Transit Alert – King County Metro bus riders will see many changes in March

King County, Washington sent this bulletin at 02/02/2016 05:09 PM PST

This is an early advisory regarding transit service changes associated with the upcoming expansion of Link light rail to Capitol Hill and the University of Washington. Additional information will follow during the next several weeks.

King County Metro bus riders will see many changes in March
 On Saturday, March 19, Sound Transit will expand Link light rail to Capitol Hill and University of Washington stations, one week before Metro’s spring service change takes effect on Saturday, March 26. This new extension of the Link light rail network features frequent, fast service between downtown Seattle, Capitol Hill and the University of Washington near Husky Stadium.

Especially in areas with new Link service, transit customers will need to know that they will continue to use current bus routes and schedules for one week before new ‘Link Connection’ bus service becomes available.

During the first week of University Link service, use current bus service to connect with light rail
 From Saturday, March 19 through Friday, March 25, the following routes will serve the new Link light rail stations:

  • Capitol Hill Station – at Broadway & E John St: Currently served by Metro bus routes 8, 9, 10, 11, 43, 49 and 60, as well as the new City of Seattle First Hill Streetcar.
  • University of Washington Station – at Husky Stadium: Currently served by Metro bus routes 25, 31, 32, 43, 44, 48, 65, 67, 68, 75, 167, 197, 271, 277, 372 and 373, and on Sound Transit Express routes ST 540, ST 542 and ST 556.

Many bus routes will change on March 26
Starting Saturday, March 26, Metro’s spring service changes will take effect. These changes, shown on Metro’s Link Connections page, include a redesigned network of bus service to better connect riders with Link light rail and to provide new neighborhood connections and service improvements you’ve told us you want, featuring:

  • New or improved connections to University of Washington Link Station on existing and new routes 31, 32, 43, 45, 48, 65, 67, 71, 73, 75, 78, 372 and 373. See where these - and other routes that aren’t changing - connect to the University of Washington Link station;  
  • New or improved connections to Capitol Hill Link Station on routes 8, 10, 11 and 49, and on unchanged routes 9, 60 and the First Hill Streetcar that will also connect with Link;
  • Route deletions or replacements: Routes 16, 25, 26 Local, 28 Local, 30, 66X, 68, 72 and 242 are deleted or replaced with other service.
  • Peak service improvements on routes 64X, 74X, 76 and 316;
  • Increased frequency on routes 8, 12, 48, 49, 65, 67, 70, 73, 75 and 372X;
  • More reliable service on routes 8 and 48 - currently often delayed by traffic. They will each be split into two shorter routes;
  • New east-west connections between Sand Point, Wedgwood, Ravenna, Roosevelt, Green Lake, Wallingford and Fremont on new Route 62;
  • New connections to South Lake Union and First Hill employment sites on new Route 63;
  • New night and weekend service on routes 8, 12, 67, 70 and 372X, and
  • Route 43 maintained with 30-minute peak period service on weekdays.

Find out how your routes are changing on Metro’s Link Connections website.

Other changes
In partnership with the City of Seattle, Metro’s RapidRide C Line will be extended to serve South Lake Union, and will no longer continue as the RapidRide D Line to Ballard. The RapidRide D Line will be extended to serve Pioneer Square, and will no longer continue as the RapidRide C Line to West Seattle. Read more.

Background
Implementation of Link light rail service to Capitol Hill and the University of Washington, and the related bus network revisions, are a culmination of several years of work by Metro, Sound Transit and the City of Seattle, along with many other stakeholders, and have included an extensive multi-phase public outreach that has featured online information, surveys and comment periods, public meetings and a Sounding Board comprised of area residents. The King County Council adopted these changes on October 19, 2015.

What do riders need to do to prepare, and when?
Starting now, riders can prepare for the upcoming changes by:

You can plan bus trips to and from the new Link stations now by using current timetables in Metro Online, or by using a travel date of Match 25 or earlier, and entering the station names as your destination or starting point, in Metro’s online Trip Planner. Specific information about University Link trips and schedules will be in the Trip Planner in early March.

In early March, we’ll let you know when you can:

  • Use a travel date of March 26 or later in Metro’s online Trip Planner to plan transit trips in the new network that will be effective on March 26;
  • Sign up for Transit Alerts for any new routes you may be riding, and
  • Review - during the week prior to March 26 - any trip plans or other information you may have previously obtained, as minor revisions may have been made.

Online timetables for Metro service effective on Saturday, March 26, will be posted on the Metro Online website on the afternoon of Friday, March 25.

At all times
When planning transit trips, visit Metro’s Service Advisories page to find out if there are known or pre-planned reroutes or other service disruptions due to events or construction activities that might affect your travel.

Periodically check Metro Online for updates about transit service, products or future planning.

Thank you for riding, and for using Metro’s services.

Metro is hiring
Driving part-time for Metro is ideal for anyone who wants work without weekend or late-night hours. For more information visit www.kingcounty.gov/DriveForMetro.