With more peak hour trains – coming every six minutes – a handful of Metro peak bus routes have relocated from the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel and are now serving surface street stops in Seattle. The change affects routes 76, 77, 216, 218, 219 and 316, effective Sept. 28, 2015.
Having more frequent train service in the tunnel is part of Sound Transit’s efforts to extend Link light rail service to Capitol Hill and Husky Stadium in 2016. To make room for more trains during peak commute times meant removing about 100 daily bus trips from the tunnel out of a total of about 1,200.
We are hoping for help from riders to keep the tunnel moving smoothly for trains and buses – easy things like having your fare ready and keeping pathways clear. Also, bus divers that are third in line at a platform will direct customers to board when the bus reaches either the first or second position, a move intended to help maintain or speed up the flow of tunnel service.
We appreciate riders’ patience as these changes take place and as Metro and Sound Transit undertake expansion and improvements to our transit network!