Metro celebrates opening of new
Redondo Heights Park-and-Ride

King County Metro Transit opened a new park-and-ride lot in North Federal Way this week that increases commute options for both local residents and the staff and students at nearby Highline Community College.

The new Redondo Heights Park-and-Ride is located on Pacific Highway South at South 276th Street. It features 700 stalls of parking, passenger shelters, and room for up to seven buses. It is served by five Metro routes that provide service between Federal Way, SeaTac, and Seattle.

“With other nearby park-and-rides lots full almost every day, this new lot will make it easier for even more people to ride the bus from South King County,” said King County Executive Ron Sims. “Using a Metro park-and-ride lot is a great way to drive less, save money on parking and gas, and contribute to cleaner air.”

The new park-and-ride is expected to attract commuters from North Federal Way, Redondo Beach, the Woodmont and Camelot neighborhoods, plus those from the Kent Valley and East Hill.

“This new facility increases options for commuters who want a convenient trip between South King County and Seattle,” said Metropolitan King County Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer.

The councilmember said the new park-and-ride is also well located to provide transportation alternatives for students, faculty and staff at Highline Community College. The college is located approximately 2.5 miles north of the park-and-ride, and a bus trip between the two sites is only about seven to eight minutes long.

“We know there are many Highline students and staff who are already transit users,” said von Reichbauer. “Hopefully, this new park-and-ride will encourage even more to try Metro.”

Sims said the new Redondo Park-and-Ride lot is just one of several transportation projects currently underway in the Federal Way area. Other projects include: extension of HOV lanes along Pacific Highway South by local cities; continuation of the I-5 HOV lanes to the south King County line by the Washington State Transportation Department (WSDOT); widening of State Route 161 between Federal Way and Milton by WSDOT; Sound Transit’s new Federal Way Transit Center park-and-ride garage; and new direct access ramps to that transit center from I-5 being done in partnership by WSDOT and Sound Transit.

“There are a whole series of transportation improvements in southwest King County being built by state, regional, and local jurisdictions that will provide significant congestion relief,” said Sims.

Metro had several financial partners in building the $17.8 million park-and-ride, including: the Federal Transit Administration and other federal sources; the Washington State Transportation Improvement Board; and Sound Transit. Also, the Washington State Department of Transportation assisted Metro in making improvements to Pacific Highway South (State Route 99) where it fronts the new park-and-ride.

The 10-acre Redondo Heights Park-and-Ride features:

• 185-foot passenger loading platform with two covered shelters;
• Bus loop with space for up to seven coaches (used by routes 190 and 191);
• Curbside stop on Pacific Highway South with new covered shelter (used by routes 173, 174 and 175);
• HOV lane from the park-and-ride north along Pacific Highway South to South 272nd Street;
• New traffic signal on Pacific Highway South at South 276th Street;
• New sidewalks along Pacific Highway South;
• Bike racks.

There is also a considerable amount of public art woven into the park-and-ride’s design. Artists Stuart Keeler and Michael Machnic created three distinct areas for their “Drumlins” installation – all of it representing elements of the area’s geologic history of glacier movement.

Visit Metro Online for information on transit service to the Redondo Park-and-Ride. Or, call Metro’s Rider Information Office at (206) 553-3000.
 

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