This year, King County Metro is developing a new plan to map out future transit options for Renton, Kent, Auburn and surrounding areas, including communities within the Green River Valley and East Hill.
The plan, called the Area Mobility Plan, will integrate a new RapidRide line, local bus service, dial-a-ride transit (DART) buses, and Metro’s Community Connections Program, which provides cost-effective transportation options in areas that are not set up to support typical bus service.
Metro currently operates six RapidRide lines across the county that more reliable and are up to 20 percent faster than traditional bus service. By 2023, Metro plans to launch the RapidRide I Line, which will upgrade the current Route 180 between Auburn Station and Kent Station and combine it with the current Route 169 from Kent Station to Renton. Benefits of the I Line include:
- Reliable service: I Line buses will be more frequent and stay on time more often than the current routes, with added service at night and on weekends.
- Bus stop upgrades: New stations will include improved lighting, signs with real-time arrival information, and ORCA card readers that allow you to pay before you board.
- Better access: Metro will work with local cities to improve sidewalks, street crossings and other pathways to bus stops to ensure a safe and convenient experience.
We want to hear from you
Metro is talking with area communities to learn their needs and priorities for the new RapidRide service and other mobility needs. We plan to make initial improvements to service in the area as soon as 2020.
Your input will help us make decisions about:
- Changes to existing transit routes and services.
- The new RapidRide I Line’s route.
- Other projects that improve safety for all kinds of travel in the area.
- Other projects that improve access to transit by making it easier, safer, or more convenient to get to—or wait for—the bus.
Want to get involved?
- Take Metro’s survey by March 29 to help us learn more about how you travel today and what you’d like to see in the future.
- Apply for our Renton-Kent-Auburn Mobility Board to advise Metro about service change ideas and proposals and ways to engage and include the community.
- Visit the project website to get the latest project details, including meetings and events where Metro will be providing information this year.