Metro service changes begin Saturday

Starting Saturday, June 8, King County Metro Transit will revise bus service, routing and schedules to continue to operate more efficiently, improve travel times and better match bus service to ridership.

By Reporter Staff • June 6, 2013 3:21 pm
Starting Saturday
Starting Saturday

Starting Saturday, June 8, King County Metro Transit will revise bus service, routing and schedules to continue to operate more efficiently, improve travel times and better match bus service to ridership.

Changes affecting 17 routes are posted online, and also included in new green timetables and an orange rider alert brochure.

Among the changes, transit planners are adjusting RapidRide C and D line trips to better match morning demand. Other adjustments are schedule or routing changes, some planned seasonal/summer adjustments, or mark a reduction in bus trip frequency due to expiring state grant funding.

Metro updates its routes and schedules three times a year to improve service and address the changing needs of transit customers, while operating within budget. The June 8 changes come as Metro continues to prepare for possible service cuts up to 17 percent beginning in fall 2014 unless a stable source of revenue is identified.

The revised route schedules beginning on June 8 will be available on Metro Online on Friday, June 7, or call Metro Customer Information at 206-553-3000.

Route change details effective June 8

Route maps and timetables will be posted online June 7. The new schedule information is available now on Metro’s online Trip Planner for trips with travel dates entered for June 8 or later.

  • RapidRide C and D lines: A new southbound weekday trip will be added to Westwood Village leaving Bay 3 at the Alaska Junction at 5:12 a.m.. Also, in an effort to balance passenger loads, the RapidRide C and D line schedules will be adjusted during the morning peak period.
  • Route 7 late night service: Northbound trips to downtown Seattle currently arriving at Third Avenue and Pike Street at 3:17 a.m. and 4:36 a.m. weekdays and 3:16 a.m. and 4:35 a.m. on weekends will operate via Third Avenue instead of Fourth Avenue. These trips will serve the bus stops on Prefontaine Place South just south of Yesler Way and on Third Avenue at Columbia, Seneca and Pike streets.
  • Route 15X: Seven northbound afternoon/evening trips to Blue Ridge will be revised to leave the transit island on Fourth Avenue South just north of South Jackson Street at 4, 4:30, 4:45, 5,5:15, 5:32 and 6 p.m.
  • Route 17X: Six northbound afternoon/evening trips to Sunset Hill will be revised to leave the transit island on Fourth Avenue South just north of South Jackson Street at 3:45, 4:20, 4:50, 5:05,5:20 and 5:40 p.m.
  • Route 18X: Eight northbound afternoon/evening trips to North Beach will be revised to leave the transit island on Fourth Avenue South just north of South Jackson Street at 3:30, 4:10, 4:38,4:55, 5:10, 5:25, 5:50 and 6:20 p.m.
  • Route 49: The northbound 2:15 a.m. Route 49 trip to the U-District will begin at the bus stop northbound on Third Avenue just north of Pike Street. It will no longer serve the bus stop on Third Avenue just south of Pike Street.
  • Route 56, 57: The southbound Route 56 trip to Alki leaving Fourth Avenue and Wall Street at3:28 p.m. will be converted to a Route 57 trip to Genesee Hill. Also, westbound Route 57 trips will end at Bay 2 instead of Bay 1 at the Alaska Junction in West Seattle.
  • Route 82 Night Owl: Trips to East Green Lake will begin at the bus stop northbound on Third Avenue just north of Pine Street (next to Macy’s). It will no longer serve the stop on Third Avenue just south of Pine Street (near McDonald’s). Also, Route 82 will operate both directions on Third Avenue instead of via Fourth and Second avenues.
  • Route 83 Night Owl: Northbound Route 83 Night Owl trips to Maple Leaf will begin at the bus stop northbound on Third Avenue just north of Pine Street (next to Macy’s). It will no longer serve the stop on Third Avenue just north of Pike Street. Also, the southbound Route 83 trip leaving Third Avenue and Pine Street at 4:24 a.m. will operate via Third Avenue instead of Second Avenue serving the bus stops at Union, Marion, James and South Main streets, and southbound on the SODO Busway just south of South Royal Brougham Way.
  • Route 84 Night Owl: Buses will operate northbound on Third Avenue instead of Fourth Avenue serving the bus stops on Prefontaine Place South just south of Yesler Way and on Third Avenue at Columbia, Seneca and Pike streets. It will stop briefly at the stop just north of Pike Street before continuing its outbound trip to Madison Park. Westbound trips from Madison Park to downtown Seattle will continue to operate southbound on Third Avenue serving the bus stops at Union, Marion, James and South Main streets.
  • Route 215: Eastbound trips to North Bend will operate via Bell Street and serve the bus stop southbound on Second Avenue just south of Bell Street. It will no longer serve the bus stop westbound on Lenora Street just east of Fourth Avenue (next to the Cinerama Theater).
  • Route 240: Six northbound trips to Bellevue leaving the Renton Transit Center at 7:22 a.m. and 7:53 a.m. and 1:28, 1:56, 2:25 and 3:10 p.m. will be discontinued. Six southbound trips to Renton leaving the Bellevue Transit Center at 8:50 a.m. and 9:20 a.m. and 2:50, 3:20, 3:50 and 4:20 p.m. will also be discontinued. The Regional Mobility grant from the Washington State Department of Transportation that funded these trips will expire on June 30.
  • Route 245: On weekdays, four southbound trips to Factoria leaving the Kirkland Transit Center at 12:03 a.m. and 6:14 a.m., and 6:14 p.m. and 6:44 p.m. will be discontinued. Four northbound trips to Kirkland leaving Factoria at 6:31 a.m. and 6:08, 6:38 and 7:08 p.m. will also be discontinued. On weekends, one southbound trip leaving the Kirkland Transit Center at 11:55 p.m. will be discontinued. The Regional Mobility grant from the Washington State Department of Transportation that funded these trips will expire on June 30.
  • Route 265: One westbound trip to downtown Seattle leaving the Houghton Park-and-Ride at8:33 a.m. and one eastbound trip to the Houghton Park-and-Ride leaving 12th Avenue South and South Jackson Street at 5:39 p.m. will be discontinued. In mid-July, when the new parking garage at the South Kirkland Park-and-Ride is expected to be finished, the westbound trip leaving the Houghton Park-and-Ride at 9:13 a.m. and the eastbound trip leaving 12th Avenue South and South Jackson Street at 6:19 p.m. will also be discontinued.
  • Route 280 Night Owl: Buses will operate northbound on Third Avenue instead of Fourth Avenue serving the bus stops on Prefontaine Place South just south of Yesler Way and on Third Avenue at James, Madison, Union and Pine streets. It will stop briefly at the bus stop just north of Pine Street before continuing its outbound trip to Bellevue and Renton. Route 280 will no longer serve the bus stop westbound on Pine Street just east of Third Avenue.
  • Route 304: The bus stop located southbound on Richmond Beach Drive just south of Northwest 196th Street will no longer be served by Route 304. Instead, Route 304 will stop at the bus stop just south of this location, southbound on Richmond Beach Drive Northwest just north of Northwest 195th Place.
  • Sound Transit Service Revisions: See information about updates and revisions to Sound Transit bus routes 522, 560, 566, 567 (new), 574 and 577.
  • Reduced service when UW is not in session: Designated trips on routes 31, 32, 65, 67, 68, 75, 167, 197, 205, 271, 277, 372 and 373 will be canceled from Monday, June 17, through Friday, June 21, and from Monday, Aug. 26, through Friday, Sept. 20, when the University of Washington is not in session.