Proposed Metro investments would boost bus service where it’s most needed

First service investments to be funded by Congestion Reduction Charge address overcrowding and delays on nearly a dozen routes

In the first service change since major transit reforms were enacted earlier this year, King County Metro is proposing service adjustments for June 2012 that would ease bus overcrowding, improve the performance of buses that are chronically late, and reduce inefficient bus service.

“These proposed changes move us ever closer to achieving a stronger, quality-driven transit system that delivers a bus trip that is comfortable, predictable, and brings more service to underserved communities,” said Metro General Manager Kevin Desmond.

Executive Dow Constantine today transmitted Metro’s proposal to the King County Council, which is set to discuss the service change and gather public comments at a meeting of its Transportation, Economy and Environment Committee on Wednesday, Dec. 7, at 9:30 am.

The proposed changes are part of a broader policy the Council adopted earlier this year to reinvest 100,000 hours of lower-performing bus service to serve riders more efficiently and at a lower cost.

The service proposals are guided by Metro’s new Transit Strategic Plan – a set of policies shaped by recommendations from an independent Regional Transit Task Force and adopted earlier this year by the County Council. The proposed June service change would:

• Eliminate 40,000 service hours from routes that perform less efficiently compared to comparable routes in Metro’s system.
• Reinvest those service hours in more heavily-used routes that are overcrowded or have difficulty staying on schedule.
• Reinvest those service hours in underserved corridors that lack adequate bus service levels.

The June proposal is the first of several service revisions over the next two years that will save transit dollars by revamping parts of Metro’s system. Recent policy actions, including a congestion reduction charge adopted by the Council in August, will allow Metro to reinvest service to meet the county’s most critical transit needs.

Metro’s top priority with the service plan is to add seats on nearly a dozen chronically overcrowded bus routes, where buses have become so overloaded on routes – such as the 73 in the University District, the 128 between Southcenter and West Seattle, and the 218 serving Issaquah Highlands – that riders are being left at the curb or must stand for the entire trip.

Keeping buses running on time is also a high priority. Metro’s proposal adjusts schedules or adds more buses on selected routes that serve north, south and east King County to ensure that trips start on time and are reliable. Routes such as the 358 serving Shoreline and downtown Seattle can run late up to 40 percent of the time during the afternoon commute.

Because some areas between Burien and Kent lack enough bus service based on factors such as population, demographics and employment, Metro is proposing to extend Route 180 evening service until midnight to SeaTac Airport and Burien, and to invest in other underserved corridors as resources become available.

The same strategic policies are guiding Metro’s proposal to reduce or cancel service on 16 routes that consume significant transit resources, yet serve only a handful of riders. Routes such as the 912 serving Enumclaw and Covington, and the 925 serving Newcastle and Factoria, carry significantly fewer riders than comparable routes. Every route being reduced or discontinued falls in the bottom 25 percent of established performance measures for ridership and passenger miles.

The County Council is schedule to adopt the June service change ordinance in January.

Learn more about Metro’s proposed June service change at: http://metro.kingcounty.gov/have-a-say/