Community Corner
Mercer Island's Interstate 90 Buses Could Change for Crowding
King County Metro Transit is considering changes that would address overcrowding along Interstate 90, including changes to routes 211 and 216
Uncomfortable and crowded buses along Interstate 90 could be some relief, as King County considers changes to buses along the corridor, Metro Transit said in a press release.
This includes changes to routes 211 and 216, which serve Mercer Island. The changes will be subject of a public hearing on April 30, according to the county.
The proposed changes redistribute existing service or make no-cost operational changes, the county reported. The recommendations include changes to routes 210, 211, 214, 215, 216, and 218, some of which are among the busiest and most productive commuter routes that Metro operates.
Find out what's happening in Mercer Islandwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
According to the county, the recommended changes would better match the demand with available capacity. They will also make the service more efficient by creating a faster trip for some and by filling seats that now cross the Lake Washington empty.
It will also extend trips to create a new Route 219 as part of restructuring the system.
Find out what's happening in Mercer Islandwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The changes include the following:
RouteProposed changeAreas servedRationaleAM tripsPM trips 210 Reroute to serve Eastgate P&R Newport Way, Lakemont, Eastgate, Factoria, downtown Seattle Maintain morning trips from the Eastgate P&R loading platform to take advantage of unused Route 210 capacity 4 4 211 Discontinue deviation to S Bellevue P&R Issaquah Highlands P&R, Eastgate P&R, Mercer Island P&R, First Hill Reduce travel time by 8-10 minutes 7 7 212 Reduce the number of trips, replace with re-routed Route 210 Eastgate P&R, downtown Seattle Match service levels with demand. During the morning commute, maintain the number of trips from Eastgate P&R loading platform 194 fewer (replace with 4 Route 210 trips) 19
4 fewer (additional service available at Freeway Station) 214 Provide additional trips to offset loss of Route 215 capacity, reduce number of trips that travel east of Issaquah Transit Center Downtown Issaquah, Issaquah Transit Center, downtown Seattle Match service levels with demand 13
2 more 13
3 more 215 Discontinue deviation to Issaquah Transit Center North Bend, Snoqualmie, Eastgate, downtown Seattle Provide faster service 5 5 216* Reroute to serve Issaquah Highlands instead of N Issaquah Bear Creek P&R, Sammamish P&R, Issaquah Highlands P&R, Mercer Island P&R, downtown Seattle Provide more service in higher ridership areas; speed service 6 6 218* Convert 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. trips to create a new Route 219 that will travel beyond Issaquah Highlands to serve Sammamish Sammamish, Issaquah Highlands P&R, Eastgate Freeway Station (a.m. only), downtown Seattle (transit tunnel) Provide more service to Sammamish 5 9
*Routes 216 and 218 stop at Eastgate Freeway Station in the morning only.
If approved by the County Council, the changes would go into effect Sept. 28.
Metro earlier made changes to address crowding on I-90 corridor buses, eliminating the afternoon eastbound Eastgate stop from the Routes 216 and 218 in October 2012 and February 2013. Meanwhile, Route 212 continues to serve Eastgate from Second Avenue with other similar routes.
The recommendations also eliminate deviations off of I-90 to stops where other transit service is available. By doing so, Metro reduces travel times and provides a more attractive alternative to driving and helps meet the goal of increasing ridership.
If you go
Public hearing Tuesday, April 30
King County Council, Transportation, Environment and Economy Committee
King County Courthouse 10th floor Council Chambers, 516 Third Ave., Seattle
3:30 p.m. open house on proposed transit changes
4 p.m. public testimony
More information is on Metro’s website under I-90 Corridor Improvements.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.