King County Metro VANniversary celebrates 40 years of commuter vans
Forty years after the first vanpools started in Seattle in 1979, King County Metro’s publicly-owned and operated commuter van program leads the nation for having the most public vanpools. Today and this month we celebrate this important milestone in public transit history four decades in the making and dubbed VANniversary.

King County Water Taxi to remain in service July 22-28, planned temporary service suspension to shift to later date
The King County Water Taxi will remain in service the week of July 22-28 at Pier 52 to allow additional time to complete necessary work at the new Pier 50 passenger terminal, and a planned temporary suspension of service to move to the new facility will be announced soon.

Construction finale to temporarily suspend King County Water Taxi service July 22-28
In preparation for the opening of the new downtown Seattle passenger ferry terminal at Pier 50, the King County Water Taxi will suspend all service July 22-28 to allow construction crews to make final connections needed to shift service to the new facility. Kitsap Fast Ferry service also will also be temporarily suspended during construction.

King County Metro identifies candidate sites for a new all-electric battery bus base in south King County
King County Executive Dow Constantine announced that Metro has identified three potential sites in south King County as possible candidates to house, operate, and maintain 250 battery electric buses as soon as 2030. The new south King County base is part of Metro’s Operational Capacity Growth Program, part of the long-range plan to increase bus capacity and service as demand for transit grows.

King County Metro launching Sammamish Community Ride June 24
King County Metro continues to find ways to keep people moving. Starting June 24, Metro’s Sammamish Community Ride, in partnership with the City of Sammamish, will begin serving designated neighborhoods in Sammamish with a new reservation-based transportation option connecting the community to local destinations and transit.

King County signs five-year Access contract with MV Transportation
In a move that will improve service performance and accountability for paratransit riders, King County Metro has signed a contract with MV Transportation to provide Access services to customers for the next five years. The contract incorporates feedback from customers, caregivers, stakeholders & community organizations to ensure that Access has a stronger focus on performance, accountability, equity & social justice, customer service, innovation & continuous improvement.

Open houses May 29 and 30 for future RapidRide H Line; construction to begin in early 2020
King County Metro and the Seattle Department of Transportation will host open houses May 29 and May 30 to present the latest RapidRide H Line plans and designs, report results of public input, and inform the community of project timeline and expected impacts as Route 120 is upgraded.

King County Metro launches first-ever recruitment for full-time transit operators
King County Metro is seeking full-time transit operators who are customer-focused and want to work for one of the leading large transit agencies in North America. A one-week recruiting effort May 16-24 marks the first time in decades that Metro has opened the door to any aspiring transit operator to apply for full-time work holding a current Class A or B Commercial Driver License without first starting with the agency as a part-time operator.

King County Metro and City of Redmond seek feedback on transportation needs
King County Metro and the City of Redmond are working together to bring better transportation services to Education Hill, Bear Creek, Downtown and the Southeast neighborhoods of Redmond. A survey launched May 15 will help shape potential solutions.

Reports have tripled following ‘Report it to Stop it’ campaign, leading to arrests and convictions
A joint effort to increase reporting and reduce unwanted harassment and sexual misconduct on public transportation is succeeding. Since the launch of "Report It to Stop It" last year, reports to law enforcement of such behavior have tripled. King County Metro, advocates and law enforcement continue to work to increase awareness, encourage reporting, support survivors and reduce misconduct as National Sexual Assault Awareness Month draws to a close.

Metro invites input from Renton, Kent and Auburn residents on future RapidRide line and other area improvements
On March 4, King County Metro will release a survey to gather feedback from communities on the transportation needs of Renton, Kent and Auburn. Metro is working to improve the transit network serving these communities and expand RapidRide bus service to this area. The survey closes March 29.

More Metro in March: Added service, all-door boarding on Third Avenue, and buses say goodbye to the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel
In partnership with the City of Seattle, more trips will be added on key bus routes beginning March 23. Metro is encouraging riders to study new stop locations in downtown Seattle when 15 routes are redirected onto different city streets and all buses shift out of the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel (DSTT) in preparation for opening regional light rail extensions. To keep service moving more easily for customers, Metro is launching all-door boarding on Third Avenue.

King County Metro activating Emergency Snow Network, service reduced for Saturday and possibly beyond
With heavy snowfall across the region, King County Executive Dow Constantine directed Metro to shift bus service to the Emergency Snow Network starting Saturday, Feb. 9, reducing service to just 60 core routes that the City of Seattle and other jurisdictions prioritized for snow and ice removal.

King County Metro launches two new transportation services in Lake Forest Park and Shoreline starting Feb. 5
Looking ahead to future traffic constraints around the region, King County Metro continues to find ways to keep people moving. Starting Feb. 5, Metro’s Community Ride and Community Van services will serve residents in Lake Forest Park and Shoreline. These new services provide community members with both an on-demand evening option and a reservation-based, group trip option for trips at other times of day.

Ride Metro, Sound Transit to the Womxn’s March on Jan. 19
Tens of thousands of people are expected to participate in the Womxn’s March and rally Saturday, Jan. 19 starting at Cal Anderson Park and marching to Seattle Center. During this year’s event, traffic is already constrained as a result of the closure of SR 99, so an additional measure of planning and patience is encouraged when taking transit to attend the events.

First- and last-mile solutions: King County Metro to launch ride-hailing apps for on-demand shuttle service to transit
King County Metro will launch a pilot project that offers on-demand shuttle service to and from transit hubs throughout the region using mobile apps. The first app will be activated Oct. 23 with service to and from the Eastgate Park-and-Ride in Bellevue.

Ride the Water Taxi, Metro to Sub Pop Records’ 30th anniversary party along Alki Beach on Saturday, Aug. 11
The Water Taxi will add a second boat to its normal Saturday, Aug. 11, schedule to help carry thousands of fans to and from free concerts at Alki Beach in celebration of Sub Pop Records’ 30th Anniversary. Riders should travel early and prepare for potential crowding and possible delays on each sailing and bus trip.