Transit Agencies in Puget Sound – Riding King County Metro

A series of articles by Brian Doennebrink on the topic of public transport

Riding King County Metro

By Brian Doennebrink

King County Metro's (KCM) focus is on serving citizens of King County.

Metro Transit bus

For everyone except adults age 19-64, fares are always the same.

For adults ages 19+, the city of Seattle is considered one zone, while everything else in King County is a second zone. Any time that you cross the border, it is considered two zones, but if your trip begins or ends on a zone line, it’s a one-zone fare. Examples: a trip from Shoreline to Bellevue is considered one zone, a trip from Aurora Village to N. 145th is one zone, but a trip from 155th to 135th is two zones (N. 145th is the north edge of Seattle’s city limits).

RapidRide coming this year to Shoreline

Peak period travel, or that taken Monday through Friday from 6-9 a.m. and 3-6pm, costs $2.50 for adults for one zone, $3.00 for two zones. Off-peak travel, no matter how many zones, costs $2.25.

KCM’s website notes that large dogs pay the same fare as their owner, while up to four children age 5 and under ride free with a person paying an adult fare. I saw no mention of where the dividing line for a “large” dog is or what if there are five children or what if the person accompanying the children paid a youth fare.

Youths, those ages 6-18, always have a fare of $1.25. Similarly, 75 cents is always the fare for riders with a Regional Reduced Fare Permit.

Unlike most other transit providers in Puget Sound, Metro still issues paper transfers to cash-paying customers, but they can only be used on other trips on KCM, and only within two-hours of the time on the transfer slip.

Rapid Ride is Metro’s variation of bus rapid transit. Rapid Ride “E” – traveling between Shoreline and downtown Seattle – is expected to launch on September 28, 2013.

King County Metro operates bus services seven days a week, but not for all routes.