Give your input for bus and light rail integration in north King county

For decades, bus service on established transit corridors has connected customers to Northgate, the Roosevelt area, and the University District, and in 2021 that will shift and evolve with the addition of new light rail stations in each of these three neighborhoods. 

Northgate Transit Center will
open in 2021

King County Metro has upgraded and revised the transit network with each new phase of Sound Transit expansion to connect people to Link and better connect them within their communities.

Sound Transit is extending light rail from the University of Washington at Husky Stadium to Northgate Transit Center, opening two underground stations in the University District and Roosevelt and an elevated station at Northgate in 2021.

Because light rail avoids traffic congestion, riders reach their destinations faster and more reliably. This opens up the new opportunities to make transit work better for existing and new customers.

King County Metro is releasing initial proposals for updating bus service to integrate with the new stations. These concepts were created with the help of a community-based Mobility Board, and broader public feedback on service needs and priorities.

King County Metro today launched a survey and community engagement effort seeking public feedback on a proposed new bus network creating stronger connections to Sound Transit’s three future Link light rail stations opening in Seattle in 2021. 

Visit the project calendar on Metro’s website to find a public event near you.

Metro Rapid Ride bus
Photo courtesy Metro

Based on Mobility Board members careful consideration of broader public feedback and input, the proposed bus network would:

• Improve east-west crosstown connections
• Create transfer points that are convenient and easy for customers to understand
• Make transit travel times for many trips faster and more consistent by connecting with light rail
• Increase access to hospitals and medical facilities (Northgate, UW, First Hill, Seattle Children’s)
• Expand opportunity through connections to growing job centers like South Lake Union

The UW station will connect to two
new underground stations in the U District

Even though the focus is on the stations at Roosevelt, Northgate, and the U District, the changes will affect all the north King county bus routes, including those serving Lake Forest Park and Shoreline.

Changes are being considered to more than 30 Metro routes and to Sound Transit Express Route 522. 

These buses serve communities within Bothell, Kenmore, Lake Forest Park, Seattle, and Shoreline. The service updates will bring more people to and from light rail stations and respond to changing transportation needs.

Potentially affected routes: 26, 31, 32, 41, 44, 45, 48, 62, 63, 64, 65, 67, 70, 71, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 301, 303, 304, 308, 309, 312, 316, 330, 345, 346, 347, 348, 355, 372, 373, Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Community Ride

Check out Sound Transit’s Northgate Link Extension page for the latest project information.

Sound Transit and Community Transit are discussing how bus service to and from Snohomish County can seamlessly integrate with light rail at the new light rail stations. Both agencies are talking to riders about adjusting ST Express and Community Transit service to create a more reliable regional transit network between 2021 and 2024, when the Lynnwood Link Extension is scheduled to open. Learn more on the Lynnwood Link Extension webpage.