Metro buses connect to light rail service starting Saturday; more 'links' in September

Starting this Saturday, July 18, transportation options in King County expand with the debut of Link light rail service from Tukwila to downtown Seattle. And in September, changes in Metro bus service will provide even greater options for transit customers.

Click here to see how current Metro bus routes serve light rail stations.

While many people living in the Rainier Valley, Beacon Hill and Mount Baker areas will be able to walk to their local light rail station, other area residents will be relying on King County Metro Transit buses to make connections

Metro’s current bus routes offer many ways to transfer to and from light rail. Starting Sept. 19 – at the time of Metro’s fall service change – bus service will be revised to improve the bus-light rail connections even further. And, there are more revisions being planned for next February.

“This two-month period between July and September will be a time for transit customers to familiarize themselves with light rail service and figure out how it fits into their travel needs,” said Metro Senior Service Planner Jack Lattemann. “Then in September, they can expand their options with all the new and revised service Metro will offer.”

Metro staff spent almost two years working with transit riders in Southeast Seattle to design changes  to integrate bus and light rail service. The changes will occur in September rather than at the opening of light rail, because it involves a major restructuring of Metro service which is easier done at one of the service changes. Both Metro’s customers and employees are accustomed to changes that occur in February, June and September.

During this interim period, it will be convenient to ride the bus to one of the eight light rail stations south of downtown Seattle or transfer within the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel (DSTT). Many current bus routes stop right at the stations, and others are within a reasonable walking distance.

The online Trip Planner will soon have the light rail service loaded into the database so that customers can tap into all the light rail and bus options for traveling along the Link line.

Here are some of the current bus-rail connections:

DSTT – Light rail will serve four of the five tunnel stations. It does not serve Convention Place Station. There are 19 Metro and Sound Transit bus routes in the tunnel serving north, east and south King County – making the tunnel one of the most convenient locations to transfer from bus to light rail.

Stadium & Sodo Stations – These stations are located on the Sodo Bus Way. They are served by many Metro bus routes headed to Tukwila, Federal Way, Kent, and other areas of south King County.

Beacon Hill Station – Located at Beacon Avenue South and South Lander Street, this station is 16 stories underground. At the surface, it is served by Metro routes 36, 38, and 60.

Mount Baker Station – This station is at Martin Luther King, Jr. Way (MLK) and Rainier Avenue South, and it will have a full bus transit center as well as a light rail station. It is currently served by Metro routes 7, 8, 9, 34, 38 and 48.

Columbia City Station – At MLK and South Alaska Street, Metro’s current connections are via routes 39, 42 and 48.

Othello Station – Three Metro routes serve the station at MLK and South Othello Street, the 42, 48 and 106.

Rainier Beach Station – This is the last stop in southeast Seattle, and is at MLK and South Henderson Street. It will be another key transfer point and is currently directly served by Metro routes 36 and 48.

Tukwila International Boulevard Station – This is an elevated station located near the intersection of Tukwila International Boulevard and South 154th Street, just north of State Route 518. Until the light rail connection to the airport opens at the end of 2009, every train will be met by a free shuttle to the airport. There is also Metro service west of the station via Route 174 on Tukwila International Boulevard.

For all the details about Link light rail service – including information about fares, transfers, and hours of operation – visit Sound Transit’s website. And, remember to watch for news about Metro service changes in September.