News from Metro's General Manager

Service improvements support growing economy

June 8, 2015

I can look out the windows of Metro's Pioneer Square office building and count 10 construction cranes, and that tells me something. Our economy is surging, and Metro buses are more important than ever—to get people to work, keep congestion in check, and ease the impact of some of those big construction projects.

So I'm delighted that starting this morning, Metro is delivering more and better bus service to Seattle commuters. Thanks to the leadership of King County Executive Dow Constantine and Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, who fashioned a groundbreaking funding mechanism, and to Seattle voters who approved Proposition 1 last November, we're adding 110,000 hours of service to 53 Metro bus routes in the city.

We've added more trips to a number of routes, and made many schedule improvements to help buses arrive on time. Commuters aren't the only riders who will benefit. Service improvements are being made throughout the day and on weekends.

The new community shuttles in Burien and Mercer Island, developed through our innovative Alternative Services Program that I wrote about in my last newsletter, also got underway today.

More improvements will come in September, when we'll add another 113,000 hours of service to routes serving Seattle. We'll also be able to increase service in suburban areas as a result of economic improvements and our partnership with Seattle (read my May 5 newsletterfor details).

We've worked hard over the past six months to prepare for this day—hiring new drivers, getting buses ready to roll, revising schedules and more. I deeply appreciate both the community's strong support for Metro and the efforts of all Metro employees to fulfill our ongoing commitment to delivering excellent service in Seattle and countywide. After six years of just hanging on following the Great Recession, it's especially gratifying to be able to play a bigger role in helping our economy recover and thrive.

Sincerely,

Kevin Desmond, General Manager
King County Metro Transit