King County Metro will increase service Sept. 21 on a few Kent bus routes as well as numerous other routes.
As part of a semi-annual service change, Metro will add across the county 200 new trips each weekday, 150 trips on Saturdays, and 200 trips on Sundays, according to a county news release. These additions, totaling 1,350 trips per week, are thanks to Metro investments and Seattle Transportation Benefit District (STBD) funds from City of Seattle.
More service on 24 routes, including several that connect Seattle with other cities, is made possible by voter-approved STBD investments – funding that’s designed to address overcrowded trips, improve east-west connections, provide better 24-hour service and build out the city’s frequent transit network.
These 24 increased routes include: 3, 5, 5X, 7, 11, 14, 17, 21, 28, 36, 40, 41, 44, 48, 50, 65, 67, 120, 124, 372, 373, RapidRide C Line, RapidRide D Line and RapidRide E Line.
Metro funding will allow south King County routes 105, 164, 183, 346, and 906 to double in frequency, shifting from service every 60 minutes to service every 30 minutes. Investing in these five highly-productive routes in historically underserved South County communities offers better connections, and access to jobs, school and childcare.
Route 164 runs from Green River College in Auburn to Kent Station. Route 183 runs from the Federal Way Transit Center to Star Lake and to Kent Station.
Additional service change highlights include expanded hours of 10-minute service on RapidRide E Line; expanded hours of 15-minute service on routes 1, 14, 40, 41, 65, 67, and 120; new midday and Saturday service on Route 635; and later evening service on routes 40, 101, and 150.
Route 150 runs from Kent Station to Southcenter and to downtown Seattle. The night owl service will be offered from midnight to 5 a.m.
“Adding nearly 1,400 new bus trips each week will make it easier to travel in downtown Seattle and across the county,” King County Executive Dow Constantine said in the news release. “With this latest service expansion, we’re doubling frequency on five of our most popular routes in south King County. Transit means access to opportunity, and we’ve added buses to meet rider demand for the last ten semi-annual service changes, making sure every resident can get to work, school, and all this region has to offer.”
Passengers can read details about changes on Metro’s website and begin pre-planning trips using Metro’s Trip Planner app by entering a travel date of Sept. 21 or later. Changes also are included in a red Rider Alert brochure, and new green timetables that will be distributed on buses and at customer service locations.
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