Take Metro’s survey, attend the online open house or stop by a summer event to share input on future RapidRide I line and upcoming changes to transit service

 

SUMMARY

King County Metro seeks community feedback on its proposed future transit options to connect Renton, Kent, and Auburn, with faster, more frequent, and more reliable bus service and innovative travel options. This effort is a follow up to the public survey issued in March that identified transportation needs for people who live, work and play in the impacted area. Metro is now proposing transit options to address those needs. Community summer events, an online open house and a new survey, which closes August 25, will help Metro understand which of those options to prioritize to best serve the region.

STORY

King County Metro seeks the community’s feedback on proposed future transit options that will connect Renton, Kent, and Auburn, with faster, more frequent, and more reliable bus service and innovative travel options. This effort is in follow up to the public survey issued in March that identified the transportation needs of the community, and will help Metro understand what to prioritize as it addresses those needs.

With the community’s input, Metro has identified potential future RapidRide I Line bus station locations, a selection of bus routes that may receive additional frequency, routing changes, or reductions, and areas that could receive a flexible new service to better serve more people in lower-density areas.

Proposed Options

  • RapidRide
    • Key locations have been identified but other station locations are still being analyzed and yet to be determined.
    • Comment on which RapidRide I line destinations should receive bus stations at the online open house (English|Chinese|Russian|Spanish|Vietnamese)
  • Other bus service changes
    • These routes are under consideration for deletion: 102, 157, 158, 159, 192, 908, 910, 913; routes under consideration for deletion are either duplicative with other transit service or have low ridership
    • These routes are under consideration for additional service frequency: 101, 105, 164, 166, 186
    • These routes are under consideration for routing changes: 148, 166, 168, 169, 180, 181, 183, 906, 914, 916, 917
    • Provide input via the survey (English|Chinese|Russian|Spanish|Vietnamese|Somali)
  • Flexible new service

 What’s Next

Findings will inform the Area Mobility Plan that will be finalized in winter 2019, which goes into effect in South King County in September 2020.

Later this fall, community members will have an opportunity to weigh in on the final changes.

The plan includes more local bus service, dial-a-ride (DART), transit 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.

By 2023, Metro will launch the RapidRide I Line, upgrading two of South King County’s busiest routes, the 169 and 180, with bus service that is 20 percent faster and comes more often.

In the immediate future, community members may also experience service additions with Metro’s twice-yearly service change that will be announced and begin in September 2019.

Speak Up

The survey and online open house are available in multiple languages. Supplemental materials can be provided in these languages or others as needed.

About King County Metro RapidRide

King County Metro began RapidRide planning in 2006 and launched the RapidRide A Line in 2010. Today, Metro operates six lines across King County, offering more frequent and reliable service, efficient off-board ORCA fare payment, fast all-door boarding and on-board Wi-Fi for riders. RapidRide routes carry more than 67,000 rides each weekday—about 70 percent more than the bus routes that RapidRide has replaced. RapidRide is up to 20 percent faster, saving about five minutes per trip.

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