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Week of Jan. 17, 2006
Keeping up with changing demands for bus service in South King County
 King County Metro Transit wants to hear from passengers about proposed changes to bus service in South King County, and is hosting five public meetings to gather input.
The meetings will be held:
● Thursday, Jan. 26 from 5-8 p.m. Auburn City Hall Council Chambers 25 W. Main St., Auburn
● Tuesday, Jan. 31 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Kent Campus of Green River Community College 417 W. Ramsey Way, Room 237 (Kent Station), Kent
● Tuesday, Jan. 31 from 5-8 p.m. Kent Campus of Green River Community College 417 W. Ramsey Way, Room 237 (Kent Station), Kent
● Wednesday, Feb. 1 from 7-8:30 p.m. (Route 173 change only) Calvary Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall 2415 South 320th St., Federal Way
● Wednesday, Feb. 15 from 7-8:30 p.m. (Route 167 change only) Renton High School Commons 400 South Second St., Renton
 Changes are being proposed for bus service in and around the following areas: Auburn; Kent; Sea-Tac Airport; Maple Valley/Four Corners; Tukwila Commuter Rail Station; Kent East Hill; Glencarin/North Meridian Park; Covington; Enumclaw; and Black Diamond. Changes are also being proposed to commuter bus services between Federal Way and the Duwamish Area, and between Auburn, Kent, Renton, and the University District.
Last fall, Metro hosted a series of open-house meetings to gather ideas for service improvements. That resulted in proposals that could include new bus service and changes to existing routes, and could shift some bus service to areas that are currently under-served. Comments collected between now and mid February will help King County Metro Transit decide which, if any, of these changes to make.
Proposed changes include:
● Shorten core Route 150 so that all trips end in Kent, but service levels double to every 15 minutes all day long Monday through Saturday;
● Create new Route 180, replacing portions of existing routes 150 and 151 between southeast Auburn, Auburn Station, and Kent Station and extending to Sea-Tac Airport during expanded peak hours 3-8 a.m. and 12:45-5:45 p.m. to match commuter shift times;
● Replace routes 151, 160 and 163 with new service;
● Discontinue Route 173 between Federal Way and the Duwamish area, and Route 912 between Covington and Enumclaw; and
● Other changes to routes 152, 154, 167, 168, 185, 186 and 915.
“Metro Transit is facing increased demand for public transportation improvements, at a time when limited resources are available to improve bus service,” said Metro’s Manager of Service Development Victor Obeso. “Making the best possible use of the service hours already on the street – and the buses and transit facilities now in place – are important reasons to consider potential changes. It also makes sense for Metro to plan ahead for a time when more resources will be available for transit improvements.”
For those who can’t attend any of the public open houses in January and February, Metro has posted a questionnaire online for feedback about South County service. That questionnaire is also being mailed to 125,000 area households. More detailed information about the proposed changes are included on the website and in the mailing.
Comments are due by: Wednesday, Feb. 8 on the Route 173 proposal; Friday, Feb. 10 on the Auburn-Kent-Tukwila proposals; and Friday, Feb. 17 on the Route 167 proposal.
 For the past several days, county crews have been battling a mudslide east of Renton on a hillside between 156th Place Southeast and Southeast 148th Street.
The slide on Orting Hill occurred early Friday morning, sending mud and debris down the hill and onto parked cars and the road below (156th Place Southeast). Since that time, several other bursts of mud and a steady flow of water fed by a swollen aquifer have come down, clogging drainage systems and making cleanup extremely difficult. Crews from the King County Road Services maintenance division spent the weekend clearing the mud away from culverts and a retention pond so that the rainwater could drain. Still, the saturated hillside has continued to crumble and threaten some homes in the neighborhood. Several county departments are carefully watching the ongoing situation, and doing whatever they can to control the run-off and mud. The Roads crews have been able to temporarily catch up with other damage caused by rain and flooding. A washout that undermined Issaquah-Hobart Road last week was repaired in record time and the road was reopened on Friday afternoon. And, as of this Tuesday afternoon, most roadways that were closed last week due to flooding have been reopened. The Roads Division has posted video of the Issaquah-Hobart Road repairs and other flood response efforts online. |
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Photo: Matt HasselbeckBelieve it or not, the Seattle Seahawks are playing for the National Football Conference championship title this Sunday, Jan. 22, here at home. Another thing you might not believe is how easy it is to get to the big game using Metro Transit. Metro offers special shuttle service from five outlying park-and-ride lots, plus plenty of regular service to Qwest Field. There are more than 60 trips to the game from the park-and-ride lots, and the fare is only $3 each way. Save yourself traffic and parking hassles by riding Metro to Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers. Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. Visit Metro Online for all the details on regular and special service to the Seahawks game. |
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