Recently, I had the privilege of joining the full King County Council in honoring ‘First Mariner’ Dan Krehbiel ahead of his retirement from the King County Water Taxi. Captain Dan, in addition to serving King County residents and visitors honorably for years, became famous in our community for his heroic actions. He safely diverted a 300-foot runaway cargo barge using his water taxi, the Doc Maynard, thus preventing serious damage to the Seattle waterfront.
Congratulations on a well-deserved retirement, Captain Dan!
Learn more about Captain Dan’s career and his heroic actions to protect the Seattle waterfront below.
Adult fares are changing Sept. 1, 2025, on King County Metro buses, Metro Flex, both Seattle Streetcar lines and both King County Water Taxi routes. ORCA LIFT fares on both Water Taxi routes are also changing. Reduced fare rates for Senior, Disabled, Youth, and ORCA LIFT riders will remain unchanged everywhere else. |
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The new adult $3 fare brings the price of riding Metro buses, Metro Flex and Seattle Streetcar in alignment with Sound Transit’s flat fare on Link light rail and Express buses. The Metro Vanpool/Transit pass will increase from $99 to $108 to account for this new fare on regular transit service.
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King County Metro bus (Adult): Increasing from $2.75 to $3.00
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Seattle Streetcar (Adult): Increasing from $2.25 to $3.00
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Water Taxi – West Seattle (Adult): Increasing from $5.00 to $5.25
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Water Taxi – Vashon (Adult): Increasing from $5.75 to $6.00
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Water Taxi – ORCA LIFT: Reduced to $1.00 (from $3.75 on West Seattle and $4.50 on Vashon)
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Metro Monthly Vanpool/Transit Pass: increasing from $99 to $108
This is Metro’s first adult bus fare increase since establishing a flat fare in 2018, and fare reviews are a regular part of Metro’s budget planning process.
Learn more about the fare changes here.
 Residents in District 9 have an opportunity to help guide the next iteration of King County’s behavioral health investments by participating in the Community Engagement Survey. Survey questions have been carefully designed to invite meaningful input from individuals and groups throughout King County. Your important feedback will help King County better understand the current needs of the behavioral health system, identify existing gaps, and pinpoint areas where improvements are needed.
The survey is open until Friday, August 8, 2025.
Share your voice and make a difference today! Click here to take the survey.
 Newcastle has already had a great summer of music, food, and community fun with the Concerts in the Park series at Lake Boren Park!! Don’t miss the final concert of the series on August 13 to enjoy live music, local food, and themed activities. The park opens at 6:00 p.m. with family-friendly activities and food vendors ready to serve dinner and treats. Live music fills the park from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
August 13: Beach Party Night featuring Two Story Zori–Grab your park-friendly beach wear and enjoy some island vibes! Presented by Animal Hospital of Newport Hills.
What to Expect–Each week brings not just live music, but fun activities tied to the theme of the night. Community members can enjoy dinner from food vendors, grab snacks at the Newcastle Arts Council Snack Shack, meet sponsors, learn about local organizations, and join in the themed fun before the concert begins.
What to Bring–Lawn chairs or a blanket -Sunscreen and hats -Your dancing shoes -And a little costume flair for the theme!
Where to Park–Parking is available along the Waterline Trail behind the park.. The main Lake Boren Park lot is reserved for ADA parking and drop-offs only.
Mark your calendars and come celebrate a summer night in Newcastle with friends, neighbors, and local businesses!
For more information, contact Amy George, Events & Recreation Coordinator, at events@newcastlewa.gov.
Work to complete repairs to the concrete pad in the yard waste collection space at Cedar Falls Drop Box will require the closure of the area through Wednesday, August 13. Garbage and recycling collection remains open to customers. Customers are encouraged to dispose of their yard waste at the Factoria Recycling & Transfer Station during this period.
Factoria Recycling & Transfer Station 13800 SE 32nd St, Bellevue (26.2 miles from Cedar Falls)
Monday-Friday 6:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
The Best Starts Workforce Development strategy has announced funding aimed at supporting the workforce of King County’s small (fewer than 25) community-based organizations, agencies, and early childhood centers that provide Prenatal to Five services to enhance their professional development efforts. Up to $115,000 total is available through Best Starts to support the work described in this RFA. Applicants may request up to $9,999 in their proposed budget.
Applications are due Monday August 11, 2025 at 4 PM. Click here to view the full funding opportunity details and apply.
The Behavioral Health Services in Rural King County Request for Proposals (RFP) is now open, with. The RFP seeks to fund organizations located in King County’s rural Community Service Areas (CSA). Eligible applicants must provide mental health or substance use services, including but not limited to prevention, treatment, recovery support, peer-based services, and care coordination with a goal of reducing geographic barriers to care. Funding comes from King County’s local MIDD behavioral health sales tax.
You can also read more about the RFP on the DCHS blog here.
Applications are due by Friday, August 22, 2025 at 2 PM. For more information and to apply now, see the full RFP here
The Launch program is a brand new 4culture grant opportunity that will support new and emerging cultural and science organizations in King County. Organizations that are selected through the Launch program will receive three years of unrestricted general operating support and will also have access to capacity-building support services.
Full applications are due Wednesday, August 27 at 5pm. Learn more at the 4Culture website.
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