Politics & Government

Changes Coming to Bus Routes Serving Mercer Island

Several Metro and Sound Transit routes will undergo service revisions this weekend.

Changes are around the corner for several bus routes operated by King County Metro and Sound Transit.

Both agencies will be revising a handful of routes beginning this weekend, June 8-9. The changes include the following routes serving Mercer Island:

  • Metro route 215: Eastbound trips to North Bend will operate via Bell Street and serve the bus stop southbound on Second Avenue just south of Bell Street. It will no longer serve the bus stop westbound on Lenora Street just east of Fourth Avenue (next to the Cinerama Theater).

  • Sound Transit route 550: Minor Sunday schedule changes
Updated Metro schedules are now available for riders to pick up (look for the green brochure pictured above). An online version will go live this Friday, June 7.

This weekend's Metro changes are part of a routine update, but that the agency says it is still prepared to cut up to 17 percent of its service in the fall of 2014 if a funding source is not identified.

Six of Mercer Island's nine dedicated King County Metro routes could potentially be eliminated, based on current plans. According to a King County Metro official at the city council meeting, routes that provide local Island service such as the 201, 203 & 205 express might be deleted, as well as commuter service on routes 114, 210, 211, 213, 215 & 216. Routes 202, 204 & 214 could be reduced or revised.

Mercer Island City Council endorsed the Washington State Legislature's 2013 Transportation Investment Package (TIP), originally proposed by Mercer Island's Rep. Judy Clibborn, which would continue providing its current level of service without service reductions. The TIP would raise the gas tax 10 cents over five years. It would also give King County authority for up to 1.5 percent Motor Vehicle Excise Tax (MVET) and authority for Councils to increase the Transportation Benefit District (TBD) vehicle fee from $20 to $40.

A $25 sales fee on bicycles worth $500 or more that would raise $1 million over 10 years.

For more information on this weekend's revisions, visit Metro or Sound Transit online.


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