June 18, 2007
Sims proposes Eastside transit boost and announces changes when downtown Seattle tunnel reopens
Eastside bus riders will be able to get to work more easily and better connect with Sound Transit and Metro regional routes beginning next February under a new service plan unveiled by King County Executive Ron Sims today. The $1 million in new service and bus network restructuring is possible because of voter-approved Transit Now initiative and other service efficiencies.
The plan also includes bus route restructuring that will complement the reopening of the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel in September and help relieve congestion in Seattle's central business area.
New Eastside Service
The new service will link some of the Eastside's fastest growing neighborhoods and job services. It was designed based on extensive outreach to Eastside bus riders and major employers with the goal of designing service that will increase ridership and better match current travel patterns.
"Ridership on the Metro system is already at record levels, and we expect it to keep rising," said King County Executive Ron Sims. "This plan continues our promise to deliver new and better service as part of Transit Now."
The plan Sims transmitted to the Metropolitan King County Council calls for more than $1 million of new bus service for several Eastside communities.
The core of the new Eastside service is two new routes funded by Transit Now, one (Route 221) connecting Redmond's Education Hill through Overlake to Eastgate, the other (Route 248) is an east-west route between Avondale and Kirkland.
Both routes would run seven days a week, with buses arriving every 30 minutes during the day and every 60 minutes during evening hours.
"These two new bus routes will serve a broad range of communities, from the edge of the rural Eastside to busy urban centers such as Overlake and Eastgate," said Metropolitan King County Council Chair Larry Gossett. "We will be providing more frequent transit service not only to commuters, but also to seniors, students, shift workers, and other residents who are dependent on Metro for their daily transportation needs."
The plan calls for revisions to seven other Eastside routes to provide more frequent service, longer hours of operation, and routing that better matches passenger demand. The changes would also result in improved connections to other regional bus routes serving major transit centers and park-and-ride lots.
The February service change requires council approval.
"Eastsiders will be experiencing one of the quickest returns on transit investments I've seen," said Councilmember Hague. "I am pleased to know that new, more effective and higher frequency routes are being offered to eastside citizens and that east-west connectivity is being advanced." Hague represents east Lake Washington cities from Mercer Island to the unincorporated areas north of Kirkland.
"Transit Now will bring more frequent bus service to our area on the Eastside," said Councilmember Kathy Lambert, who represents the communities of Northeast King County. "It will help our communities get to work and back more quickly. These improvements mean we will have more time to be home with our families rather than time spent in traffic."
"We began this process to restructure Eastside service before Transit Now was approved," said Sims. "We listened to bus riders and employees so we could improve service to better meet their needs. Passage of Transit Now helps us do even more to provide transit service that meets the varied needs of our residents."
Downtown Seattle Tunnel
Sims' plan also details transit improvements that will begin this fall when the downtown tunnel reopens.
The newly retrofitted Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel is on track to reopen on time for weekday bus service in late September. Sound Transit light rail trains will join buses in the tunnel when the rail line begins operation between Downtown Seattle and the airport in 2009.
The 1.3-mile tunnel was closed for two years while Sound Transit retrofitted it for joint use by buses and light rail, and updated many of the tunnel operating systems. Prior to closure, Sound Transit, Metro Transit, Community Transit, and the City of Seattle invested $16 million in street and transit improvements. Many of the changes were so successful at keeping Downtown Seattle moving, they will remain in place when the tunnel reopens. In conjunction with the September reopening, Metro Transit will also reorganize bus routes on surface streets to improve transit and traffic flow in downtown Seattle.
Metro revises its routes and scheduling three times a year—in February, June and September—to improve service and respond to the changing needs of transit passengers.
"Combined with our recent order for new buses, these next two service changes will help attract more riders onto the bus – reducing traffic on our roads and helping us meet our goals to fight global warming," Sims said.