News from King County Department of Transportation
Release date:  Oct. 3, 2008

Discuss possible bus changes at upcoming community meetings

Focus is on Southeast Seattle, Southwest King County service

Share your opinion about ideas for future bus service in Southeast Seattle and Southwest King County at one of eight upcoming community discussions hosted by King County Metro Transit and Sound Transit. Or, if you can’t attend a meeting, you can still provide feedback by online questionnaire, email, phone, or letter.

Bus service changes are coming in 2009 and 2010 to neighborhoods in Southeast Seattle, Skyway/West Hill, Tukwila, SeaTac, and Federal Way, and the transit agencies want hear from you on how to best serve local communities.

Link light rail will begin serving many of these neighborhoods in the summer of 2009, and Metro is planning for RapidRide bus rapid transit service along Pacific Highway South in 2010. In order to maximize bus service and avoid duplicating the new express lines, Metro and Sound Transit are considering changes to some bus routes in these areas.

This could result in routing changes, schedule adjustments, or consolidation for almost 30 bus routes, including: Metro routes 7, 8, 9, 14, 32, 34, 35, 36, 38, 39, 42, 48, 60, 106, 107, 126, 128, 140, 154, 170, 174, 175, 180, 190, 191, and 194; and ST Express routes 574 and 594.

With the help of community advisory groups, the transit agencies have been reviewing changes that would: better connect neighborhoods with light rail stations and RapidRide stops; update bus service in these neighborhoods; and avoid duplication of service. Now is the time to comment on the options that are being developed. The community discussion meetings will be held:

• Thursday, Oct. 16 – 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
  Rainier Community Center, 4600 38th Ave. S., Seattle
  
• Tuesday, Oct. 21 – 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  New Holly Gathering Hall, 7054 32nd Ave. S., Seattle
  
• Tuesday, Oct. 21 – 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
  New Holly Gathering Hall, 7054 32nd Ave. S., Seattle
  
• Wednesday, Oct. 22 – 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
  Federal Way City Hall, council chambers, 33325 8th Ave. S., Federal Way
  
• Thursday, Oct. 23 – 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
  Fire District #20 training facility, 12424 76th Ave. S., Seattle (Skyway/West Hill)
  
• Tuesday, Oct. 28 – 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
  Jefferson Community Center, 3801 Beacon Ave. S., Seattle
  
• Thursday, Oct. 30 – 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  SeaTac City Hall, 4800 S. 188th St., SeaTac
  
• Thursday, Oct. 30 – 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
  Foster High School, 4242 S. 144th St., Tukwila

The format for the meetings includes time for informal discussion with transit staff, and small-group discussions. You can express your ideas and opinions directly to transit staff and community sounding board members. Interpreters will be available, if requested at least five business days in advance.

The transit agencies will review all the comments with the sounding board members, and then develop recommendations for King County Executive Ron Sims to consider. Sims is expected to develop a proposal next spring for the Metropolitan King County Council to review. Any approved bus service changes would be phased in, and not begin any sooner than fall of 2009.

Printed materials are available upon request in the following languages for the southeast Seattle area: Chinese, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. These materials are also available upon request for southwest King County in: Korean, Russian, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

In addition to the eight meetings, people can comment by:

• Filling out an online questionnaire (due by Nov. 6)
        Southeast Seattle
        Southwest King County
• Emailing comments regarding southeast Seattle area routes to Sarah Luthens
• Emailing comments regarding southwest King County routes to Ellen Hansen
• Leaving a recorded voice message regarding southeast Seattle at (206) 684-1146, and messages regarding southwest King County at (206) 296-4135.
• Mailing written comments to:
        King County Department of Transportation
        Community Relations
        KSC-TR-0824
        201 S. Jackson St.
        Seattle, WA 98104