King County Executive Zahilay, Metro and partners break ground on RapidRide I Line in South King County
 (Left to right) Community members Arya Nguyen and Prem Subedi, Metro General Manager Michelle Allison, State Rep. David Hackney, Auburn Deputy Mayor Tracy Taylor, Kent Mayor Dana Ralph, Renton Mayor Armondo Pavone, King County Councilmembers Steffani Fain & Peter von Reichbauer, King County Executive Girmay Zahilay, State Rep. Debra Entenman, Renton Councilmember Valerie O’Halloran
King County Executive Girmay Zahilay joined partners and community members to mark the start of construction on the RapidRide I Line, a major step forward for fast, reliable transit in South King County.
The $174 million, 17-mile project will transform the existing Route 160 corridor, which currently serves about 5,000 daily riders, into a high-capacity transit line. The corridor serves one of the region’s most diverse areas and includes many residents who rely on transit to access jobs, education, and essential services. When complete, riders will benefit from faster trips, more frequent service, and improved connections across the regional transportation network.
 (Left to right) Metro General Manager Michelle Allison, community member Prem Subedi, King County Executive Girmay Zahilay, community member Arya Nguyen
The groundbreaking of the RapidRide I Line delivers on a long-standing commitment to expand fast, reliable transit service in South King County,” said Executive Girmay Zahilay. “Auburn, Kent, and Renton are among the most diverse and fastest-growing communities in our region, and this new line will help more residents and families get to work, school, medical appointments, and other essential services without needing a car. Projects of this scale don’t happen overnight, and I’m grateful to the federal, state, county, and local partners who made today possible.”
SMALL BUT MIGHTY: Community-Drawn Stories for the RapidRide I Line
 Exquisite Riders, collaborative community drawings for RYAN! Feddersen’s SMALL BUT MIGHTY.
For artist RYAN! Feddersen, community engagement isn’t a box to be checked—it’s a generative force at the core of her practice. Her expansive public art project, SMALL BUT MIGHTY, has been developed through time spent listening, drawing, laughing, and imagining alongside the people who live, learn, work, and travel along King County Metro’s forthcoming RapidRide I Line —a 17-mile corridor connecting Renton, Kent, and Auburn, anticipated to open in 2027.
Rather than treating engagement as a preliminary step, Feddersen approached it as a creative methodology capable of shaping not just ideas, but form, imagery, and meaning. “Community engagement is an interesting but often nebulous part of public art development,” Feddersen says. “There are all kinds of ways artists go about it—from being present at an informational booth, to leading participatory workshops, to collaborative artmaking that becomes a direct part of the project."
In SMALL BUT MIGHTY, collaboration took shape through shared moments of everyday life, expressed through drawing, storytelling, and imagination. These moments reflect where people are going, what they care about, and how they move through the world. They ultimately coalesced into Exquisite Riders, a series of nine glass mosaics that will be embedded into prominent retaining walls along the I Line.
 Exquisite Riders, collaborative community drawings for RYAN! Feddersen’s SMALL BUT MIGHTY. Kent Elementary Halloween Dragon Girl, Kent Meridian High School Lion Stripes, Auburn High School Moth Pirate, Metro Roadeo Alligator Traveler (left to right).
RapidRide I Line is coming to Renton, Kent and Auburn
King County Metro has begun construction to build 17 miles of new RapidRide service in Renton, Kent, and Auburn. Once I Line is in service in 2027 it will provide connections to the Renton Transit Center, Kent Transit Center and Auburn Station. The I Line will also connect riders to the RapidRide F Line, Sound Transit buses; Sounder Train; and local bus service, making it easier for people to travel to and from regional destinations and access a network of local bus routes. Metro is building RapidRide I Line to meet a critical need for improved north-south transportation options in south King County. Visit our new website to check out our interactive map and learn about the passenger stations, and other improvements this project will bring!
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