New King County Metro bus stops now open on the Montlake Lid!
Metro is excited to offer four new bus stops as part of the state’s major SR 520 Montlake Lid project, offering easier connections for riders traveling between the Central District, East Capitol Hill, Montlake and the Eastside.
These stops opened April 12 and serve these routes, all of which travel from the University District to the following destinations:
- Route 43 to Capitol Hill
- Route 48 to Central District, Mt Baker
- Route 255 to Kirkland Transit Center, Totem Lake Transit Center
- Route 271 to Bellevue, Issaquah
- Sound Transit Express Route 542 to Redmond
- Sound Transit Express Route 556 to Bellevue, Issaquah
Around 13,500 riders use these routes daily. The new space offers three grassy acres and new trail connections to the Arboretum, East Montlake Park and the Montlake neighborhood.
“Reopening service at Montlake is a big step forward for regional transit,” said King County Executive Shannon Braddock. “These new stops restore vital connections that have been missing since 2019. It’s a win for access, convenience and connectivity across our region.”
Better bus connections make riding easier than ever
“The opening of four new stops on the Montlake Lid marks a significant milestone in improving convenience for riders across the region,” Metro Assistant General Manager Ernest Kandilige said. “This expansion offers Eastside commuters a direct link to this important community. Montlake, Capitol Hill and the Central District will likewise benefit from shorter, more seamless trips. By bringing these neighborhoods closer together, this project creates a more connected transit network.”
Buses haven’t directly served the State Route 520/Montlake Boulevard interchange since 2019. Since then, the Washington State Department of Transportation completed the massive Montlake interchange project, including a landscaped lid and a cyclist/pedestrian overpass.
The new space offers three grassy acres and new trail connections to the Arboretum, East Montlake Park and the Montlake neighborhood.
“Seeing these new bus stops open on the Montlake Lid is a proud moment,” said WSDOT SR 520 Deputy Program Administrator Dawn Yankauskas. “It’s a big step after years of planning, partnership and community input. These stops support this area as a growing transit hub – reconnecting neighborhoods and making it easier for people to get where they need to go.”
Metro is excited about these new stops. Their addition to the Montlake Lid will make travel smoother and more accessible for numerous riders. This project also promises to lay the groundwork for even greater transit opportunities for Montlake in the future!
Check out these WSDOT camera views of the Montlake lid project, including time lapse photos of the construction.
It would have been nice if it would replace the former Montlake freeway station which was probably the busiest station out of all of them. It would work like some of the other flyer stops. It is really easy to implement it on the WB because of its design.
Why no 257, 311, 545, or CT 424? Those would all be useful connections
I expected the Sound Transit Rt 545 to stop here again, that was such an important connection for me coming from Rainier Beach and heading to Redmond for work.
I think they’re trying to get that light rail up and running to Redmond soon. you’ll be able to bus to the Judkins park station or downtown to get on the light rail I would imagine is their plan?
Unless you are going to bear creek, the 542 does the same thing for Redmond.
The 542 covers most of the 545’s route and it serves this stop.