Transit Oriented Communities Workshop is Tomorrow In Shoreline!

Be there or be left out!

\Transit-oriented communities are all the rage right now in North King County and South Snohomish County. Sound Transit is expanding the Link Light Rail, the City of Shoreline just adopted a “Town Center Plan,” and the City of Bothell has developed a Downtown Revitalization Plan.

So what does this all mean?

To help set the vision for transit-oriented communities and discuss tools for implementation, the organizations Futurewise and Transportation Choices Coalition and the architecture firm GGLO will present an informative workshop and visual exhibit at the Shoreline Public Library on Friday, September 9 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

“There is a real desire to improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods by providing better access to walking, biking and transit, and more affordable housing options,” said Brock Howell, King County Program Director for Futurewise. “We hope our workshop on transit-oriented communities can help inform these policy discussions.”

The workshop will feature a presentation by representatives from Futurewise and GGLO. Participants will explore a vision for compact urban areas and the protection of our farms, forestlands, and green space, and how to make it happen.

Futurewise launched its Transit-Oriented Communities (TOC) Blueprint program to encourage more housing and transportation choices for Washingtonians. The program advances vibrant and healthy neighborhoods through a comprehensive report and action plan, a traveling gallery exhibit, and community meetings across the state to promote growth near transit. 

The Blueprint program is anchored by a comprehensive publication Blueprint for Transit Oriented Communities (pdf). It’s an action plan for promoting neighborhoods that give people greater access to housing, jobs, shopping, and recreation without relying on a personal vehicle. Created by GGLO, Futurewise, and Transportation Choices Coalition, the purpose of the Blueprint is to provide guidance and inspiration for the community at large, and also to serve as an advocacy manual for new legislation that will promote exemplary transit oriented communities in cities throughout Washington State.

The publication presents an image-rich vision of TOC, provides research linking TOC patterns to numerous social and environmental benefits, and lays out policy actions from the local to federal level to encourage more TOC patterns.

Alan Grainger, founding principal of GGLO, said, "For this to happen, visionary planning and design must go hand-in-hand with smart policies and attention to the unique qualities of each community."

The workshop is free and open to the public and oriented toward public officials, planners, and informed citizens.

Details:

What: Presentation & Discussion on transit-oriented communities.

Date: Friday, September 9, 2011

Time: 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Location: Shoreline Library

Address: 345 NE 175^th, Shoreline WA 98155

RSVP to info@futurewise.org.

More information about transit-oriented communities available at http://futurewise.org/priorities/toc.

You Did It: Buses Saved in King County

Last night, the King County Council saved Metro!

The councilmembers who voted in favor of the congestion relief charge were Bob Ferguson, Larry Gossett, Jane Hague, Kathy Lambert, Joe McDermott, Julia Patterson, and Larry Phillips. 

Councilmember Larry Phillips championed the cause to save metro by proposing the initial congestion reduction charge at the County Council. Thank you Larry Phillips, Executive Constantine, Joe McDermott, and the other five other councilmembers who voted in favor to save Metro buses. This was not an easy vote to take and we appreciate your leadership.

Send a thank you letter to the councilmembers.

We're in this situation because of out-dated state law that restricts local voters to only fund their transit service with the sales tax -- a funding source that is regressive, volatile, and declining.

Luckily the state legislature recognized this problem for King County Metro and gave the County Council a temporary stop-gap measure to adopt until the state comes up with a longterm, statewide solution.

The council has adopted the stop-gap measure, so let's take this time to celebrate and to thank our councilmembers.

Send your thank you letter now!

This wasn't possible without you. Together we signed and sent more than 15,000 petitions and letters. We made hundreds, maybe thousands, of calls into the councilmembers. And we stood in a two-block-long line for two hours in order to testify at a public hearing.

So, even more than a thank you to our councilmembers, this is a big thank you to you.

Together we saved our buses!

Today's the day The King County Council will vote on the Future of Metro

Today's the day. The King County Council will vote on whether to save King County Metro.

Nothing has changed -- yet. Unless we pass critical stop-gap support, we'll lose 600,000 hours of bus hours and 4 of 5 bus riders will be significantly affected -- resulting in more congestion, pollution, and inequity.

As of this morning, a majority of the 9-member county council supports passing the "congestion relief charge." But we still need one more councilmember to adopt it.

We must hold our councilmembers accountable. 

Please attend today's hearing:

Today -- Monday, July 25, 3pm
Council Chambers, 10th floor
King County Courthouse
516 Third Ave
Seattle, WA

If you cannot attend at 3pm, please consider coming early and signing-in to register your support. Early sign-ups begin at 1pm.

Together let's save King County Metro!

A Personal Teen Story on why $20 Congestion Reduction Charge Matters

By Jasmine Beverly (TCC Summer Intern)

I’m not a stereotypical high school girl. I don’t go to high school dances, I have to be dragged to shop for clothes, and I’d rather spend time with my family than go out with friends. I’m seventeen and I don’t even have my permit or license yet. That’s right, a high school girl without a driver’s permit or license. Reading this story anywhere else, you’d think “Ooh, she lives in the middle of nowhere and is a little farm girl,” or “What a deprived teenager she must be! Living without a car?” or “She must be the nerdy outcast who doesn’t have any friends.” And although I’m a choir nerd, neither of those statements is true; I simply live in Seattle where public transportation is amazing. Well, for now it is.

I use the bus for everything. I take it to and from school, to the store to buy groceries, to friend’s houses, and even to visit family members. What’s the point of spending money for driver’s ed classes and gas when I can just hop on a bus? Seattle Public Schools gives high school students (with some exceptions) Orca cards. Not only do the cards have King County Metro youth passes, but this past year, they came with Sound Transit Business Passports. That enables us to right light rail or the Sounder around the city and even outside of it free of charge. It was nice for me because I was able to ride around Seattle and also visit my dad and his family in Puyallup. No more 45 minute car rides with younger sisters stuck in traffic. Just a nice, air conditioned train with free wifi and peace and quiet.

Now wait a second, what happens if Metro cuts 17% of their bus service? Let’s see, getting anywhere would take twice as long as it does now. Maybe even three times as long. If there are less buses on the road, that means more cars. And more cars mean traffic will be horrendous. So... Less buses + more cars + the same amount of people = what? This isn’t that hard of a decision to make, people. The $20 Congestion Reduction Charge needs to be implemented. There’s no way that more cars on the road can be a good thing, ever. But let’s just make life harder for people in Washington the next couple of years. Let’s force teenagers to conform to the stereotypes and buy cars, work at fast food restaurants to pay for gas, and congest the roads that much more.

I honestly can’t imagine how anyone could disagree with this. That’s just me though. The nerdy choir high school kid.

Metro Cuts Hearing: Where in the World is Pete von Reichbauer?

The next public hearing on the future of King County Metro will be at Burien City Hall at 6pm Thursday.

At the last hearing over 700 people lined the streets of Seattle supporting bus service in King County.  We expect a good crowd at Thursday's hearing as well.

A lot of participants at the Seattle hearing were upset that their representatives were not there (only the four dems who supported the $20 fee to save metro were there, since then Patterson has also come out in favor of it).

So the big question for tomorrow's hearing is, will the vice-chair of the transportation committee, Pete von Reichbauer from Federal Way, be there? We hope so!

See you all tomorrow at 6pm to support buses in at Burien City Hall!.

Breaking News: Julia Patterson to support CRC to save metro

 This just in. Councilmember Julia Patterson has come out supporting the congestion relief fee to save 17% cuts to King County Metro!

This means with one more vote we'll get to the required 2/3rd majority that is required to pass this legislation to save metro.

Please come to the hearing in Burien at city hall on Thursday at 6pm to testify in favor of this important measure to save metro bus service!

Patterson: “Transit services a critical lifeline for commuters”

Signals support for congestion relief charge

Metropolitan King County Councilmember Julia Patterson released this statement today on Ordinance 2011-0288, the proposal to implement a temporary $20 Congestion Reduction Charge on vehicle licenses for each of the next two years to help maintain Metro Transit service at its current level:

“After finding out today that the proposed Congestion Relief Charge would save the 26,000 service hours scheduled to be cut in Council District 5 as part of the 17 percent reduction of transit service, I am ready to support Executive Constantine’s proposal.

“This was not an easy decision for me because families are already struggling in this economic recession. Before I gave my support of a fee increase, I needed to make absolutely sure that this proposal did not disproportionately burden the working poor in my district.

“South County residents commute further than anywhere else in King County. They rely heavily on bus service every day to get them to work and back home to their families.

“Without this critical transportation lifeline we will be forcing more people to get in their cars and they will spend hundreds of dollars a year on gas and vehicle maintenance – a much greater financial impact than a $20 fee.”

10,000 Petitions to be Delivered in Support of Metro at 3pm Tomorrow in Kirkland

10,000 PETITIONS SUPPORTING $20 CONGESTION RELIEF CHARGE TO SAVE KING COUNTY METRO WILL BE DELIVERED TO KING COUNTY COUNCIL ON WEDNESDAY

WHAT:       King County Metro bus service is in dire financial straits. Unless new revenue is found, they will be forced to cut 17 percent of King County bus service impacting over 80% of bus riders in our community.

Transportation for Washington, The Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, Futurewise, Transportation Choices Coalition, Fuse, and MoveOn have teamed up to build a coalition to save King County Metro.  On Wednesday at 3pm the pro-transit coalition will deliver over 10,000 petitions to Councilmember Larry Phillips supporting the $20 congestion relief fee to save King County Metro!

WHEN:       Wednesday July 20^th 3-3:30pm

WHERE:     South Kirkland Park and Ride, 10610 NE 38th Pl, Kirkland, Washington

WEB SITE: www.stopbuscuts.com

Please note this even is open to the public so feel free to join us!

Massive Number of Bus Riders Turn out to Talk to Democrats on the King County Council

Last night's County Council hearing on the future of King County Metro was an event of epic proportions.

This photo taken by our friend Jenn Olegario tells the story of how many people wanted to testify.  The line was over two hours to get into the ill-equipped County Council chambers and the testimony supporting the congestion reduction charge lasted until 10:30pm.

 

The main story lines from last night:

1. This is one of the largest turnouts ever for a public hearing in King County with 500-1000 people showing up and trying to testify and many of them were not able to wait out the lines to get in, although many patient transit supporters did.
2. People were appalled by the potential loss of bus service and 99% of them supported the fee. The biggest message other than supporting the fee was that Metro should eventually levy more sustainable and non regressive forms of taxation to remain solvent.
3. Councilmembers Dunn, Patterson, Hague, and von Reichbauer were notably absent from the hearing.  A lot of their constituents who were there to testify to them were very disappointed that their councilmembers were not there. None of the absent members have stated their support of approve the congestion reduction charge councilmanically.  Hague, Dunn, and von Reichbauer have all stated their opposition to the short term fee without a public vote.

Here has been a lot of coverage on this event from king 5, Seattle PI, Seattle Times, and publicola.

I testified to the partial council and delivered the nearly 2,000 emails that all of you sent in to support the measure.  Thank you for your support and please visit www.stopbuscuts.com to keep the pressure up!

A lot of people were livetweeting the event, to see a good rundown check out:
@ericacbarnett
@transpochoices
and @seattletransitblog
The main hastag of the day being used was #savekcmetro
Also check out Oran's flick of the evening http://tinyurl.com/5vvj4ye

Important Metro Funding Hearing is Tomorrow in Seattle

Hearing Tomorrow to Save King County Buses

Thank you for support of saving King County Metro. We have sent in over 1,500 emails supporting the measure to save metro. If you haven't done so set you still can by clicking here!

Losing 600,000 service hours -- significantly affecting 80% of riders -- will devastate our economy, environment, and communities with more congestion, pollution, and inequity.

That's why it's so important for the King County Council to adopt the $20 congestion relief charge. This state legislature-approved measure will provide temporary relief until a long-term state solution is found.

This is the most critical week in our effort to save King County Metro. The county council must adopt the congestion relief charge on July 25th.

Tomorrow's public hearing in Seattle will be the pivotal juncture. We need to turnout en masse to show strong support for the measure.

Here's the details:
Public Hearing to Save King County Metro
Tuesday, July 12, 6 - 8 p.m.
King County Council Chambers
King County Courthouse, 10th Floor
516 Third Avenue
Seattle, WA

RSVP right now.
We need to pack the room and overflow attendance into the hallways and streets. So, please bring friends and family.

P.S. We'll have stickers to show that you're a supporter. So, when you get off the elevator on the 10th floor, get your sticker from me or another organizer. Also arrive early as you'll need to get through court security. See you tomorrow!

KING COUNTY HEARINGS: Metro Cuts and Congestion Reduction Charge

The King County council's Transportation, Economy and Environment Committee will be hosting three hearings to offer citizens opportunities to testify on proposed transit cuts as well as the proposed $20 congestion reduction charge on vehicles. Committee chair Larry Phillips clearly outlines the choice at stake:

“King County has a choice of cutting 17 percent of our transit service—taking the system back to 1996 service levels—or preserving current service levels" by enacting the congestion fee.

All meetings will start at 6:00 p.m. and will be held in Kirkland, Seattle and Burien. We encourage everyone in King County to attend one and make their voices heard!


Wednesday, July 6
Kirkland City Council Chambers
123 Fifth Avenue

Tuesday, July 12
King County Courthouse, Council Chambers,
10th Floor
516 Third Avenue

Thursday, July 21
Burien City Council Chambers
400 S.W. 152nd Street 

All meetings start at 6pm 

More info at http://www.kingcounty.gov/council/news/2011/June/LP_treemtgs.aspx

Breaking News: Bill to Temporarily Save Some Metro Bus Service is Signed into Law

It is official.  King County Metro Transit has received some temporary funding needed to avoid major cuts to bus service thanks to a bill signed into law today by Governor Chris Gregoire.  

Senate Bill 5457—sponsored by Sen. Scott White, D-Seattle—would allow the King County Council to implement a temporary congestion reduction charge to fund Metro bus service if they can muster a 2/3rd majority (or if they decide to send it to the voters).  The fee is temporary and would expire in 2012.  

“A healthy transit system is a vital component of our local economy in King County,” White said.  “Not only do many families rely on transit service on a daily basis to get to school and work, now more than ever we need a safe and reliable public transit infrastructure as we seek to reduce our carbon footprint and reliance on nonrenewable fuels."

County Executive Constantine is expected to send the proposal to the County Council as early as next month, where two-thirds of councilmembers must approve the proposal in order for it to take effect.  Alternatively the council could decide to send the temporary measure to the voters.

“With $4 per gallon gas prices, demand for transit is rising, yet King County Metro is facing drastic cuts that will leave thousands of people stranded at the bus stop,” said Rob Johnson, Executive Director of Transportation Choices Coalition. “This legislation, which follows the recommendation of the Metro Regional Transit Task Force, is desperately needed in the short-term to keep Metro buses running while we continue to work on a sustainable, long-term funding solution for transit across Washington State.”

It is a relief to see the legislature (finally) do something for bus service in King County and having the potential to save thousands of hours of bus service is without a doubt a win.  But, we are still facing a huge transit funding crisis in other communities across the state and this measure is a temporary band-aid that will try to hold together a gaping wound. 

Personal experience with RapidRide, light rail and local transit

In days when transit service hours are cut in many areas, the RapidRide A Line has replaced Metro’s Route 174 along Pacific Highway S / International Blvd. between Federal Way and Tukwila, and offers twice as many bus trips as the previous service. This sounds like a great sound bite from the transit provider, right? Well, it is. The wording has been lifted almost verbatim from the RapidRide website.

I'm writing now to tell you about my recent personal experience using the service.

Last week, I traveled from my home in Seattle to SeaTac City Hall. Metro's online trip planner had outlined a three-pronged trip that for me included local transit (#8), light rail, and then a final transfer to another local Metro (#180) or Sound Transit (#574) route. I was actually kind of excited to ride light rail since I rarely have reason to do so. What I did not plan on was being able to also try out the RapidRide A Line. I'm the kind of person who will sometimes do unnecessary things just for the experience. This was one of those chosen moments.

I already knew that the first leg of my trip would be late because the route is notoriously unreliable (route #8). I purposely headed out to my stop 30 minutes early, just in case. However, the bus went by me (either 10 minutes early or 10 minutes late, I couldn't tell). Right off the bat, I was a bit annoyed. I started walking toward the light rail station because I like to stay active and it was a bit cold outside. One more #8 passed me before I reached the light rail station, but I only took about 10 minutes longer than if I had waited for the bus. The first leg of my adventure was complete. No expense was yet incurred on my ORCA card.

The light rail showed up within 2 minutes of my arrival on the platform. Already, I felt assured that I would arrive at my final destination in time. The trip was clean, quiet, quick and dare I say picturesque. Whether or not it was quicker than a local route was irrelevant to me: my impression was that I didn't have to hear the driver quibble with passengers about directions, fares and the like. People moved easily on and off the train. There were a few confused people, but staff members were on the platforms to help them and there seemed to be no problems. First charge to my ORCA card: $2.25. I also remembered to tap my card on the way out as well as the way in.

Signs easily pointed me to the transit station outside of the SeaTac International Airport light rail station. It was a bit far to walk, but nonetheless very clean and clear. I quickly realized that I had a number of options: either take the Metro #180, the Sound Transit #574, or Metro's RapidRide A Line. While I'd never experienced either of the first two options, I already did not trust the time listings on the sign at the bus stop because of my experiences with local transit near my home. RapidRide, however, provided an extremely easy to understand map and the informational signs were up and running (albeit in testing mode). The next red-painted RapidRide bus arrived within 5 minutes. I was a little nervous, but hopped on anyway. Additional fare charge to my ORCA card: $0.25. I was, after all, riding during the peak hours of 6 and 9 am. Had I paid for the #8 ride to light rail then I would have enjoyed free transfer fares on both light rail and the Rapid Ride.

I got off at S. 188th St. and walked to the next stop east of International Blvd. to wait for either the #180 or the #574. It was the latter that finally showed up (the time listings at this particular stop had been vandalized, so I couldn't actually estimate whether or not the bus had shown up on time). Additional charge to my ORCA card for using ST: $0.50. Had I waited for the #180 I suspect that I would have incurred no extra charge. Unfortunately, I am relatively unfamiliar with transfers between transit agency routes such as this. I've since learned that I may have actually paid the extra $0.50 because I didn't know to ask for 1 zone instead of 2 zones on Sound Transit.

Total one-way commute time: 7:20am-8:50am. Metro's Trip Planner had me traveling between 8:09am-8:57am. The difference can wholly be attributed to the local service follies, since the light rail and RapidRide routes run like clockwork every 7.5-10 minutes during the morning peak hours. Next time, I'll use One Bus Away to better gauge the local bus arrival time. Maybe that will help.

Metro's Trip Planner quoted my trip price as $2.50. The Sound Transit leg (#574) caused my actual trip price to total $3.00. As noted above, I'll know next time to ask for 1 zone instead of automatically paying for 2 zones.

Lastly, I'd like to call attention to the local route bus stops on the last leg of my trip: the eastbound stop for routes #180 and #574 closest to SeaTac City Hall was two blocks away and left something to be desired. Because there was no sidewalk or crosswalk east of the stop, I had to back track a block to the nearest traffic signal which took forever to allow me to cross. A westbound stop was conveniently located directly in front of City Hall, so that I did not need to walk the two blocks back to the corresponding westbound stop at 46th Ave S for my return trip.

I noticed a push button at the westbound stop that indicated riders should push it when as the bus approaches in order to let the driver know of our presence. I had never seen this feature before, and already didn't trust that it would work as instructed, but I pushed the button anyway. I'll never know if the bus would have been blind to us had I not pushed the button. In the grand scheme of my travels that day, I really didn't care.

Bottom line: while I cannot give up using local routes for my transit travel because of where I live and my various and far flung destinations, I do greatly prefer light rail and RapidRide.

What are your personal experiences?

Act Now to Save Rapid Ride!

The future of King County Metro’s Rapid Ride is at risk due to proposed funding cuts in Congress.  You have a narrow window of opportunity to contact your U.S. Senators and Congressmen and tell them to save the proposed cuts to Rapid Ride!

What is Rapid Ride ?

Rapid Ride was approved by voters during the 2006 Transit Now campaign.  It is a comprehensive plan to bring faster, easier to use, and more efficient bus service across King County.  The Rapid Ride A Line, between Federal Way and Tukwila on Highway 99, began in October 2010.  Since then ridership in the corridor has increased by more than 25% and 84% of riders in a recent survey said they were satisfied or extremely satisfied by the new service.  I had a chance to ride the new service and it as noticeably more convenient and faster than traditional local bus service.

If the federal government maintains their commitment to Rapid Ride the B line (Bellevue to Redmond) will open this year, the C and D lines (West Seattle, Downtown, Ballard) will open in 2012, and the E and F lines (Aurora North and Renton/Tukwilla) will open in 2013.  For more information on King County Metro’s comprehensive Rapid Ride plan to bring you better bus service, stretching from Shoreline to Federal Way, visit Metro’s website.

 

Why Does the Federal Budget Matter? 

A large portion of the capitol improvements needed to implement Rapid Ride, such as bus only lanes and bus stops with off board payment, are dependent on federal new starts funding.  The House Republican budget slashes new starts funding to the point where Rapid Ride will not be able to be implemented on time.

What Can I Do?

Click here to take action today to save rapid ride service.  Give us a minute of your time and contact your federal Senate and House delegation and tell them to save new starts funding and Rapid Ride service.

Thanks for all you do!

Don’t forget to CLICK HERE to save Rapid Ride service.

Stop Consolidation Coming to Beacon Hill

This just in from Metro:

Metro to increase spacing between bus stops for routes 36, 60 
Metro is planning to reduce the number of closely spaced bus stops on the corridor served by routes 36 and 60. The changes will help buses move faster and operate on a more reliable schedule, cut fuel consumption and emissions, and reduce Metro’s operating and maintenance costs.

Currently, the corridors have a combined 137 bus stops south of S Jackson Street, with an average stop spacing of about 920 feet. The plan will remove 28 of these stops, plus two on East Marginal Way S, increasing the average spacing between stops to about 1,150 feet. Metro is planning to remove the stops on April 2, 2011.

As a result of the changes, approximately 11 percent of Route 36 and Route 60 riders who board south of S Jackson Street will have to catch their bus at a different stop. When the project is completed, all riders should have a faster, more reliable trip.

To learn more, view an interactive map of the stops, and submit comments, visit http://metro.kingcounty.gov/up/sc/plans/2011/36_60/04-02-11.html.

Metro will consider all comments and will keep you informed of any changes to the plan by posting notices at each bus stop and and sending a Transit Alert bulletin.

More Riders are Chosing Rapid Ride A!

King County Metro has a long press release here about increased ridership on Rapid Ride A (Federal Way to Tukwilla).

The short story is ridership is up 25% since the service started compared to previous bus service there and costumer satisfaction on the line is way up (from 85% compared to 52% satisfaction with the previous 174.

More on the survey:

And a recently conducted on-board survey of more than 500 A Line passengers reveals a variety of reasons why RapidRide has become a popular travel alternative. In addition to achieving an overall 84 percent satisfaction rating compared to a 52 percent satisfaction rating on the route it replaced, the A Line scored high with passengers in several other areas, such as:

• 81 percent overall satisfaction with how long their bus trip takes,
• 83 percent satisfaction with how often buses run during peak hours,
• 88- 90 percent satisfaction with Metro’s new hybrid-electric RapidRide coaches and on-board features, and
• 81 percent satisfied with the A Line getting them to their destination on time.

Great news!  Bus Rapid Transit (and BRT Light as I like to call systems like Rapid Ride) is an important part of the transportation solution in Washington State.  I had the pleasure to explore the Rapid Ride A line a few weeks ago and I was generally very impressed.  Aside for a 20 minute wait in Tukwilla, when the buses should have been running every 10 minutes, it was a very smooth, comfortable, and relatively quick ride.  While it is far from a true BRT it is a big improvement over traditional local bus service.

Significant Metro Route Changes Starting Feb 5

 This useful Information is Just in from our Friends at Commute Seattle:

Significant Metro Route Changes Starting Feb 5

Starting Saturday, Feb. 5, Metro will make routing and bus stop changes for approximately two dozen bus routes serving downtown Seattle to keep people moving during the long-term construction in downtown Seattle and the SODO area.

Click here for a map of new 3rd Ave stop locations.

Highlights of the February changes include:

• Routes shifting from First Avenue to Third Avenue are: 15, 18, 21, 22, 56, 57;
• Routes shifting from Third Avenue to Second/Fourth avenues: 111, 114, 143, 157, 161;
• Routes changing bus stop locations on Third Avenue: 16, 26, 28, 66;
• Route 99 will loop to travel north on First Avenue and south on Alaskan Way. To avoid confusion when northbound service switches to First Avenue, Metro plans to identify the route simply as Route 99 rather than the Waterfront Streetcar Line. Buses will no longer be “wrapped” to look like the old waterfront streetcars; and
• Other routing changes for routes: 37, 81, 85, 116, 118, and 119.

To maximize use of the bus stops on Third Avenue, Metro is expanding its alternating-stop system on that street. Bus routes skip every other stop, and some will be grouped differently at these stops than they have been in the past.

Other February revisions for Metro include an increase in bus service across the State Route 520 Bridge, a new bus route connecting Kenmore to First Hill, and returning buses to the rebuilt Kirkland Transit Center later in the month on Feb. 26.

Detailed information about the February service change will be posted on Metro Online at http://metro.kingcounty.gov/up/scvchange.html/. Maps highlighting the downtown streets with revised service are online now at

Eastside Transportation Town Hall with Councilmembers Hague & Lambert Rescheduled

The Eastside Transportation Town Hall with King County Councilmembers Jane Hague (Council District 6) and Councilmember Kathy Lambert (Council District 3) has been rescheduled for February 8th.  If you are an Eastside resident who cares about transportation choices in your community make sure to attend this upcoming event!  There are no transit directions in the announcement below but the community center is a short walk from the Mercer Island Transit Center, which has frequent service from Seattle, Bellevue, and Issaquah.  

Invitation to a town hall meeting on Eastside transit

Join Councilmember Jane Hague (Council District 6) and Councilmember Kathy Lambert (Council District 3) for a town hall discussion on Eastside transit. This town hall has been rescheduled for Tuesday, February 8, 2011, 6:30 p.m. at the Mercer Island Community Center. Hope to see you there!
Driving Directions to the Community Center at Mercer View:
8236 SE 24th Street
Mercer Island, WA 98040
(206) 275-7609

I-90 Eastbound from Seattle: take exit #7A, 77th Ave SE. Turn left across the freeway. At stop sign turn right onto North Mercer Way. Go one long block to the stop light. Go straight though the stop light. Turn left onto 81st Avenue SE. Turn right onto SE 24th Street. The Community Center is two blocks up on your left.

I-90 Westbound from Bellevue: take exit #7, Island Crest Way. Continue straight ahead. Turn right on 81st Avenue SE. Turn right on SE 24th Street. The Community Center is two blocks up on your left.

Tonight's Eastside Transportation Town Hall is Canceled

Tonight's Transit Town Hall with King County Councilmembers  Jan Hague and Kathy Lambert  has been postponed due to the anticipated snow.

Will this winter's second snowpocalypse really hit tonight? We shall see.

In the meantime don't go to Mercer Island to learn about what is going on in the Eastside with Transit service.  Stay home and drink some spiked hot chocolate instead!

We'll keep you posted as to when this event gets rescheduled.

More info: http://www.kingcounty.gov/Hague.aspx

Stay up to date on Metro's Snow routing here 

Make Your Voice Heard: Eastside Transit Town Hall

This just in from Jan Hague's office, make sure that if you are an Eastside resident that cares about transit service you attend this town hall and make your voice heard!  The county e-mail did not include transit directions but it looks like it is an easy walk from the Mercer Island Transit Center, which has frequent service.

Invitation to a town hall meeting on Eastside transit

Join Councilmember Jane Hague (Council District 6) and Councilmember Kathy Lambert (Council District 3) for a town hall discussion on transit. The town hall is scheduled for Tuesday, January 11, 2011, 6:30 p.m. at the Mercer Island Community Center. Hope to see you there!
Driving Directions to the Community Center at Mercer View:
8236 SE 24th Street
Mercer Island, WA 98040
(206) 275-7609

I-90 Eastbound from Seattle: take exit #7A, 77th Ave SE. Turn left across the freeway. At stop sign turn right onto North Mercer Way. Go one long block to the stop light. Go straight though the stop light. Turn left onto 81st Avenue SE. Turn right onto SE 24th Street. The Community Center is two blocks up on your left.

I-90 Westbound from Bellevue: take exit #7, Island Crest Way. Continue straight ahead. Turn right on 81st Avenue SE. Turn right on SE 24th Street. The Community Center is two blocks up on your left.

NOV. 5th FRIDAY FORUM: Your Future Bus Service - Get the Scoop from the Transit Task Force

FRIDAY FORUM: Your Future Bus Service - Get the Scoop from the Transit Task Force

Worried that bus service cuts are coming your way?  Curious about what's been going on with the King County Regional Transit Task Force?  Get the answers to your all questions at our Friday Forum, the first public forum on the recommendations for potential Metro bus service cuts and investments.

The King County Regional Transit Task Force was convened in March this year to help shape a policy framework around future transit service investments and potential service cuts.  This 31-member group with representatives from local government, business, labor, social services, riders, environmental groups and other transportation experts has been grappling with some tough policy questions in the face of Metro's significant budget shortfall. 

Join our all star panel of task force members to find out how the process went, the recommendations the panel has come up with, and some of the potential challenges moving forward.  Victor Obeso, Manager of Service Development at King County Metro and John Howell, facilitator of the Regional Transit Task Force will be on hand to answer questions related to bus service and the task force process.
 
WHAT: King County Metro - Updates from the Regional Transit Taskforce. 

• Dow Constantine, King County Executive opening remarks
• Seattle Councilmember Tom Rasmussen
• Suzette Cook, Mayor of Kent
• Kate Joncas, President of the Downtown Seattle Association
• Josh Kavanaugh, Director of Transportation Services at the University of Washington
  

WHEN: Friday, November 5, 12:00pm - 1:30pm
WHERE:  Seattle-King County Public Health - Chinook Building, Room 121, 401 Fifth Ave., Seattle (at Jefferson St.) (Please note room change).

As always, feel free to bring your lunch. 

This Friday Forum is co-sponsored by the Downtown Seattle Association