News from King County Department of Transportation
Release date:  Aug. 17, 2007

Metro seeks advisory group for Eastside RapidRide 

King County Metro Transit – in partnership with the cities of Bellevue and Redmond – is planning a new type of bus service for the Eastside called RapidRide, and community members are needed to help develop the plans.

RapidRide is streamlined, enhanced bus service that Metro will provide in five of its most heavily used transit corridors using funding from the Transit Now initiative approved by voters last year. This type of service is known as bus rapid transit, or BRT. On the Eastside, Metro is looking at ways to connect downtown Bellevue and Redmond with frequent bus service via Crossroads, Overlake and the Microsoft campus.

Metro is setting up an Eastside RapidRide Advisory Panel to advise the county about routing alternatives, bus stop locations, and other RapidRide issues. The panel will meet approximately six times between this October and April 2008. Panel members will also participate in community outreach activities, starting in January 2008.

Members of the panel will be appointed by Metro. Applicants can be bus riders, people who live, work or go to school in the community, or anyone else who is interested in transit issues. No technical expertise is necessary.

For information about the panel or the application process, call Barbara de Michele at (206) 263-3792, or by email. You can also apply online. The deadline for submitting completed applications is Friday, Sept. 7.