Routes 7 and 9 will have stop #8140 Rainier Avenue S & S Holden Street (Northbound) and stop #8740 Rainier Avenue S & S Andover Street (Southbound) closed on Saturday, November 23 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. due to construction;
Route 181 to Green River Community College is rerouted off of Auburn Way N and a portion of E Main Street on Friday, November 22 due to construction;
Route ST 545 to Downtown Seattle will not serve stop #810 5th Avenue & Marion Street on Saturday, November 23 from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. due to construction;
Routes 107, 153, Dart 204, 208, 221, 226, 231, 245, 249, 271, 630, 981, 982, 986, 987, 988, 989, and RapidRide F Line will be rerouted this weekend due to road conditions; check Service Advisories page for most up-to-date information;
Take transit to all your sporting events in Seattle. Metro and Link light rail serves riders heading to T-Mobile Park, Husky Stadium, Lumen Field, and Climate Pledge Arena;
The Seahawks play at 1:25 p.m. on Sunday at Lumen Field;
King County Metro Vehicle Maintenance celebrates ‘superhero’ as Employee of the Year
Chris Blandi is the Clark Kent of King County Metro’s Vehicle Maintenance: Quiet and unassuming, but a genuine Superman under his modest exterior, able to juggle multiple jobs keeping King County Metro’s bus fleet rolling while remaining cool and unruffled. His excellence as a mechanic was celebrated Monday when he was named Vehicle Maintenance Employee of the Year.
Metro General Manager Michelle Allison complimented this year's honoree.
“It is uncommon for someone who has been in Vehicle Maintenance for just five short years to receive this prestigious award,” Allison said. “It’s absolutely a sign that Chris is one of our finest mechanics, and it’s recognition of his professional excellence.”
When he’s not at work, Blandi is both a Mariners’ fan and a devoted fisherman, even traveling to bass competitions to try his luck.
“Working at Metro changed my life,” Blandi said to the guests gathered to honor him. “I couldn’t do this without a great team behind me…It’s about putting out a quality project.
Bus lanes are for buses: Metro pilot project uses cameras to count red lane and bus stop violations
As part of a 60-day pilot project that will NOT issue warnings or tickets, Metro is using onboard cameras on two buses to assess and evaluate how often private vehicles illegally use bus lanes. Launched on November 6, cameras mounted on a RapidRide E Line bus and a Route 7 bus begin filming a 10-second video after identifying a violation and noting the location.
Cars respecting bus lanes will improve reliability of Route 7 and RapidRide E Line service
Ultimately, jurisdictions – not Metro – have the authority to use on-bus cameras to issue tickets. Washington state passed a new law to this effect earlier this year. Los Angeles, New York City, Oakland and Washington, D.C., are among the metropolitan areas already utilizing active bus lane enforcement programs.
In 2025, Metro will review the results of the pilot project alongside the agency’s goals and values. That review will help determine whether to recommend or pursue next steps with jurisdictions. Revenue raised from the tickets in such programs is directed to pay only for equipment and city safety projects.
Specific transit highlights of the approved budget include the following.
Increasing transit services: $33 million to add 168,500 hours of bus service, including investments for Sound Transit and Seattle Transit Measure supported service, along with investments in mobility services like Access Paratransit, Metro Flex, Community Van and DART.
Expanding RapidRide bus service: $58 million to improve the RapidRide H line, to continue planning and design for the RapidRide R, J, and K lines, and to conduct studies on further network expansion.
Operating new Link light rail service: $22 million for Metro to add staffing and resources to operate and maintain increased service for Sound Transit Link light rail expansions on the Eastside and in Federal Way.
Supporting a safe and secure experience on transit: $23 million to expand cleaning practices for Metro’s passenger facilities and buses, to increase investments through Safety, Security and Fare Enforcement (SaFE) Reform Initiative pilots to reimagine safety and security functions to ensure equitable and safe services for customers and employees, and to continue providing an increased level of Transit Security Officers in our system.
