out more about this convenient service on the Transit Alert! Web page. Transit Alerts are also posted on the Regional Public Information Network.
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VIDEO REPORT
March 27 marked the end of an era in local bus travel, as King County Metro Transit retired the last of its AM General 900 series trolley buses. Watch the video report:
 RealVideo file
Windows Media
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