Redmond bus service changes coming soon: Metro discusses proposed changes at meeting

If you ride the bus regularly, here is a heads-up on some changes rolling down the pike. King County Metro is planning reroutes and rescheduling of buses in Redmond including routes 221, 233, 248, 250, 253, 265 and the 266. Metro also has suggested changes to other routes on the Eastside: 222, 225, 229, 230, 240, 245, 246, 247, 249, 256, 261, 272 and 926. According to Jack Whisner, Metro Transportation Planner III, Metro would like to eliminate routes 225, 229, 247, 256, 261, 265, 266 and 272 altogether, since most of those buses only run about five times per day during peak morning and evening hours. Whisner said people may dislike the eliminations because they would have to transfer buses.

By Janelle Kohnert • November 8, 2010 12:58 pm
King County Metro Transportation Planner III Jack Whisner talks to a concerned bus rider in front of the display board for the RapidRide bus at last Thursday's public meeting at the Old Redmond Schoolhouse. Metro revealed its proposed changes to local bus services at the meeting. Janelle Kohnert
King County Metro Transportation Planner III Jack Whisner talks to a concerned bus rider in front of the display board for the RapidRide bus at last Thursday's public meeting at the Old Redmond Schoolhouse. Metro revealed its proposed changes to local bus services at the meeting. Janelle Kohnert

If you ride the bus regularly, here is a heads-up on some changes rolling down the pike.

King County Metro is planning reroutes and rescheduling of buses in Redmond including routes 221, 233, 248, 250, 253, 265 and the 266. For maps of the reroutes that will affect Redmond buses, go here.

Metro also has suggested changes to other routes on the Eastside: 222, 225, 229, 230, 240, 245, 246, 247, 249, 256, 261, 272 and 926. According to Jack Whisner, Metro Transportation Planner III, Metro would like to eliminate routes 225, 229, 247, 256, 261, 265, 266 and 272 altogether, since most of those buses only run about five times per day during peak morning and evening hours. Whisner said people may dislike the eliminations because they would have to transfer buses.

Other Metro buses in the area will be rerouted to make each route more efficient and to avoid overlaps between routes like the new RapidRide B Line and the 230 and 253.

The RapidRide B Line bus will connect Bellevue to Redmond by passing through Crossroads and Overlake.

RapidRide buses are different from normal Metro buses because they’re hybrid electric, have three doors instead of two, and also have wifi and security cameras. According to King County Metro’s Web site, RapidRide’s goal is to combine the efficiency of light rail with the low cost of buses. These buses will arrive every 10 minutes during peak morning and evening hours, and every 15 minutes at other times during the day.

Metro will submit its bus change proposal to King County Executive Dow Constantine in March 2011 after more open meetings in January, the dates of which have yet to be determined. Sound Transit will submit final proposals for routes 540 and 554 to its board of directors on Dec. 16 but amendments can still be made afterward.

Changes to both Metro and Sound Transit bus routes will go into affect October 2011. In the meantime, both King County Metro and Sound Transit have been conducting surveys at open meetings and online.

Whisner said he noticed that negative questionnaire comments are more prevalent at the open meetings, while online surveys garner more positive responses to the bus changes.

Indeed, at an open meeting at the Old Redmond Schoolhouse Community Center on Nov. 4, some Redmond community members expressed concern with the proposed changes.

Redmond resident Marilynn Leland doesn’t approve of the rerouting of bus 249 because it would make it more difficult for her to take the bus to work. She spoke with Metro representatives at the meeting but wasn’t convinced that her requests would be met when Metro finalized its decisions.

“They say, ‘Oh yeah we understand that’ but whether or not anything will happen I don’t know,” Leland said.

Leland and another Redmond citizen who attended the open meeting, Charlotte Thompson, agreed that the RapidRide B Line would not benefit them.

“It’s nice to have something like that, but it’s not where I go so it’s not going to affect me,” Thompson said.

In addition to the many Redmond area changes proposed to Metro bus routes, Sound Transit also initially wanted to cut back on the frequency of the 545 route, according to Sound Transit Service Planner Jim Moore. However, when the open meetings began on Oct. 19, public backlash to the 545 schedule reduction plan was significant, so no changes will be made to the route.