Facing regional growth, construction and congestion, King County Metro and Sound Transit are working with transit customers to expand transit service and improve mobility for people who live, work, or use transit in the north Eastside area of King County. Based on community feedback and in response to rider-expressed needs and priorities, changes are proposed on 13 Metro and Sound Transit bus routes. Several new flexible Metro Community Ride and Community Van services also are proposed.
King County Metro and Sound Transit have developed a service network proposal to revise, expand and improve north Eastside service – including options that keep Metro and Sound Transit service reliable across Lake Washington to UW, Downtown Seattle and within the community.
The proposed changes would affect 13 Metro and Sound Transit bus routes 234, 235, 236, 238, 243, 244, 248, 255, 277, DART 930 serving Bothell, Kenmore, Kirkland, Redmond, and Woodinville. Several new flexible Metro Community Ride and Community Van services are also being proposed. Sound Transit will consider changes to ST Express routes 540, 541, and 545 pending changes Metro makes to its routes.
Options for change aim to keep Metro and Sound Transit service reliable across Lake Washington and within the community – and introduce new flexible transportation options. Metro completed a comprehensive review of the local transit network and engaged with communities at every step of the process.
Community participation and feedback identified mobility needs and priorities, and informed where possible changes to existing service, or adding new convenient and flexible options, would improve transportation options for people in the north Eastside.
Our goal is better mobility, Metro offers many travel options today (Bus, Paratransit, Rideshare, Community Connections, Bike, Rail, Water Taxi) and is working to add more choices that meet the changing needs of our riders. We developed two proposed north Eastside mobility network options, and we would like to know what you think about them.
Review the proposal, take the survey, and tell us what you think Nov. 13
Open houses
• Tuesday, Oct. 23, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.; UW Bothell Campus, North Creek Events Center, 18115 Campus Way NE, Bothell
• Saturday, Oct. 27, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.; Redmond Senior Center, 8703 160th Ave. NE, Redmond
• Monday, Nov. 5, 6–8 p.m.; Kingsgate Library, Meeting Room, 12315 NE 143rd St., Kirkland
• Wednesday, Nov. 7, 6–8 p.m.; Kirkland City Hall, Peter Kirk Room, 123 Fifth Ave., Kirkland
North Eastside service area: Bothell, Kenmore, Kirkland, Redmond, and Woodinville
- Routes proposed for change:234, 235, 236, 238, 243, 244, 248, 255, 277, DART 930, ST Express 540, 541, and 545
- Metro is also proposing new flexible services including a Community Van service in north Kirkland and new Community Ride service in Bothell, Kenmore, Kirkland, and Woodinville. These services would expand Metro’s community mobility options by providing new service in addition to existing Community Van service that operates today in Bothell, Woodinville, Kenmore, and Kirkland, and TripPool service that operates today to several Park-and-Rides on the Eastside.
North Eastside communities asked for increased and dependable service, more transportation choices, and an integrated transportation network that reliably connects them to opportunity.
Creating a more complete and connected north Eastside service network could improve connections to local destinations and fast, frequent transit options like Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and Link light rail.
Revising north Eastside routes would also adapt service to changing conditions, in March 2019, two significant roadway changes will impact eastside riders:
- Buses will be moved from the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel to surface streets to accommodate Convention Center expansion and the expanding light rail system, and
- The Washington Department of Transportation will permanently closee the Montlake Freeway Stations to complete SR-520 Construction.
Revising north Eastside routes could help mitigate the results of these changes.
More on shifting to surface streets in Downtown Seattle (March 2019)
- When buses are removed from the tunnel and permanently move to surface streets increased traffic congestion will lead to longer travel time and make it harder for buses to stay on schedule.
- Affected routes: 41, 74, 101, 102, 150, 255, ST Express 550
More on the Montlake Freeway Station closure (March 2019)
- Freeway bus stops at the west end of SR-520 will be permanently closed by WSDOT for construction of the Montlake Project.
- To get to or from the University District and north Seattle, riders must transfer on the east side of the floating bridge at the Evergreen Point Station to Route 542.
- Sound Transit and WSDOT are partnering to expand Route 542 service on nights and weekends.
- Affected routes: 252, 255, 257, 268, 311, and ST Express 545 and 555
Any changes to fixed-route bus service would be made in September 2019; other mobility options could be implemented sooner.
If the option for change is not supported, and we take no further action to adapt service after March 2019, available resources would be used to maintain Route 255 service on surface streets in downtown Seattle.
- Routes serving the north Eastside would continue to serve the same stops and destinations.
- We miss an opportunity to connect future riders with planned bus rapid transit and light rail investments.
- The Montlake Freeway Station still closes; Route 255 riders must transfer at Evergreen Point Station to reach the University District.
- Buses will still move to surface streets and no longer use the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel. Riders will experience longer trips and less-reliable service due to traffic conditions.
Tell us what do you think by Nov. 13?
- Take our survey
- Come to a community meeting
- Call or email
- All online at our project page
Am puzzled and unhappy to see a straight trip between Kenmore, Kirkland and Bellevue on route 234 turned into a 3-bus, 2-transfer ordeal beginning March 21. How can this unwelcome change be undone?
Hello. When is the #255 Metro Bus deleting todwntwn Seattle OFFICIALLY? It was supppsed to make it official to publicly by July 28 but have not heard it as well as the regular Metro drivers are not aqare of it! I called ur company yesterday’, Thurs 8/1 & both female employees are not aware of the Metro bus changes, in general at all. I mentioned it started officially started making chamges ; both women never was aware of it.
4 regular longtime drices told me it will change in Sat Sept 21. One female, mentioned last month it is changing March 20 2020. So what is it officially?
Also, is the other METRO buses # 234 Bellevue and #248 Redmond is being cancelled too 100% ?!
Sad as many Kirklamd residents all work 100% in dwntwn Seattle, Bellevue & Redmond and now since parking is still not 100% available, many are going to move!
Angelina Henry
Angelina- sorry for the tardy reply, back from vacation this week. Here is some helpful information from our planning staff. Very sorry you didn’t find the answers you needed when calling. Did you reach 206-553-3000? We have briefed call takers, but we might have missed a few folks, and the change is still some time away.
The new alignment for Route 255, Totem Lake Transit Center to UW Link light rail station, will officially go into effect on Saturday, March 21, 2020. Metro routes 234 and 248 will be part of this restructure.
As of the March service change, route 234 will be replaced by new routes 225, 230, 231, and 250 and a newly-added flexible service called Community Ride.
Rider options include
• Between Kenmore and Juanita, use new Route 225 (providing new connections to Totem Lake and Overlake). Riders going to Bellevue can connect with Sound Transit routes 532 and 535 at Totem Lake.
• Between Juanita and the Kirkland Transit Center, use new routes 230 and 231.
• Between the Kirkland Transit Center and Bellevue, use new Route 250.
• Community Ride is a Metro service that functions a little like rideshare companies, Uber or Lyft. Customers can call for a standard Metro fare ride at or near their starting location in the Kenmore, Finn Hill, and Juanita area and connect to available transit with a free transfer.
Route 248 will be replaced by a new route 250, which will serve points between Avondale, Bear Creek, Redmond and Kirkland with frequent, 15-minute all-day service.
More details and information can be found here, https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/transportation/metro/programs-projects/fares-routes-and-service/north-eastside-mobility.aspx
–Jeff
I’m that desperate to leave a comment, I’ve resorted to finding an unrelated page in order to do it. Metro do a fantastic job making it impossible to provide feedback in an online, public forum. Wonder why that is. Is it because you’re unable to provide a basic service to us paying ‘customers’ (let’s face it, we ain’t your ‘customers’, that only happens when there’s a choice of rail companies). Oh yeah, back to my comment. So Metro, have we forgotten the AirCon on the Sunbury line? Or are you deliberately making us uncomfortable, getting your kicks out of watching the CCTV footage of us fanning ourselves? Did you not see the weather forecast? Train in the morning was stifling hot but wait, it doesn’t stop there, so is the train in the evening. I’d this how you recoup some of the lost funds from fare evaders? No wonder they’re doing it! Heard today, other lines were Airconditioned so why not the Sunbury line? Disgraceful Metro!
The change to route 234 would dramatically impact people in the Moorlands area who use the bus to commute to Seattle for work or school. It would make it less viable for people to use public transportation. Please don’t eliminate the drive down Ne 155th!