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King County Metro and the City of Seattle are adding hundreds of new bus trips and increasing reliability on more than 50 bus routes across the county beginning Sept. 23. More trips are planned to reduce crowding and help meet growing demand, and schedules will be updated to serve riders better.

In partnership with the City of Seattle, Metro also will expand Night Owl bus service on more than a dozen routes to meet growing demand from late-night and early-morning workers, as well as those enjoying nightlife and traveling off-hours to Sea-Tac Airport.

"We’re delivering the sixth consecutive boost in transit service since the deep cuts of the great recession, putting buses where they are needed to address greater-than-ever demand and improve reliability," said King County Executive Dow Constantine. "It’s about increasing access to jobs, education, and all this region has to offer. This latest service expansion also includes broadening our Night Owl service to help night and airport workers reach their jobs dependably, and offer safe alternatives to people enjoying a night on the town."

Together, the planned changes deliver the second round of improvements approved in King County’s 2017-2018 budget. Metro Transit’s two-year budget invests $30 million in better service and better schedules, including improving some transit schedules which provide transit operators with improved restroom access. The service also continues Community Mobility Contract service for the City of Seattle, purchased with funding from Proposition 1, passed by Seattle voters in 2014.

Riders can read details about changes on Metro’s website and begin pre-planning trips using Metro’s Trip Planner app by entering a travel date of Sept. 23 or later. Changes also are included in an orange Rider Alert brochure and new purple-colored timetables that will be distributed on buses and at customer service locations in coming days.

Service improvements by the numbers

• 240 more trips each weekday

• 100 more Saturday trips; 153 more Sunday trips

• About 13,500 total weekday bus trips -- a new Metro service record.

• Hiring drivers: More than 2,800 transit operators keep our community moving. Drive for Metro by applying online.

Metro Transit route change details

(Comprehensive descriptions are on Metro’s Service Change website. Some routes are listed twice below as they have both added trips and schedule changes.)

• Night Owl: From midnight to 5 a.m., riders will see additional trips on most of these night service routes in Seattle, White Center, Burien, Tukwila and direct service to SeaTac Airport. In partnership with the City of Seattle, the network includes 18 routes: 3, 5, 7, 11, 36, 44, 48, 49, 65, 67, 70, 120, 124, 180 and the RapidRide A, C, D & E lines. Night-only routes 82, 83, and 84 will be discontinued and replaced with the additional trips described above.

• Crowding: Riders will see more trips to ease crowding in Seattle on routes 28, 40, and RapidRide C, D & E lines.

• Other added trips: Routes 3, 4, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 40, 41, 44, 48, 50, 60, 65, 67, 70, 120, 131, 169, 269, 301, 316, RapidRide C, D & E lines.

• Route 50: Serving riders between Othello Station and Alki, a dozen more evening trips, creating consistent 30-minute service until midnight seven days a week. This additional service is funded by the City of Seattle.

• Route 60: Serving riders in White Center, South Park, Georgetown, Beacon Hill, First Hill and Capitol Hill. By adding 24 trips, weekday buses will come every 15 minutes from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. instead of every 30 minutes. This service is funded by the City of Seattle and Metro.

• Route 65: Serving riders in Lake City, Wedgwood, and the University District, this route will operate every 10 minutes weekdays from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. This service is funded by the City of Seattle.

• Route 67: Serving riders in Northgate and the University District, this route will operate every 10 minutes weekdays from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. This service is funded by the City of Seattle.

• Route 131: Serving riders in Burien, Highland Park, South Park, SODO and Downtown Seattle. Northbound trips come every 15 minutes weekdays from 6:30-9:30 a.m.

• Route 169: Serving riders in Renton, Valley Medical Center, Kent East Hill & Kent. By adding 50 more trips every weekday, buses will come every 15 minutes from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. instead of every 30 minutes.

• Route 269: Nearly doubling weekday service by providing new midday service on weekdays every 30 minutes for riders in Redmond, Sammamish and Issaquah from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This means weekday buses come at least every 30 minutes from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

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