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The Metropolitan King County Council today unanimously adopted Metro Transit’s June 2012 transit service changes—the first service adjustments since the adoption of the County’s Transit Strategic Plan. The changes reflect the goals of the Strategic Plan by allocating service hours to higher-performing bus routes to address overcrowding, on-time performance, and adding service to underserved corridors with the goal of making the overall bus system more productive.



“These transit service reinvestments eliminate lesser-used transit routes in order to add service to highly used routes with unmet demand,” said Larry Phillips, chair of the Council’s Transportation, Economy and Environment Committee. “King County leaders are working to make Metro as cost-effective as possible in order to keep productive transit service on the street during these difficult financial times.”



“This is another step in the long march towards reforming how Metro serves King County riders,” said Council Vice Chair Jane Hague. “Eastsiders over the course of this process are also going to see an overall increase in their service hours.”



“In reducing low performing bus service we will be better able to provide the much needed additions to areas that are underserved and overcrowded,” said Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer.



“Adoption of these service changes upholds the Council’s commitment to Metro’s regionally agreeable upon Strategic Plan,” said Councilmember Patterson Julia Patterson.



The adopted service changes reinvest more than 35,000 hours of service from lower-performing bus routes throughout the system, using those hours to bolster service on high ridership routes. This is the first step in the shifting of at least 100,000 service hours to address high priority needs in the transit system. This goal is part of the approach called for in the Strategic Plan for Public Transportation 2011-2021 and King County Metro Service Guidelines, adopted by the Council in June 2011, as well as the County’s Congestion Reduction Plan.



The ordinance calls for the elimination of 10 bus routes, and a reduction of service on five bus routes:



ELIMINATED ROUTES:



Route Hours Between Alternatives 38 (2,100) Beacon Hill and Mount Baker Walking less than 1/2 mile to Link Light Rail stations 79EX (2,700) Lake City and Seattle CBD Routes 66, 70, 71, 72, 73, 306, 312 or 522 129 (1,400) Riverton Heights and Tukwila Routes 128 and 132 (portions of Route 129 lose coverage) 162 (2,200) Kent and Seattle CBD Sounder Train, Routes 150, 158, 159 or 192 175 (3,600) W Federal Way and Seattle CBD Alternative service provided by Routes A Line, 177, 179, 190, DART 901, 577 or 578 196 (5,900) S Federal Way and Seattle CBD Alternative service provided by new Route 178, resulting a net service hour reduction of 4,400 hours 219 (2,400) Newcastle and Factoria Routes 114 or 240 (portions of Route 219 lose coverage) 600EX (600) Group Health Tukwila and Seattle CBD Potential vanshare option 912 (1,900) Enumclaw and Covington Routes 168 or DART 907 (formerly 149) (portion of Route 912 loses coverage) 925 (2,600) Newcastle and Factoria Route 114 or 240 (portions of Route 925 service area lose coverage)

Route 42 was slated for elimination in June, but an amendment to the proposal will maintain the route, which runs between Mt. Baker and the International District, for one year. During that time, Metro will work with the stakeholders in the community to review the options to meet community needs.



SERVICE REDUCTIONS:

Route Hours Between Reduction subscription 25 (4,000) Laurelhurst and Seattle CBD Reduce frequency from 30 to 60 min. in the peak period 99 (2,200) International District and Waterfront Delete off-peak, night and weekend service except during the Summer 119 (900) Vashon Island Delete service after 7 PM 139 (500) Burien and Highline Community Hospital Delete service after 8:15PM 935 (2,800) Kenmore and Totem Lake Delete off-peak service

Some 8,000 hours will be reallocated to address overcrowding on 11 routes:



Route Est. Hours Day Between Fall 2010 Ridership 1 300 Weekday Queen Anne Hill and Seattle CBD 3,656 8 500 Weekday Rainier Beach and Queen Anne 8,143 9EX 400 Weekday Rainier Beach and Capitol Hill 2,429 41 400 Weekday Northgate and Seattle CBD 7,740 44 1,300 Weekday Ballard and University District 6,287 128 1,000 Weekday South Center and Admiral District 3,667 169 500 Weekday Renton and Kent 3,246 218 500 Weekday Issaquah Highlands P&R and Seattle CBD 1,489 372EX 900 Weekday U District and Woodinville 3,812 36 300 Sunday Othello station and Seattle CBD 8,960 73 1,900 Sunday Jackson Park and Seattle CBD 5,140

Another 15,000 hours will be reallocated to help improve schedule reliability as determined by the Transit Division.



The Route 180, connecting Auburn, Kent, SeaTac and Burien, will receive an investment of 11,000 hours to provide evening service on all parts of the route.



These route investments are consistent with the King County Metro Service Guidelines, adopted as part of the Transit Strategic Plan.



