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Transportation Today
Week of Nov. 6, 2006

Metro debuts ‘total transit package’ on new bus route

An iSignal button.Metro Transit riders can now use signal buttons when it is dark along Route 180 to notify drivers that they wish to board.

One of Metro’s newest bus routes in South King County has a different kind of "peak commute" and a new passel of passenger amenities at its bus stops.

The new Route 180, which debuted Sept. 23, provides weekday-only service between Auburn and Burien via Sea-Tac International Airport during the expanded commute hours of 3 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. to meet the needs of shift workers in industries with 24-hour operations.

The new route is also accompanied by a bundle of bus stop improvements that include new shelters with solar-powered internal lighting and flashing beacons that alert bus drivers when passengers are waiting.

The bus stops use the latest in transit technology to provide shelters that are comfortable and safe. Metro managers believe that when you team that with the fast, convenient service offered on the Route 180 – you’ve got a “total transit package.”

The new route was created at the request of Auburn and Kent residents who work at or near the airport. Because it is operating during so many non-daylight hours and in locations without much street lighting, Metro is installing 31 "iSignals" along the route. These are lighted beacons on a pole that transit passengers activate when they see their bus approaching. That way the bus drivers won't pass them up in the dark.

The iSignals are part of Metro's latest approach to match shelter improvements with new and expanded bus service. When new service is introduced, Metro wants to team the service with improved facilities to provide passengers with the most comfortable trip possible.

In addition to the iSignals on the Route 180, Metro is installing 14 new shelters, 114 easier-to-read bus stop signs, 14 new benches at stops without shelters, and improvements for wheelchair passengers in 10 locations.

“Packaging facility improvements with service upgrades is how Metro will be doing business in the future,” said Metro General Manager Kevin Desmond. “We have a whole list of corridors and routes we want to upgrade, as funding becomes available.”

Rideshare Online wins national recognition

The Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT) recently conferred its Leadership Award for 2006 to Washington’s RideshareOnline.com program, which was originally initiated by King County Metro Transit.

Metro’s Cathy Blumenthal and Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Vanpool Manager Kathy Johnston attended the conference to accept the award. The ACT honored WSDOT and Metro for the expansion of Metro’s program into a statewide service. RideshareOnline.com is now the No. 1 source for rideshare information and ridematch services across the state. In particular, ACT noted:

  • Metro provided and WSDOT funded changes to the RideshareOnline.com site to make it more user-friendly;
  • Metro provided administrative access and training to new participating transit agencies;
  • A commute trip reduction grant from WSDOT funded a promotional campaign to launch the RideshareOnline.com site statewide;
  • Metro contributed staff time to design the RideshareOnline.com site and related materials, and to distribute the materials to other participating transit agencies; and
  • Overall, participation in RideshareOnline.com grew by 62 percent in 2005, with 18,257 new applicants.

Transit service adjusted for Veteran’s Day holiday

Metro Transit will operate on a partial holiday schedule for the observance of Veteran’s Day on Friday, Nov. 10. On Saturday, Nov. 11, all buses will be on their regular weekend schedule.

The following routes will be cancelled on Friday, but all have alternative service: 45, 46, 76, 77, 79, 133, 167, 197, 202, 205, 272, 277, 304, 308, 311 and 373. All other routes operate on a regular weekday schedule.

Some trips will be cancelled on routes 31, 65, 67, 68, 75, 271, 372 and ST 540 due to the University of Washington not being in session. Read the timetable symbols at the end of the weekday timetable to determine which trips will not run.

Most Metro offices will be closed. Details on Veteran’s Day service can be found on Metro Online.

Last Husky home game this Saturday

The UW Huskies host their last home game of the 2006 season this Saturday, Nov. 11 at 12:30 p.m. against Stanford.

Your ride is free on any Metro bus when you show your Husky game ticket or ticket stub to the bus driver. In addition to regular bus service to and from campus, there is also special shuttle service between the stadium and eight park-and-ride lots: Shoreline; Northgate Transit Center; Houghton; Kingsgate; South Kirkland; Eastgate; South Renton; and Federal Way.

See Metro Online for details on service to the game.

Vashon rocks!

Rocks were barged to Vashon for a variety of projects.

Preparing for this year’s storm season on Vashon-Maury Island will take on an unusual twist, as King County road crews take delivery this week of an estimated 2,000 tons of rock to ensure there is plenty of material on hand to respond to a variety of road problems this winter.

The rock is scheduled to arrive this week, and in an effort to minimize the impact to ferry service the Road Services Division has arranged to have the material delivered by barge to the Dockton Park boat ramp.

The shipment of such a large quantity of high-quality rock will be no small task. The Roads Division estimates it will take four 500-ton barge trips to deliver all the material. Rubber padding will be used to protect the dock and a 70-foot long ramp will allow trucks to drive right onto the barge to load the rock. From there, the material will be taken to the King County Roads Division material storage site on Dockton Road in the Mileta area, where it will be stockpiled and used as needed for a variety of road projects and repairs.

The unusual delivery process will also save money. The Roads Division estimates it will save $31,000 in time and ferry fares by having the material delivered by barge.

Once stockpiled on the island, the rock will be used for a number of purposes ranging from seawall or slope reinforcement to building retaining walls or temporary access roads.

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