Changes to increase Metro bus connections to light rail to begin Saturday

Starting this Saturday, Metro Transit will begin changes that increase the number of bus rider connections to light rail service at Sound Transit's Link stations in southeast Seattle and Tukwila.

The changes are part of Metro's seasonal adjustments to its bus service. Throughout the county dozens of routes and schedules are being updated.

Metro, working with Sound Transit and the city of Seattle, will improve bus service to the five light rail stations between Beacon Hill and Rainier Beach. More changes will occur next February in southwest King County following the opening of the SeaTac/Airport Link station.

For this service change, most of the changes will be in southeast Seattle where more than 15 bus routes are being updated to better connect with light rail service at Link stations. This includes service to the new Mount Baker Transit Center that opens Sept. 19 at Rainier Avenue South and South Forest Street, just east of the Link station.

Other changes this September include:

• New Route 102 replaces the Fairwood-area trips on Route 101. Routing, stops, and frequency of service remain the same;

• New Route 124 replaces Route 174 service between the Tukwila International Boulevard Link Station and downtown Seattle. Route 174 will continue to operate between the Tukwila Link station and Federal Way;

• New Route 129 will have five morning and five afternoon trips on weekdays between the Tukwila Link station and neighborhoods northwest of the station, and replaces a portion of Route 170;

• New DART Route 913 will operate weekdays and Saturday between the Kent Sounder Station and the Riverview and Lakes neighborhoods in west Kent;

The Kirkland Transit Center will close on Sept. 19 for approximately a year, while the city makes improvements to Third Street between Central Way and Kirkland Avenue. During this time, the eight routes that use the transit center will have temporary boarding locations in downtown Kirkland. The new map will be in a special rider alert brochure and on Metro's Web site.

Routes that are being discontinued include: 32, 42 Express, 126, 170, and 191.

Susan Gilmore: 206-464-2054 or sgilmore@seattletimes.com