9-03-2024 10:02am

Major bus changes coming: 16 new routes, 51 modified, 33 routes deleted

Oliver Moffat Sr. Editor

Bus riders, get ready for major bus revisions. Metro Transit, Community Transit and Sound Transit will make big changes to bus service in the Shoreline and North King County region starting September 14th to better serve the new Light Rail stations.

King Count Metro Transit plans to add five new bus routes, delete eleven routes, change 15 routes, and add Metro Flex service to Lake Forest Park and Kenmore. In Snohomish County, Community Transit will delete a whopping 22 routes and change 30 routes, while adding ten new routes. And Sound Transit will modify six routes and add one.

The new routes will provide more east/west connections to get riders to light rail lines while deleting dozens of north/south lines made redundant by the new light rail stations.

The deletion of bus routes will free up capacity so bus riders will get more weekday trips (+9%), weekend trips (+32%) and more evening trips after 10pm (+43%) and riders will have shorter wait times because of improved frequency up to every 15 minutes on many routes.

With the new 1 Line opening, Metro will be deleting the out-dated 73, 301, 304 302, 320, 330, and 347 routes. But Shoreline and Northshore transit riders will get changed, new and improved service on the 331, 333, 345, 346, 348, 365, E Line and 522 routes. And Kenmore and Lake Forest Park riders will get on-demand, ride-hailing Metro Flex service.

Goodbye 347 and 330: Route 347 from Northgate to Richmond Beach and the cross-town 330 from Shoreline Community College to Lake City will both be deleted.

Hello 5th Ave 365: Now, the new route 365 will run north/south along 5th Ave NE connecting both light rail station in North City and Ridgecrest and running south to serve North Seattle College and Northgate.

Hello crosstown 333: The new route 333 will (finally) provide east/west service along NE 175th St - connecting the Mountlake Terrace Station to the Shoreline South Station with stops in Ballinger, North City, Shorewood High School and Shoreline Community College.

Revised 345, 346, 348 and E: Route 345 will now connect to the Shoreline South Station and run along N 155th St but will no longer connect to Shoreline College. Route 346 will connect the Aurora Village transit center to the Shoreline South station via Meridian Ave. The 348 will run along 180th instead of 175th in North City with a connection at the Shoreline North station. And Metro promises increased frequency on the express E Line all day and night.

Goodbye downtown expresses 301, 302 and 304 and hello 515: downtown Seattle routes 301, 304 and 302 will also be deleted because riders will be able to use the Link 1 Line instead. With the deletion of the 302, Richmond Beach commuters will need to take the 348 and transfer to the 303 or the Link 1 Line. However, for some reason, Sound Transit will add the new 515 downtown express to get Lynnwood bus riders to Seattle who don’t like the train (essentially duplicating service provided by the new light rail extension).

Route 65 and 72 connects UW to 145th: Route 65 to the UW will now continue to the Shoreline South Station, running along 145th St. but the 73 from Jackson Park to the UW will be deleted. Metro says the new Route 72 will partially replace the 372 and will run from the Shoreline South Station to the UW via Lake City.

UW Bothell 372 deleted: Metro will delete the 372, forcing UW faculty and students commuting between the Bothell and Seattle campuses to make a transfer. In its place, Metro is adding the new Route 324 from Bothell that terminates in Lake City where riders can make a transfer to the new Route 72. Metro decided to not extend the new 331 to Bothell but Community Transit’s new Route 120 will connect Lynnwood station to the UW Bothell campus where riders can transfer to get to the UW Seattle campus. Taking the 522 Express, may provide a faster option but will still include a transfer.

Bothell Express Bus: Northshore riders can take Sound Transit’s Route 522 Express, which (currently) connects Woodinville to the Roosevelt light rail station along Bothell Way and Lake City Way with stops in Bothell, Kenmore and Lake Forest Park. When the East Link 2 Line from Lynnwood to Redmond opens in spring of 2025, the 522 will start running along 145th street to connect to the Shoreline south light rail station - providing another needed east/west connection across North King County. Further down the road, the Stride S3 Line will replace the 522 with all-electric, bus rapid transit (BRT) to Shoreline on Bothell Way and 145th starting in 2027.

322 and 331 connect Kenmore: Route 320 from Kenmore to South Lake Union will be deleted but Kenmore riders can take the new 331 and improved 322 and 522. The new east/west Route 331 from Kenmore will connect Lake Forest Park, Ballinger, Mountlake Terrace, and Aurora Village to Shoreline Community College. The 322 will now connect Kenmore riders to the Northgate Station instead of Roosevelt Station.

On Demand Pickups for Lake Forest Park and Kenmore: Lake Forest Park will mostly be left behind and remain a car-dependent, transit desert with bus routes only on the state highways that cut through town. But Metro will be expanding its Metro Flex service area to north Lake Forest Park and Kenmore allowing transit users to hail a ride with an app. The on-demand transit service will serve only north Lake Forest Park leaving residents south of Ballinger Way stuck in traffic.

Take the Ferry with the 909 and 117: The new express Route 909 and modified Route 130 will connect the Montlake Terrace station to Edmonds station, opening up easy, car-free access to Edmonds’ downtown, waterfront, Kingston Ferry terminal and Amtrak station. The new Route 117 will connect light rail riders from Lynnwood to the Mukilteo Ferry.