On, and around Valentine’s Day, King County Metro, Sound Transit, and Community Transit will be implementing their late winter and early spring service changes. In early April, there will be some additional changes to Metro routes 4, 8, & 48 in order to accommodate construction. Details follow below; click the linked images to jump to the specific transit provider:
King County Metro
New Timetables
Keep a lookout for the new green timetables on buses and at timetable information kiosks. This service change is relatively minor, the last before the Proposition 1 funded changes start going into effect this June and September.
New Customer Service Center Hours
Beginning February 14, Metro’s Customer Information office will be open from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Friday for trip planning and Lost & Found calls, and from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for ORCA calls and customer comments. The office will be closed on weekends and major holidays.
The Customer Stop on the mezzanine level of Westlake Station will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the first and last four business days of each month. The Customer Service office and Lost & Found at the King Street Center in Pioneer Square (201 S Jackson St) will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
New Route (Effective February 16th)
- Route 628
In an effort to expand alternative transit service on the Eastside and to help mitigate Route 208 service reductions and the deletion of routes 209 and 215 last fall, Metro has contracted with Hopelink to operate a new shuttle service in the Snoqualmie Valley.On weekdays, Community Shuttle Route 628 will operate about every 30 minutes between 5-8 am and 5-9 pm. It will operate on a fixed route to and from North Bend and the Issaquah Highlands P&R via Snoqualmie and Snoqualmie Ridge, and also provide service on request at designated stops within a flexible service area in the Issaquah Highlands. To schedule service in this area, call 855-233-6043.Route 628 will operate via SR-202, Snoqualmie Parkway, SE Ridge St, Douglas Ave SE, I-90 and Highlands Drive NE. It will also operate a reverse peak-period express service (eastbound in the morning and westbound in the evening) to and from the Factory Outlet Mall in North Bend and the Issaquah Highlands P&R via I-90. Regular Metro fares will apply.Metro routes 208 and 224, and the Snoqualmie Valley Transportation (SVT) shuttle also provides service in the Snoqualmie Valley.
Revised Routes (Effective February 14th)
- Route 7
- The southbound Route 7 schedule will be revised to provide improved service to and from S Prentice St.
- Route 50
- In early February, Route 50 will serve a new bus stop inside the Veterans Administration Medical Center. If the new driveway and entrance is not finished by the start of the service change on February 14, Route 50 will continue serve the bus stops on Columbian Way S, just east and west of the entrance to the medical center.
- Route 55
- Southbound Route 55 to the Admiral District will serve the bus stop westbound on Wall St just east of 5th Ave. It will no longer stop at the bus stop westbound on Bell St just west of 7th Ave.
- Route 111
- Southbound Route 111 to Lake Kathleen will serve the bus stop westbound on Lenora St just east of 4th Ave. This route will no longer stop at the bus stops westbound on Bell St just west of 7th Ave, and on 2nd Ave just south of Bell St.
- Route 114
- Southbound Route 114 to the Renton Highlands will serve the bus stop westbound on Lenora St just east of 4th Ave. This route will no longer stop at the bus stops westbound on Bell St just west of 7th Ave, and on 2nd Ave just south of Bell St.
- Route 143
- Southbound Route 143 to Black Diamond will serve the bus stop westbound on Lenora St just east of 4th Ave. This route will no longer stop at the bus stops westbound on Bell St just west of 7th Ave, and on 2nd Ave just south of Bell St.
- Route 193
- The southbound Route 193 trip to Federal Way leaving E Jefferson St & 18th Ave at 7:05 pm will be revised to leave 35 minutes later at 7:40 pm.
- Route 204
- The span of service for southbound Route 204 trips to south Mercer Island will be extended by about an hour in the evening. The last southbound trip leaves the North Mercer Island P&R at 7:03 pm.
- Route 212
- The westbound trip to downtown Seattle leaving the Eastgate P&R at 7:21 am will be revised to leave six minutes later at 7:27 am.
- Route 255
- Eastbound Route 255 trips during the afternoon peak period will be revised to help eliminate a 29 minute gap in service between 7:15 and 7:44 pm. Also, a westbound trip to downtown Seattle leaving the Kirkland Transit Center at 5:44 pm will be deleted.
- Route 303
- The northbound Route 303 trip to the Shoreline P&R leaving E Jefferson St & 18th Ave at 7:18 pm will be revised to leave 22 minutes later at 7:40 pm.
- Route 312
- The southbound Route 312 trips to downtown Seattle leaving the Kenmore P&R at 7:16 and 7:23 am will be revised to leave at 7:18 and 7:22 am instead.
- DART 913
- At Kent Boeing, DART Route 913 will be revised to operate via 59th Ave S, S 208th St and the Kent Boeing Access Road in both directions. It will no longer operate on S 212th St between 59th Ave S and 66th Ave S, 66th Ave S, S 208th St, 67th Ave S and the roadway on the east and south sides of buildings 18-61, 18-67 and 18-62.
Revised Routes (Effective early April)
- Route 4
- Beginning in early April, southbound Route 4 will only operate as far as 21st Ave & E James St for about eight months due to a long-term construction project on 23rd Ave S.Alternative nearby service to downtown Seattle is available via Route 2 on E Union St, Route 3 on E Jefferson St, Route 7 on Rainier Ave S, Route 8 on Martin Luther King Jr Way, Route 14 on S Jackson St, Route 27 on Yesler Way and Route 48 on 23rd Ave.In conjunction with the start of the Route 4 routing revision, Route 8 will be revised to operate, in both directions, on Martin Luther King Jr Way S between S Jackson St and E Yesler Way. It will not operate via S Jackson St, 23rd Ave S and E Yesler Way northbound or via E Yesler Way, 23rd Ave S and S Jackson St southbound.Also, northbound Route 48 service on 23rd Ave S will be rerouted between S Jackson St and E Cherry St via Martin Luther King Jr Way. Route 48 will serve the bus stops eastbound on S Jackson St just east of 23rd Ave S, northbound on Martin Luther King Jr Way at E Alder and E Cherry streets, and westbound on E Cherry St at 25th Ave. Southbound service will be maintained but traffic delays should be expected.
- Route 8
- In conjunction with the start of the Route 4 routing revision, Route 8 will be revised to operate, in both directions, on Martin Luther King Jr Way S between S Jackson St and E Yesler Way. It will not operate via S Jackson St, 23rd Ave S and E Yesler Way northbound or via E Yesler Way, 23rd Ave S and S Jackson St southbound.
- Route 48
- In conjunction with the start of the Route 4 routing revision, northbound Route 48 service on 23rd Ave S will be rerouted between S Jackson St and E Cherry St via Martin Luther King Jr Way. Route 48 will serve the bus stops eastbound on S Jackson St just east of 23rd Ave S, northbound on Martin Luther King Jr Way at E Alder and E Cherry streets, and westbound on E Cherry St at 25th Ave. Southbound service will be maintained but traffic delays should be expected.
Sound Transit
For more detailed information look in the new Ride the Wave guide on all Sound Transit vehicles. A PDF of the new Guide is also available at soundtransit.org/schedules.
Bus Service (Effective February 14th/15th)
- Route 510
- New morning trip
- Route 574
- Minor schedule changes.
- Route 590
- Fourteen trips deleted and minor schedule changes to other trips.
- Route 592
- Two trips deleted to match ridership demand and minor schedule changes.
- Route 594
- Six trips added and minor schedule changes to other trips
- Route 596
- Minor schedule changes.
Rail Service
There are no changes to Link, Tacoma Link, or Sounder service.
Community Transit
New bus schedules are available at communitytransit.org and you can now use the Trip Planner to plan your trips after the service change. New Bus Plus schedule books will be on buses starting Friday, February 6.
Revised Routes (Effective February 16th)
- Route 412
- Route 412 will have adjustments to the first three morning trips heading to Seattle. This includes permanent scheduling of a trip that was added last fall to meet demand. Please note that this route is not operating on Presidents Day.
- Route 425
- Route 425 will have its first trip leave several minutes earlier. Please check times at your stop. Please note that this route is not operating on Presidents Day.
- Sound Transit Route 510
- Sound Transit Route 510 will have the permanent addition of a morning trip to Seattle that was added last fall to meet demand.
- The Smokey Point Transit Center will open
- All bus routes traveling through the Smokey Point Area will use the transit center as a hub for transfers. Routes 201, 202, 220 227, 230 and 240 all will serve this new transit center. See the map online or in Bus Plus schedule books for bay location details. There is no pa
Gordon Werner
Gordon is a native New Yorker who wisely chose to leave the Northeast in the early 1990s. A past resident of Belltown, and Queen Anne, he currently calls First Hill home. He is a board member of the First Hill Improvement Association (FHIA) as well as the FHIA Transportation Committee Chair and is constantly looking for ways to improve transportation up the hill.