More connections between buses and light rail
as Metro Transit service change begins this Saturday

The new Mt. Baker Transit Center will offer convenient connections for both bus and light rail service.

The changes are part of Metro’s seasonal adjustments to its bus service. Throughout the county dozens of routes and schedules are being updated. Bus riders can prepare by picking up a new purple timetable, and using the online Trip Planner for some advance research.

Metro has worked closely with Sound Transit and the city of Seattle to improve bus service to the five light rail stations between Beacon Hill and Rainier Beach. More changes will occur next February in southwest King County following the opening of SeaTac/Airport Link station.

For this service change, most of the revisions are occurring in southeast Seattle where more than 15 bus routes are being updated to better connect with light rail service at Link stations. This includes service to the new Mt. Baker Transit Center that opens Sept. 19 at Rainier Avenue South and South Forest Street, just east of the Link station.

Other changes this September include:

• New Route 102 replaces the Fairwood-area trips on Route 101. Routing, stops, and frequency of service remain the same;
• New Route 124 replaces Route 174 service between the Tukwila International Boulevard Link Station and downtown Seattle. Route 174 will continue to operate between the Tukwila Link station and Federal Way;
• New Route 129 will operate five morning and five afternoon trips on weekdays between the Tukwila Link station and neighborhoods northwest of the station, and replaces a portion of Route 170;
• New DART Route 913 will operate weekdays and Saturday between the Kent Sounder Station and the Riverview and Lakes neighborhoods in west Kent;
• The Kirkland Transit Center will close on Sept. 19 for approximately a year, while the city makes improvements to Third Street between Central Way and Kirkland Avenue. During this time, the eight routes that use the transit center will have temporary boarding locations in downtown Kirkland. Look for a map of these temporary stops in the Special Rider Alert brochure and on Metro Online; and
• Routes that are being discontinued include: 32, 42 Express, 126, 170, and 191.

Beyond bus service, Metro’s Rideshare Services can help provide resources for carpooling, vanpooling or vansharing. Carpooling and vanpooling match people traveling to common destinations. VanShare helps those who need to make a connection to or from bus service. You can VanShare from home and connect to your bus, or use VanShare from the bus stop or park-and-ride lot to complete a trip to work.

For information about all the services Metro provides, visit Metro Online, or call Metro Rider Information at (206) 553-3000.

TRAFFIC ALERT: Baseball game Thursday afternoon

The pride of Chicago’s South Side arrives in town this week, as the Seattle Mariners host the White Sox in a three-game series.

The game on Thursday, Sept. 17 starts at 3:40 p.m., and could result in traffic congestion when it is over. Also, bus passengers who are traveling through the downtown area in the early evening on Wednesday may experience some delays in transit service.

For information about riding the bus to the game, see Metro Online.

Another big ‘Sports Saturday’

There won’t be three football games in town this weekend, but both the University of Washington football team and Seattle Sounders soccer club are at home on Saturday. Watch for traffic near Husky Stadium and Qwest Field.

The Sounders take on Chivas USA at noon at Qwest. Beat the crush by riding the bus. There are several routes that stop at or near the stadium. Use the online Trip Planner to look up the routes and times that work best for you.

The Huskies kick off at 12:30 p.m. against the USC Trojans. Remember, this year the Huskies are offering free bus service to the stadium from eight park-and-ride lots, and any trip on Metro to the stadium is free when you show your game ticket.