Transit Alert – Metro's fall service revisions are in effect as of 9/22

Metro's fall service revisions are in effect

Metro’s fall service revisions are in effect as of Saturday, September 22.

Revisions include new red timetables; routing and stop revisions due to closure of the I-
90/Rainier Freeway Station for East Link expansion; continued operation on the Alaskan
Way Viaduct; restored service to the Veterans Administration Medical Center on Route
50 and added trips on 36 routes to improve frequency and service reliability and to
relieve overcrowding

Service Revisions
I-90/Rainier Freeway Station closure
Metro bus routes 111, 114, 212, 214, 216, 217, 218, 219, 630 and 989, and Sound
Transit routes 550 and 554 are revised due to the closure of the I-90/Rainier Freeway
Station for construction of Judkins Park Station as part of  Sound Transit’s East Link
expansion.

Alaskan Way Viaduct
Metro routes 21 Express, 37, 55, 56, 57, 113, 120, 121, 122, 123, 125 and the
RapidRide C Line continue to operate on the Alaskan Way Viaduct and along Seneca
and Columbia streets, instead of moving to surface street routing through SODO as
originally planned. Until the viaduct is closed in early 2019, these routes will continue
their Alaskan Way Viaduct routing, with some revisions to the routing and stops for
routes 121, 122, 123 and 125 when they arrive in downtown Seattle.

Veterans Administration Medical Center
Route 50 will is once again serving the main entrance of the Veterans Administration
Medical Center on Beacon Hill due to completion of driveway construction.

Service improvements
The following Metro routes have added trips or have had their schedules adjusted to
reduce crowding and improve reliability: Routes 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 13, 17, 18, 28, 31, 32,
40, 41, 56, 57, 62, 63, 70, 73, 106, 111, 114, 120, 180, 181, 240, 245, 331, 345, 372,
373 and RapidRide lines C, D, E and F.

Ride transit to Autumn activities
Autumn hiking: Trailhead Direct – seasonal weekend service to hiking trails
Three Trailhead Direct routes provide service to the Issaquah Alps, Mount Si & Mt
Teneriffe, and Mailbox Peak trailheads.

Riding Trailhead Direct requires payment of a regular Metro fare in both directions with
cash, ORCA or the Transit GO mobile app.

Hike safely.  Take plenty of water; let someone know where you are going, and be
aware that cell service availability may be limited.

Sign up for Trailhead Direct service advisories under the ‘Metro Community
Connections’ category, or check for updates before you go.

Football & other events and activities
Riding transit is a great way to travel to Husky and Seahawks home games. 
In the interests of ease of travel, and reducing traffic congestion, Seahawks and Husky
football fans are encouraged to ride regularly scheduled transit service, including Sound
Transit’s Link light rail, to and from games.

In partnership with the University of Washington, Metro provides Husky P&R Shuttle,
neighborhood special service and regular service for weekend Husky football games.

There are many area park-and-ride lots where fans can park for free and ride regularly
scheduled transit service to the event.

Most Metro and Sound Transit service that serves downtown Seattle and other hubs
travels to within walking distance of most major event venues.  Avoid traffic and parking
hassles.  Visit Metro’s online Trip Planner or Events page to plan your ride to and from
events and activities

Find information
Fall service revisions are posted online, and are also included in new red timetables and
in the special rider alert brochure. Revised timetables are on Metro’s website, or
customers can call Metro Customer Information at 206-553-3000.

Text your stop ID to 62550 to get the scheduled and predicted times of the next service
at your stop.

During times when Metro’s Customer Information offices are closed, transit customers
can use online resources to check schedules, submit comments, manage their ORCA
account or access the many features included in Metro’s Puget Sound Trip Planner,
which is also available as mobile apps for iOS and Android. Use the Trip Planner to find
a route or schedule, find a stop, track your bus or plan a trip.

Find out about other transit revisions in the greater Seattle and Puget Sound area by
visiting Metro’s transit partners at Community Transit, Everett Transit, King County
Water Taxi, Pierce Transit, Seattle Streetcar, Sound Transit or the Washington State
Ferries.

Fall is a busy time for schools, sports and other events, as well as construction projects
that may have impacts on transit service.  Metro encourages everyone to ride transit to
and from events, Sign up for Transit Alerts, be aware of activities in your area, allow
plenty of time, remember to plan your return trip and always check the online Service
Advisories page before traveling, in order to know if there are any known events that
might affect service.

Unexpected service disruptions
In addition to known service disruptions, delays or reroutes that may be in effect for pre-
planned events, it is also possible for unexpected disruptions and delays to occur that
are beyond Metro’s control, due to many possible reasons, including, weather, traffic,
crowds and events.

In areas where there are crowds, traffic or unscheduled events, transit riders are
advised to be aware of conditions in their immediate vicinity – such as street closures,
detours, police directions, etc. - and be prepared for delays or to make revisions to
travel plans – such as using a different bus stop or a different route - based on specific circumstances.  During these kinds of events, be prepared for unexpectedly revised
traffic or routing, and for delays in transit service.

If buses are operating along their normal routes, but delayed, it may be possible to get
more specific information by visiting Metro’s Puget Sound Trip Planner and checking the
‘Next Departures & Stops’ feature.  Please note, however, that real time information
may be less reliable in adverse or unexpected conditions.

You can also text your stop ID to 62550 to get the scheduled and predicted times of the
next service at your stop.

For non-transit traffic or other local updates, check media sources,
follow @seattledot or visit
  - https://twitter.com/seattledot
  - https://twitter.com/SeattlePD    
or other relevant sites.

Finally, with these revisions, Metro encourages riders to review and revise their Transit
Alert subscriptions as necessary.