From King County Metro:
Hello,
In recent months, you’ve helped Metro hear from nearly 10,000 transit customers about our proposals to restructure bus service to be more productive and meet the needs of more people. That public input has helped shape the final September 2012 plan being submitted to the Metropolitan King County Council next week.
Most of the final recommendations support the launch of the RapidRide C and D lines that will connect downtown Seattle to Ballard and West Seattle starting on Sept. 29. For that reason, the changes primarily affect service in Seattle and adjacent communities. Some of the revisions, such as the recommended changes to the routes 10, 11, 12, 123, and 125 will also improve the flow of buses through downtown Seattle, which will produce significant efficiencies for Metro’s overall system. Not all of the changes originally proposed for this September will be part of the final plan. Some are being postponed for now, but could happen in the future. Several ideas needed further review and analysis.
The following list highlights changes that have been made to the original proposals:
- Postponing all routing changes to the 2 (north and south parts), 4 (north and south parts), 13, 14 (south part), 16, 24, 27, and 33;
- Considering small changes to frequency and spans of service for routes 14 (north and south parts), 24, 27, and 124 to better align service with ridership during the evening hours;
- Providing service to 32nd Ave NW and North Beach via a new Route 61;
- Retaining weekday and Saturday service on Route 125;
- Providing service to Nickerson Street on Queen Anne by revising Route 2 Express to provide peak service from Nickerson Street to downtown Seattle, and retaining Route 17 during weekday peak periods to provide service from downtown Seattle to the Ballard business district (northbound in the morning and southbound in the afternoon, with trips timed to meet Sounder Commuter Rail trips to/from Tacoma);
- Retaining service to the VA hospital on Beacon Hill with the new Route 50 and proposed Route 60;
- Revising new Route 50 to serve Alaska Junction and the North Delridge neighborhood; and
- Revising Route 156 to maintain service on S 216th Street and 8th Avenue S between 200th and Des Moines Memorial Drive S.
You can learn more about the final recommendations, by visiting: http://www.kingcounty.gov/haveasay.
People will have an opportunity to comment on the final September transit service plan at a scheduled public hearing of the King County Council’s Transportation, Economy and Environment Committee on Monday, April 16, from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm at Sound Transit’s Board Room at Union Station (401 S. Jackson Street, Seattle). Members of the public are welcome to attend the meeting and to testify concerning the recommended service changes. There will be an open house at 6:00 pm, presentation at 6:30 pm, and opportunity to provide public testimony at 7:00 pm. To request a language interpreter or accommodations for persons with disabilities, please contact Paul Carlson, Council staff, at (206) 296-1673 by April 9. You may also submit comments to the King County Council email address for this topic at testimony[at]kingcounty.gov.
The September service change will be one of the largest in Metro’s recent history. Since the September service change will take affect at the same time as the elimination of the Ride Free Area, we need your help to begin letting the people you serve know about these changes.
If you’ve been near the Alaskan Way Viaduct lately, you know that construction of the SR 99 tunnel is well underway. The project has affected traffic and parking at the western edge of Pioneer Square and along the waterfront. More changes are on the way this spring, including:
