Dept. of Transportation
Metro Transit Division

King Street Center
201 S Jackson St
Seattle, WA 98104

Alerts Center

Emergency Service

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Are you ready?

How to know if the Emergency Service Network is in effect

  • Check the Snow, Ice & Flood Map to see if the service area map has changed to blue. A blue map indicates the ESN is in effect.
  • Sign uptransit alerts for Transit Alerts to get ESN alerts sent to you
  • The Metro Online home page will indicate the ESN is in effect.

Be prepared

When Metro may activate the ESN

During the worst weather or other emergencies, Metro may activate its Emergency Service Network (ESN).

That means Metro service will be severely reduced to 52 core bus routes serving only key arterials and transit centers. Some neighborhoods and areas of the county will have no bus service because of difficult travel conditions or geography.

The Snow, Ice & Flood map on Metro Online will be BLUE when the ESN is activated. Metro will also send alerts to all customers who have signed up for Metro Transit Alerts. Customers without internet access should pay close attention to television and radio weather bulletins that refer to "Metro's Emergency Service Network."

ESN Routes

This table lists the routes in operation when the ESN is in effect. Please note that when the ESN is activated during snow and ice conditions, routes will follow their usual snow routes, and the origins and destinations may change from the list below. Please refer to route maps linked below to see the normal routing and snow routing for each ESN route.

Route # Destination Route Map
1 Downtown Seattle – Kinnear Map
2 Shuttle West Queen Anne circulator Map
3 South Downtown Seattle – Madrona Map
4 North Downtown Seattle – East Queen Anne Map
5 Downtown Seattle – Northgate – Shoreline Map
7 Downtown Seattle – Rainier Beach Map
11 Downtown Seattle – Madison Park Map
15 Downtown Seattle – Blue Ridge Map
16 Downtown Seattle – Northgate Map
21 Downtown Seattle – Arbor Heights Map
24 Downtown Seattle – Magnolia Map
26 Downtown Seattle – East Greenlake Map
36 Downtown Seattle – Othello Station Map
41 Downtown Seattle – Lake City Map
44 Ballard – Montlake Map
48 Mount Baker – Loyal Heights Map
54 Downtown Seattle – White Center Map
71 Downtown Seattle – Wedgwood Map
75 Ballard – University District Map
90 Downtown Seattle – Capitol Hill Map
101 Downtown Seattle – Renton Map
106 Downtown Seattle – Renton Map
107 Rainier Beach – Renton Map
120 Downtown Seattle – Burien Map
128 Admiral District – Southcenter Map
140 Renton – Burien Map
148 Renton – Fairwood Map
150 Downtown Seattle – Kent Map
166 Kent – Des Moines Map
168 Kent – Maple Valley Map
169 Renton – Kent Map
180 Burien – Kent – Auburn Map
181 Green River CC – Twin Lakes P&R Map
221 Eastgate – Redmond Map
235 Bellevue – Kirkland Map
245 Factoria – Kirkland Map
248 Kirkland – Avondale Map
255 Downtown Seattle – Brickyard P&R Map
271 University District – Issaquah Map
301 Downtown Seattle – Aurora Village Map
331 Kenmore – Shoreline Map
345 Northgate – Shoreline Map
348 Northgate – Richmond Beach Map
358 Downtown Seattle – Aurora Village Map
372 University District – Woodinville Map
ST 522 Downtown Seattle – Woodinville Map
ST 545 Downtown Seattle – Redmond Map
ST 550 Downtown Seattle – Bellevue Map
ST 554 Downtown Seattle – Issaquah Map
ST 560 Bellevue – West Seattle Map
RapidRide A Line Tukwila – Federal Way Map
RapidRide B Line Redmond – Bellevue Map

ESN Operating Schedules

The ESN is designed to be reliable during the most severe weather conditions. Each ESN route (except Route 2) will follow its normal operating schedule as best as possible. The Route 2 shuttle will operate about four trips per hour between approximately 5:30 am to 1:00 a.m. Please note that there may be delays due to unexpected road conditions. Please check the Metro Online Alerts Center at www.kingcounty.gov/metro/alerts for the latest information.

Changes to Routes 2, 3, and 4 during ESN

Changes to routes 2, 3 and 4 during ESN operations are as follows:

Route 90 Map and Service

Special snow service for downtown Seattle, First Hill and Capitol Hill

When the Central Seattle area color on the Snow, Ice & Flood Map turns RED or BLUE, Metro will also activate service on its special Route 90 circulator route. The Route 90 number will not be on the bus stop signs. However, the Route 90 will serve all bus stops along the route shown in the map below. Route 90 will provide about three trips per hour and operate between approximately 5:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.

Note that the special Route 90 follows the same route in ESN conditions as it does when the Central Seattle area on the Snow, Ice & Flood map turns RED.

The King County Department of Transportation is providing this information as a service to the general public. While every attempt is made to provide accurate and timely information, estimates of the nature and duration of any particular route change or other event are subject to conditions beyond the control of King County and are difficult to predict. Those relying on this information should do so at their own risk, and neither King County nor any of its employees or agents shall be liable for the accuracy of this information or any actions taken as a result.