Showing posts with label metro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label metro. Show all posts

King County Metro Presentation: Using the Community Van Service

Saturday, September 21, 2024

Did you know that King County Metro offers a van for pre-scheduled, low cost trips?!

Come to the Senior Activity Center for a presentation by King County Metro that will teach you how to use this amazing service! 

Learn to schedule rides for group outings, running errands, getting to medical appointments, going to concerts and sports events, etc. all at the cost of regular bus fare.

Vans are available to book any time of the day, any day of the week, and this service is available to anyone.


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King County Metro Transit Instruction Program for Seniors and people with disabilities

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Using public transportation can feel challenging or frightening for many people. 

In an effort to help seniors and people with disabilities gain confidence and learn ridership skills, the Shoreline Lake Forest Park Senior Activity Center welcomes King County Metro for a group instruction program that aims to introduce independent bus riding!

You will learn to safely and confidently use public transportation. Participants will learn about paying bus fare, using an Orca card, how to find bus stops, how to communicate with the driver, how to exit at the correct stop and general problem solving during your time riding the bus.

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Untangling major bus route changes (with corrections)

Wednesday, September 11, 2024

An updated map from Metro shows bus routes starting September 14

By Oliver Moffat

Metro Transit, Community Transit and Sound Transit are making big changes to bus service in the Shoreline and North King County region starting September 14, 2024. County Councilmember Rod Dembowski sponsored the Metro changes.

A previous article reporting major bus changes coming September 14 missed details that transit riders should be aware of (the author regrets the errors but does not regret the time spent away from his computer).

Specifically, Metro won’t be deleting Route 372 and adding Route 72 until next year; not this week as implied in the previous article. Metro has also decided to not add Route 324

The previous article also incorrectly called Route 331 a “new” route when it is in fact an existing route that will get increased early morning and late night service.

Here are summaries of bus changes coming soon to the Shoreline and North King County region.

Starting Saturday, September 14, King County Metro says they will add 3,700 bus trips per week across its entire service area - increasing weekday bus trips by nearly 5% to 11,235 daily trips and increasing weekend trips by 8% to 8,241 on Saturdays and 7,649 on Sundays.

Metro is deleting Route 302 from Richmond Beach but Route 303 will now make a stop in South Lake Union and have one additional trip in the morning.

Metro will delete the 320 from Kenmore but Route 322 will now stop at Northgate and add stops in South Lake Union.

The new route 333 will (finally) provide east/west service along NE 175th St and connect Montlake Terrace station to Shoreline South station.

The new route 365 will run north/south along 5th Ave NE connecting the North City and Ridgecrest light rail stations.

Metro is expanding its Metro Flex on-demand service to parts of Brier, Kenmore, Lake Forest Park, Mountlake Terrace, and Shoreline starting Monday, September 16.

Route 331 from Kenmore to Shoreline Community College will now turn north off of Ballinger Way to connect to the Montlake Terrace station - eliminating stops between 15th Ave NE and 19th Ave NE.

Route 345 will no longer connect to Shoreline Community College and will instead connect to the Shoreline South station.

East/west Route 330 will also be deleted, removing another connection to the campus. But new route 333 and existing Route 5 and Route 331 will continue to serve the college.

Route 346 won’t go south to Northgate and will instead run north/south along Meridian connecting the Aurora Village Transit Center with the Shoreline South station.
 
Route 348 will have increased frequency and will run along 180th instead of 175th in North City with a connection at the Shoreline North station.

Metro says the RapidRide E Line will have more trips, restoring service on Aurora to 2022 levels.

Routes 73, 301, 304, 330 and 347 will be deleted by Metro.

A map from Community Transit’s website shows the new express route 909 to Edmonds and the Blue Line extension to the Shoreline North station

Snohomish County’s Community Transit is also making big service changes on Monday, September 14.

The Swift Blue from Shoreline to Everett will add a stop at the Shoreline North station in addition to Aurora Village.

Route 130 will connect downtown Edmonds to Aurora Village and the Montlake Terrace and Lynnwood stations. The new Express Route 909 will connect Edmonds to the Mountlake Terrace Station - improving car-free access to the Edmonds waterfront, train station and Kingston Ferry.

Route 106 will run through downtown Bothell before stopping at UW Bothell/Cascadia College and Route 120 will extend south to serve the college campus after passing through downtown. New Route 121 will also connect to the campus.
 
New routes will connect riders to the Lynnwood station: Route 901 to Mill Creek, Route 903 to Lake Stevens, Route 904 to Marysville, Route 905 to Stanwood, Route 907 to Arlington and Route 103 will connect to Mukilteo and Everett.

New route 117 will connect the Mukilteo Ferry to the Lynnwood station, opening a car-free trip to Whidbey Island.

Community Transit will delete routes 105, 107, 113, 227, 247, 402, 405, 410, 412, 413, 415, 416, 417, 421, 422, 425, 435, 810, 821, 860, 871, 880.

A map from Sound Transit’s website shows bus routes that will change on September 14

Sound Transit is also making bus route changes.

To mitigate overcrowding on the 1 Line, Sound Transit is adding temporary Downtown Express 515 to give riders a train-free connection from Lynnwood and Seattle. And Route 512 and Route 513 to Everett will now connect to the Lynnwood station instead of Northgate.
 
Everett Transit made only minor service changes on Sunday, September 8.
 
Metro plans a later phase of changes once the East Link Extension tracks on the I-90 bridge are fixed and the 2 Line (hopefully) connects Redmond to Lynnwood in 2025.


In this later phase, Metro plans to re-route the 522 BRT Express from Bothell and Woodinville to connect to the Shoreline South station instead of the Roosevelt station.

Metro plans to delete the 372 possibly in 2025 or 2026, forcing UW staff, faculty and students commuting between the Bothell and Seattle campuses to make a transfer. In its place, Metro would add Route 72 from the Shoreline South station to the UW Seattle campus and would extend Route 331 to connect to the UW Bothell / Cascadia College campus instead of terminating in Kenmore.
 
Metro’s Trip Planner allows riders to set the date of their trip and riders can call Metro’s Customer Information at 206-553-3000 for more help.

The Metro changes were sponsored by King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski and voted on and approved by the King County Council in March. According to Metro, the community-based Lynnwood Link Mobility Board provided input into the changes.
 
Councilmember Dembowski said, “This enhanced system brings new options for transit riders in north King County. We’ve added more east-west routes and additional connections to our new light rail service.
"I am especially excited about the new Metro Flex service I was able to secure for neighborhoods in Lake Forest Park and Kenmore that will provide residents door-to-door, on-demand service.”

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Major bus changes coming: 16 new routes, 51 modified, 33 routes deleted

Wednesday, September 4, 2024

By Oliver Moffat

Bus riders, get ready for major bus revisions. Metro Transit, Community Transit and Sound Transit will make big changes to bus service in the Shoreline and North King County region starting September 14th to better serve the new Light Rail stations.


Metro Flex will serve the area north of Ballinger Way

King County Metro Transit plans to add five new bus routes, delete eleven routes, change 15 routes, and add Metro Flex service to Lake Forest Park and Kenmore. In Snohomish County, Community Transit will delete a whopping 22 routes and change 30 routes, while adding ten new routes. And Sound Transit will modify six routes and add one.

The new routes will provide more east/west connections to get riders to light rail lines while deleting dozens of north/south lines made redundant by the new light rail stations.

The deletion of bus routes will free up capacity so bus riders will get more weekday trips (+9%), weekend trips (+32%) and more evening trips after 10pm (+43%) and riders will have shorter wait times because of improved frequency up to every 15 minutes on many routes.

New Metro bus routes

With the new 1 Line opening, Metro will be deleting the outdated 73, 301, 304 302, 320, 330, and 347 routes. But Shoreline and Northshore transit riders will get changed, new and improved service on the 331, 333, 345, 346, 348, 365, E Line and 522 routes. And Kenmore and Lake Forest Park riders will get on-demand, ride-hailing Metro Flex service.

Goodbye 347 and 330: Route 347 from Northgate to Richmond Beach and the cross-town 330 from Shoreline Community College to Lake City will both be deleted.

Hello 5th Ave 365: Now, the new route 365 will run north/south along 5th Ave NE connecting both light rail station in North City and Ridgecrest and running south to serve North Seattle College and Northgate.

Hello crosstown 333: The new route 333 will (finally) provide east/west service along NE 175th St - connecting the Mountlake Terrace Station to the Shoreline South Station with stops in Ballinger, North City, Shorewood High School and Shoreline Community College.

Revised 345, 346, 348 and E: Route 345 will now connect to the Shoreline South Station and run along N 155th St but will no longer connect to Shoreline College. Route 346 will connect the Aurora Village transit center to the Shoreline South station via Meridian Ave. The 348 will run along 180th instead of 175th in North City with a connection at the Shoreline North station. And Metro promises increased frequency on the express E Line all day and night.

Goodbye downtown expresses 301, 302 and 304 and hello 515: downtown Seattle routes 301, 304 and 302 will also be deleted because riders will be able to use the Link 1 Line instead. With the deletion of the 302, Richmond Beach commuters will need to take the 348 and transfer to the 303 or the Link 1 Line

However, for some reason, Sound Transit will add the new 515 downtown express to get Lynnwood bus riders to Seattle who don’t like the train (essentially duplicating service provided by the new light rail extension).

Route 65 and 72 connects UW to 145th: Route 65 to the UW will now continue to the Shoreline South Station, running along 145th St. but the 73 from Jackson Park to the UW will be deleted. Metro says the new Route 72 will partially replace the 372 and will run from the Shoreline South Station to the UW via Lake City.

UW Bothell 372 deleted: Metro will delete the 372, forcing UW faculty and students commuting between the Bothell and Seattle campuses to make a transfer. In its place, Metro is adding the new Route 324 from Bothell that terminates in Lake City where riders can make a transfer to the new Route 72. Metro decided to not extend the new 331 to Bothell but Community Transit’s new Route 120 will connect Lynnwood station to the UW Bothell campus where riders can transfer to get to the UW Seattle campus. Taking the 522 Express, may provide a faster option but will still include a transfer.

Bothell Express Bus: Northshore riders can take Sound Transit’s Route 522 Express, which (currently) connects Woodinville to the Roosevelt light rail station along Bothell Way and Lake City Way with stops in Bothell, Kenmore and Lake Forest Park. When the East Link 2 Line from Lynnwood to Redmond opens in spring of 2025, the 522 will start running along 145th street to connect to the Shoreline south light rail station - providing another needed east/west connection across North King County. Further down the road, the Stride S3 Line will replace the 522 with all-electric, bus rapid transit (BRT) to Shoreline on Bothell Way and 145th starting in 2027.

322 and 331 connect Kenmore: Route 320 from Kenmore to South Lake Union will be deleted but Kenmore riders can take the new 331 and improved 322 and 522. The new east/west Route 331 from Kenmore will connect Lake Forest Park, Ballinger, Mountlake Terrace, and Aurora Village to Shoreline Community College. The 322 will now connect Kenmore riders to the Northgate Station instead of Roosevelt Station.

On Demand Pickups for Lake Forest Park and Kenmore: Lake Forest Park will mostly be left behind and remain a car-dependent, transit desert with bus routes only on the state highways that cut through town. But Metro will be expanding its Metro Flex service area to north Lake Forest Park and Kenmore allowing transit users to hail a ride with an app. The on-demand transit service will serve only north Lake Forest Park leaving residents south of Ballinger Way stuck in traffic.

Take the Ferry with the 909 and 117: The new express Route 909 and modified Route 130 will connect the Mountlake Terrace station to Edmonds station, opening up easy, car-free access to Edmonds’ downtown, waterfront, Kingston Ferry terminal and Amtrak station. The new Route 117 will connect light rail riders from Lynnwood to the Mukilteo Ferry.


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KCSO adds new K9 team to Metro police unit

Wednesday, August 28, 2024

Roland (human) and Bodhi (K9) are KCSO
explosive experts assign to Metro Transit

Put your paws together for our new K9 team who just passed the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission Certification.

Meet Roland (the human) and Bodhi (the K9)

They work Metro Transit as Explosive Detection Handlers.

And we couldn't be prouder.

--King County Sheriff's Office


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Route 372 to be deleted; “very frustrating” says Lake Forest Park Mayor

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

A map from Metro’s website shows planned Shoreline and Lake Forest Park bus routes

By Oliver Moffat

At the Thursday, April 11 Lake Forest Park regular meeting the city council reviewed planned bus route changes from King County Metro.

Route 372 from Bothell to the University District will be deleted in 2025.

A screenshot shows Lake Forest Park Mayor Tom French expressing frustration over the deletion of route 372 to the University District 

In comments, Mayor Tom French said, 

“l, for one, I'm gonna be mourning the loss of that direct bus service. And as the Council has so consistently said, this community is really losing out again in the midst of all this expansion in other areas. 
"And it's very disappointing… once again, Lake Forest Park is a drive through and it's very frustrating for us…”

A map from King County Metro’s website shows the planned Metro Flex zone

Metro will add Metro Flex service in Lake Forest Park, north Kenmore, Brier and southeast Mountlake Terrace that allows riders to use an app to hail a minivan to get a ride within the service area.


There will continue to be no bus service in Lake Forest Park south of Ballinger Way and west of Bothell Way.



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Shoreline wants bus base out of Ridgecrest; Metro wants more time

Friday, February 2, 2024

Sixty Metro Access vans are parked under the Cascades Bingo sign in the middle of a weekday in January Photo by Oliver Moffat

By Oliver Moffat

At the Monday, January 22, 2024 City Council meeting, the council changed Shoreline’s zoning laws to forbid bus bases in the Ridgecrest neighborhood, the current location of Metro Transit’s Access bus base and maintenance garage.

As previously reported in Shoreline Area News, the current owners of the property want to sell the site and Metro wants to buy it. The city says the bus base has never been legally permitted; vehicle storage has been forbidden at the site since 2008, four years before the base opened. 

Metro says they need the site to provide paratransit services in North King County and is threatening the city with legal action. Metro is asking for six years to find another site despite already owning a bus maintenance garage and two underutilized parking lots in the city. The city is eyeing the site to build a community arts and performance space with affordable housing for local artists.

Michelle Allison, Metro Transit’s General Manager,
said Metro’s question to the city is “why?”
and threatened further legal action
According to written public comments from Michelle Allison, Metro’s General Manager, without the Ridgecrest bus base, Metro would need to deploy buses from South Park, Bellevue or Kent bases which would increase expenses, congestion, travel time and decrease reliability. 

This makes the site an essential public facility in Metro’s view and contends it would be illegal under the state’s Growth Management Act if the city forced the bus base out. Given the cost and complexity of buying property in the region, Metro wants at least six years to move to a new site.

According to Metro’s public comments, there is nowhere else in Shoreline for the bus base to go because the other sites where bus bases would be allowed under the new zoning rules are either not for sale, would displace retail stores, are slated for other development, or aren’t big enough.

At the January 22 meeting, Councilmember John Ramsdell asked why the sites Metro already owns in Shoreline could not be used to park Metro’s vans. 
“I haven’t heard much of a reason why from Metro why none of those three other sites… would be unworkable.” He said, 
“I think it’s a little bit dishonest that we were told there is no other option in North King County that would accommodate the one hundred access vans.”

According to a staff report, Metro Transit owns three sites in Shoreline that would be permitted to be used as a bus base. Metro owns two park-and-ride parking lots in Shoreline (the 5.34 acre Shoreline Park and Ride Lot on the corner of 192nd & Aurora and 211 spaces at the Aurora Village Transit Center east of Costco) 

Both sites are expected to be underutilized once the Sound Transit Light Rail stations open later this year. Metro also owns the 12.53 acre King County Metro North Base located west of I-5 which is currently used as a bus base and maintenance garage but does not have room for the Access vans, according to Metro.

In an emailed response to questions, a spokesperson for Metro said, “The three sites identified as options each have limitations and tradeoffs. A fuller evaluation is needed to address whether those limitations can be overcome or if they cannot, and additional time will then be needed to make an alternate site—if found to meet the necessary criteria—operational.”

In written public comments, Allison pleaded with the city to negotiate a solution without further legal conflict and said, “Metro’s question to the city is ‘why?’”

In a letter sent to Metro obtained through a public records request the city told Metro that the site was in violation of the city’s zoning laws because it had never received a permit to operate as a bus base. The city cannot permit Metro to use the site as bus base because it would be in violation of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, according to the city.

A map of the Ridgecrest Commercial Planned Area as designated in 2008; the zoning area includes the Metro bus base in the south-west parcel. Map data from OpenStreetMap 

In 2008, four years before the site was put to use as a bus base, the city passed ordinance 492 which created the Ridgecrest Commercial Planned Area incorporating the six parcels at the corner of 5th Ave NE and NE 165th St. 

The zoning rules allowed greater density while enforcing rules to improve the livability of the neighborhood and encourage retail businesses. One of the rules explicitly forbids vehicle storage on any of the six parcels - including the site currently in use as a bus base.

However, in 2012, the city granted a permit to remodel the property into a bus base and garage. A permit search result shows the city reviewed and approved the plan for compliance with city zoning rules in 2012.

Councilmember Keith Scully speaking in favor of the
Ordnance said,“that is Metro's problem, not ours.”
Photo by Oliver Moffat

In public comments at the January 22 council meeting, Councilmember Keith Scully made his feelings on the matter clear: 

“We have tolerated for over 10 years, the facility that is not in compliance with our code in a neighborhood where it does not belong. 
"And we have bent over backwards, extending the period of time that facility was allowed to operate. 
'"We have bent over backwards, trying to find an alternate location in Shoreline. 
"Nothing about this ordinance bans transit access. Nothing in this ordinance has anything to do with the operation of the busses,” he said. “That is Metro's problem, not ours.”

Artspace Mt. Baker Lofts in Seattle. Photo Credit: Artspace
ShoreLake Arts recommends something similar at the Ridgecrest bus base -

In 2022, the city provided funds to ShoreLake Arts to conduct a market study on a project presented by ArtSpace to build a permanent home for ShoreLake Arts including classrooms, a performance space, art installations, and 40 to 70 units of affordable housing for artists. 

ArtSpace has completed similar mixed-use live-work spaces for artists in the region: the Mt. Baker Lofts in Seattle and the Schack Art Center Lofts in Everett. 

ArtSpace recommended the former “Bingo Hall,”,now in use as a Metro bus base in Ridgecrest as the preferred location in the 2022 study.


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Ordinance could drive Metro Access Bus Base from Ridgecrest neighborhood - litigation ongoing

Thursday, December 21, 2023

The old Cascades Bingo sign still stands over the King County Metro Access bus base in the Ridgecrest neighborhood. The city has moved to block the sale of the site to King County Metro. Photo by Oliver Moffat.

By Oliver Moffat

The future of the Metro Access bus base in the heart of the Ridgecrest neighborhood is unclear. The owners offered to sell the site to King County Metro. The city issued a code violation which was appealed and litigation is ongoing. 

The city is proposing an ordinance that would drive the base from Ridgecrest to some other location. The city says they offered to help Metro find another location but Metro says services for disabled and elderly riders could be disrupted because there is nowhere else for the base to go. 
 
In another display of the complex growing pains Shoreline faces, the last agenda item of the final City Council meeting of 2023 was an update on the city’s efforts to drive the Metro Access bus base from the Ridgecrest neighborhood to another location. 

Proving again there is no such thing as simple issues in local government, representatives of the two Alaskan Native tribes who own the bus base property claimed in public comments the city’s actions will harm their members - many of whom live in poverty. 

Metro’s previous public comments have warned the city’s actions could disrupt services for disabled and elderly passengers in the Shoreline and North King County region because there is nowhere else for the bus base to go.

The property at the southwest corner of NE 165th and 5th NE includes a 24,000 square foot building on a two-and-a-half acre lot. Longtime Shoreline residents might remember the property as the Cascades Bingo Hall across the street from the Crest Cinema and Café Aroma

According to King County property records, the current owners purchased the property ten years ago in 2013 and local news at the time reported that the current tenants signed a ten-year lease for the property. City leaders at the time welcomed the bus base because it would bring good paying jobs to the neighborhood. 

The site is currently used as a bus base and maintenance garage by King County Metro’s Access Transportation which provides accessible vans for the elderly and anyone who has a disability that prevents them from riding traditional buses and trains. The base is operated by MV Transportation, a subcontractor.

A screen shot from the Shoreline city staff report shows the location of the city’s two current bus bases. Metro’s North Base would not be impacted. Only the Access Van Site in the Ridgecrest neighborhood will be impacted by the proposed zoning changes. 


According to city staff, the current code governing transit bus bases is an out of date relic from a bygone era that does not align with Shoreline’s comprehensive plan and vision for the coming decades. 

Much of Shoreline’s municipal code has not been reviewed and updated since before the city first incorporated nearly 30 years ago in 1995. A lot has changed in three decades and now the Planning Commission and the City Council are working to update the code.

In July of 2023, the City Council adopted a temporary moratorium blocking new bus bases until January of 2024. The City Council is reviewing a proposed ordinance, which, if enacted, would disallow bus bases in the Ridgecrest neighborhood while allowing bus bases in other areas of the city. 

The city also issued a code violation order against the bus base claiming the owners had not secured proper permits when the base was established. That order has been appealed by Metro and MV Transportation, the subcontractor that operates the base.

In response to emailed questions, Eric Bratton, the city’s Communications Program Manager, said “The City is in no way trying to push this service out of Shoreline. In fact, we have offered to work with Metro and MV Transportation in support of their efforts to find a new site…. There will definitely be places within our community where a transit bus base could operate with the new code changes.”

According to public comments from King County Metro, the site is essential for its paratransit operations and would be exceedingly hard to replace because of its unique size and location. 

Because there aren’t a lot of big, vacant parking lots in the region available for sale, King County Metro says the proposed zoning rule not only would place thousands of disabled riders in jeopardy, but it would also hurt the good-paying jobs of the drivers and maintenance staff who have worked at the site for more than a decade.

According to public comments from Black Brandt LLC, who are the owners of the property, the possible sale of the property to King County Metro was the impetus for the city's actions against the bus base. The owners of the property are Alaska Native Corporations who manage investments on behalf of 50,000 Alaska Native indigenous shareholder members, many of whom live in poverty. 

Profits from the investment directly support education, welfare, cultural programs, burial assistance and other needs of tribal members who have lived in remote western Alaska since time immemorial.

In written public comments, the owners said that when the city learned the owners had decided to put the property up for sale, the council suddenly moved to block the sale by passing an emergency moratorium on permits allowing property to be used as a bus base. 

These actions, the owners said, have potentially devalued the property and blocked their ability to sell it, thereby injuring their tribal members.

Maps from a staff report show where bus bases would be allowed if the city passes the proposed ordinance. Notably excluded is the current Metro Access bus bases in Ridgecrest. Full sized maps can be found in the published staff report.


City staff showed the council a draft proposal of the new zoning law along with maps showing where bus bases are currently located in Shoreline and where, if the law is passed, bus bases would be allowed. 

Excluding the Shoreline School District’s bus base by Ridgecrest elementary, there are currently two bus bases in Shoreline: Metro’s North Base along I-5 by the King County solid waste transfer station and the Metro Access van site in the Ridgecrest neighborhood. 

Maps shared by city staff showed a patchwork of sites where bus bases would be allowed if the zoning rule was enacted along Aurora Ave, Bothell Way, and Ballinger Way. The existing Metro North Base on I-5 would also be allowed, but notably, the Ridgecrest site would not.

Councilmember Chris Roberts raised concerns about the proposed ordinance


Councilmember Chris Roberts questioned why the School District’s bus base would not be impacted by the zoning change saying, “the principle, I would presume, would be the same...  

"I have concerns about this ordinance,” continued Roberts, “I think that we need to be careful about pushing uses out of the city, and out of established places where there are established businesses… And I would recommend this coming back with conditional uses for other areas of the city.”

The council has limited some discussion of the ordinance to executive sessions which are not held in public because of possible litigation. State law allows the council to hold executive sessions that are closed to the public when discussing issues such as buying or selling property, personnel matters, litigation or pending litigation. 

Bratton, the city’s Communications Program Manager, said the city cannot comment on ongoing litigation.

Stay tuned… more details and public debate should emerge in the new year when the temporary ordinance expires and the city must take action. City Council meeting agendas, minutes and videos are posted online. The public can attend regular council meetings online and in person at City Hall on Mondays at 7pm.



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Neighbors celebrate installation of portable toilet at Aurora Village Transit Center

Monday, December 18, 2023

Echo Lake neighbors and members of the Echo Lake Neighborhood Association applaud the installation of an accessible, portable toilet at the Aurora Village Transit Center. Pat Deagen, project leader, is center with this arm raised. Photo by Claudia Meadows

Metro Transit oversaw the installation of an accessible, portable toilet at Aurora Village Transit Center, located on N 200th across from Echo Lake Park, on Monday December 11, 2023.

Travelers move through the center 24 hours a day. Many of these travelers transfer to and from Community Transit buses and others travel to Edmonds, or to Bothell Way and Lake Forest Park. Some have 20 minute layovers between buses. When the Lynnwood Link transit centers open in Mountlake Terrace and 185th, there will be even more riders.

Prior to Monday, there were no rest room facilities at the transit center. The nearby Portland Loo in Echo Lake Park was overwhelmed, requiring constant volunteer supervision and support from Shoreline city staff.

Just about everyone believes that restrooms in busy public places are a good idea, but it is not so easy to make them safe, clean and accessible.

With the assistance of County Councilmember Rod Dembowski, the Echo Lake Neighborhood Association and project leader Pat Deagan called the issues with the transit center to the attention of a Metro spokesperson.

The residential neighborhood had asked for change from their transit station neighbor. With funding and support from Councilmember Dembowski, Metro repainted the station, improved regular cleaning, and is enforcing healthy riding rules on the bus and at the bus shelters with a security force on duty 24 hours.    

King County Metro has now made transit safer and healthier for riders and neighbors of the Aurora Village Transit Center. 

To accomplish this, Metro listened to and cooperated with the City of Shoreline, Echo Lake Neighborhood Association, and The Community Stakeholders of Aurora Village Transit Center, which is headed by volunteer Patrick Deagen. 

Thank you to all of the people at King County Metro for providing this necessary and important transit service.

--Claudia Meadows and Pat Deagen



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A ‘New Energy’ arrives as Executive Constantine unveils new colors for Metro’s electric fleet

Friday, September 29, 2023

Metro "New Energy" electric bus
Photo courtesy King County

King County Executive Dow Constantine
unveiled one of Metro’s next-generation battery-electric buses wrapped in the new colors of the fleet today at Metro’s South Base. 

Called “The New Energy,” the livery design is a mix of electric yellow and seafoam blue, is a visual representation of Metro’s commitment to helping combat climate change and will be outfitted on all the new vehicles joining the fleet. 

Along with Executive Constantine, Metro General Manager Michelle Allison, King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski, and Teague Livery Design Manager Katie Ryan, helped unveil the new design.

“For fifty years Metro has kept this region moving forward. And as we head into the next fifty years, every new Metro bus will carry with it the New Energy, a bold new look for our mobility network,” said Executive Constantine. 
“With each bright new bus rolling down the street, we’re one step closer to that zero-emission fleet. It’s an exciting symbol of our progress and I can’t wait for everyone to experience the New Energy.”

The new design is the first major change for the look of Metro’s fleet since 2004 and is intended to be a visual reminder of the transition away from Metro’s hybrid (diesel-electric) buses to the zero-emission fleet. 

Metro Rapid Ride fleet colors
Photo courtesy King County

There will be two separate designs: a color mix of blues, yellows, and greens across the top of Metro’s standard fleet, and the color purple joining the familiar red that represents Metro’s RapidRide fleet across the top of those buses. Metro’s original zero-emission fleet, the electric trolleys, will continue sporting purple.

"These new colors signal a new era for our beloved Metro Transit System,” said King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski, chair of the Council’s Transit, Economy, and Environment Committee. 
“They mean brighter futures from cleaner, quieter, sustainable coaches that will deliver healthier mobility for our riders and the communities we serve. I'm so proud of Metro and its team members who are bringing the future of cleaner, quieter transit service to King County and for their leadership in advancing King County's climate goals."

The new liveries will be phased in as the new battery-electric buses start going into service, which is scheduled to begin in 2025. The new design will be painted at the factory for new vehicles as they replace the hybrid fleet.


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Maintenance and security improved at Aurora Transit Center

Thursday, August 3, 2023

Mike is emptying trash, but he also does an incredible job
of cleaning the bus bays daily. He is amazing! Photo by Patrick Deagen

Story and photos by Patrick Deagen

“Excuse me, Do you know where there is a restroom?” A woman asked me at Aurora Village Transit Center. 

I wore a reflective safety vest, so she assumed I was knowledgeable about such things. 

“The closest one is in the Home Depot across the parking lot in the rear of the store.” 

This bus was headed to Northgate

Metro had advised me several times that their customers could use Home Depot’s restrooms. The woman lived in Lynnwood and was transferring buses on her way to work in North Seattle to work as a home health aide. She had a 20 minute layover. 

She carried a heavy bag and I offered, “I’ll walk with you.”

Restrooms are simply an issue of public health and human dignity. I have always appreciated the availability of toilets at work, school, restaurants and on recreational trips. Regular maintenance is needed. And sometimes an attendant is needed to be present to keep them safe and clean.

400 buses depart from Aurora Village Transit Center daily

Most days about 400 buses are scheduled to leave Aurora Village Transit Center taking passengers in many directions between two counties. The number of arrivals is about the same. For many travelers AVTC is the gateway to Shoreline. It is not unusual to see 20 to 40 travelers in the transit center.

“Are you telling me there is no latrine at the transit center?” The Veterans Administration counselor asked me in disbelief. “With that many people, they are a necessity.”

The anger that I felt in smelling urine, and in seeing feces at the Transit Center, at the park, and at nearby residences fueled my passion for a “safer, healthier Metro.” I think everyone can relate to that feeling of disgust.

But will toilets work at AVTC? Most think not. Many say “It is something we need but cannot achieve.” 

Cindy cleaned the bus shelter

I’ve never bought that. With consistent and regular maintenance the loos in Rainier Beach Playfield have been operational for nine years. Echo Lake Park has had a successful Loo for three and a half years.

Cindy repainting at AV Transit Center

The restrooms in nearby Costco and Home Depot are clean and pleasant. Sometimes I compare the restrooms of the new Kraken practice facility at Northgate to the failed restrooms at the Northgate Link Station. The difference is stark. It shows what planning can do.

The Echo Lake Neighborhood Association invited Chris Arkills of Metro and King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski to a meeting to discuss issues at the transit center. 

The pavement was pressure washed

Councilmember Dembowski said he would work to budget money for this effort. 

He did. 

The Shoreline City Council is pleased with Metro’s promised efforts due to the problematic impacts on our city.

Security has been increased

In the last month, security has been increased at Aurora Village Transit Center and routine cleaning has dramatically improved. 

And King County Metro is working on installing restrooms. Will they be safe, clean and available? Metro has good intentions, and with planning and follow through we hope the restrooms at Aurora Village Transit Center will be a success. Please stay tuned.

Patrick Deagen can be contacted at echolaketransitcenter@gmail.com



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King County Metro announces temporary service reductions

Saturday, May 13, 2023

On Thursday, May 11, 2023 King County Metro announced temporary service reductions that will go into effect at the Fall Service Change, on September 2, 2023.

The primary reasons are a shortage of drivers and a maintenance backlog.

According to Metro:

These temporary reductions will match our schedule to what we are currently able to operate on a daily basis. 

This will mean a more reliable schedule for riders, instead of the daily cancellation of approximately 5% of our scheduled service.

In addition to customer impacts, Metro’s current schedule is not sustainable for its workforce. We are relying on many employees working overtime and high stress levels for our workforce that maintain vehicles and communicate these daily cancellations to customers.

While this is a challenging decision that we do not take lightly, it is fully informed by our conversations and engagement with communities, customers and our employees. In making these difficult decisions, Metro centered the following factors:

  • Maintaining overall service coverage across the county
  • Minimizing impact on routes with high Equity Opportunity scores
  • Minimizing impact on high-ridership routes
  • Minimizing impacts to students
  • Maintaining the frequent all-day network
  • Maintaining length of operating hours (span of service)
  • Minimizing/eliminating potential for crowding resulting from reductions
  • Operational factors

Based on these criteria, the Fall 2023 schedule includes
  • temporary service reductions to 12 routes (Routes 7, 10, 20, 28, 36, 73, 79, 225, 230, 231, 255, 345), 
  • temporary suspensions to 20 routes (Routes 15, 16, 18, 29, 55, 64, 114, 121, 167, 190, 214, 216, 217, 232, 237, 268, 301, 304, 320 and 342). 
  • Weekend reductions are limited to three routes (20, 28 and 73).

Many of these routes were selected because other transit service exists nearby, and 99% of boardings on fully suspended routes are at stops where other service will be available within one-quarter mile.

Seattle/Shoreline

Route 16 (suspended)
  • Along Greenwood Avenue N and/or Phinney Avenue N, use Route 5 to/from downtown Seattle.
Route 64 (suspended)
  • Between Lake City and Roosevelt, use Route 322 or Route ST 522
  • Along 35th Avenue NE, use Route 65
  • Along NE 65th Street, use Route 62
  • Parking is available at Green Lake Park and Ride
  • Between Roosevelt or University of Washington Stations and South Lake Union, use Link to connect with Route 8 at Capitol Hill Station
  • Between U District Station and South Lake Union, use Route 70
Route 301 (suspended)
  • Between Shoreline and Northgate, use Routes 346 or 348
  • Parking is available at Aurora Village Transit Center and Shoreline Park and Ride
Route 304 (suspended)
  • Between Shoreline and Northgate, use Routes 331, 345 or 348
  • Parking is available at Shoreline Park and Ride
Route 320 (suspended)
  • Between Lake City and Northgate, use Route 20
  • Between Kenmore, Bothell, Lake Forest Park and Lake City, use Route 372 or Route ST 522
  • Between Northgate and South Lake Union, use Link to connect with Route 8 at Capitol Hill Station or with Route 70 at U District Station.
  • Parking is available at Northgate Station

These temporary service reductions now will allow Metro’s workforce to better prepare for future service expansion by allowing Vehicle Maintenance to reduce maintenance backlogs, permit time for improvements in hiring and training processes to move forward, and reduce current pressures on workforce that could impact employee retention.

Additionally, we are continuing with our major community-focused Mobility Projects and planning our future Service Recovery community engagement work. These projects ensure communities throughout King County have the option to participate in developing our future transit service.

In the months leading up to September, Metro will continue to deliver the highest percentage of trips possible. We will use our Metro Matters blog and other channels, such as email, text and social media, to inform customers about service for the coming week as well as any day-to-day impacts.

Here is a link to the Metro Matters Blog post on the September service reductions

The Seattle Times published an article on the topic

County Councilmember Rod Dembowski called the reductions painful but needed, to get Metro on a reliable footing before more changes hit in 2024 to sculpt bus lines around Sound Transit’s new Northgate-to-Lynnwood train extension.

“We’ve received too many concerns from riders who are out waiting for a bus that doesn’t come,” he said.

A slow supply chain hinders local service, said Dembowski, who chairs the council committee overseeing transportation. “It takes nine months to get a radiator. The pandemic really shook the system, and I think we tried to come back too quickly.”


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