King County Metro will conclude “Ride2” pilot programs in West Seattle and Eastgate
King County Metro’s on-demand shuttle services Ride2 West Seattle (funded by City of Seattle) and Ride2 Eastgate will end service just past their one-year pilot timeframes. Via to Transit, which serves Southeast Seattle and Tukwila, will continue.

Vets ride free on Metro and Sound Transit to ninth annual Seattle Stand Down
Veterans heading to the ninth annual Seattle Stand Down event on Dec. 12-13 can ride free on King County Metro and Sound Transit buses, light rail, and Sounder trains.

King County Metro seeking community input on future RapidRide K Line in Kirkland and Bellevue
King County Metro is launching an online survey to better understand community needs and priorities for future RapidRide service between Bellevue and Kirkland. Take the survey to Have a Say on where Metro brings more frequent and reliable service.

Solo driver parking permit sales begin at nine King County Metro park-and-ride lots
King County Metro is now selling single occupant vehicle (SOV) parking permits for nine park-and-ride lots, which will go into effect on Dec. 2. Ranging from $20 to $90 per month, SOV parking permits will allow greater access to transit for people who work nontraditional hours or cannot get to park-and-rides before they fill up in the morning. At least 50% of stalls per lot will remain free and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

King County Metro tackles racial disparities and the climate crisis with bold direction from community
King County Metro’s new Mobility Framework will guide transit priorities in response to changing demographics across the region, the need for increased focus to combat the climate crisis, an increase in technological innovations in mobility services, and a growing demand for new and traditional mobility options.

Better transit service and a new bus base: Residents invited to have a say on Metro’s upcoming investments in south King County
King County Metro has been hard at work developing a proposal for future transit options to better connect Renton, Kent, Auburn, and surrounding areas; and identifying potential sites for a new bus base, which will house and maintain 250 all-electric buses by 2030. People who live, work, or play in the impacted areas are invited to share their feedback on these long-term investments.

Best of the best: King County Metro names Neal Safrin Operator of the Year
King County Metro announced in a surprise ceremony today that the Operator of the Year is Neal Safrin, whose commitment to excellence in safety, customer service, and service to his fellow operators represents the best of Metro.

King County Metro seeks members to serve on the new Access Paratransit Advisory Committee
King County Metro invites the public to apply for membership of its new Access Paratransit Advisory Committee. The committee will advise Metro, the King County Executive and King County Council on transit issues, policy, and performance related to Metro’s Access paratransit program, including matters of equal access to public transportation for persons with disabilities.

Help on the way: Southbound SR99 corridor buses routed to Fourth Avenue, improving evening commute
After careful planning and evaluation of options, King County Metro and SDOT announced today that West Seattle and Burien-area bus routes heading south will move off First Avenue and instead use Second Avenue to connect to Fourth Avenue beginning Monday, September 9, 2019.

Community feedback needed on proposed future transit options in south King County
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.

Final construction work set to temporarily suspend King County Water Taxi service Aug. 5-11
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 Aug. 5-11 to allow construction crews to make final connections needed to shift service to the new facility. Kitsap Fast Ferry service also will be temporarily suspended during construction.

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.