From King County Metro:

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.

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 Sea-Tac Airport and Burien, and to invest in other underserved corridors as resources become available.

“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.

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.

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.

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/