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You can thank a Seattle sales tax hike approved in 2020 for a coming boost to bus routes in the city. King County Metro has announced its spring service updates including an increase in weekend trips on Route 8 and the addition of two late night trips on weekends and holidays on the new RapidRide G line.
“Morning, noon and night, our transit operators are safely and reliably connecting our community to where they need to go every single day – 300,000 boardings each weekday and counting,” Metro General Manager Michelle Allison said in the announcement. “Our ridership reached nearly 90 million in 2024 and we’re welcoming more riders each day. As we celebrate Transit Appreciation Week, we’re so very grateful for our Metro employees who will expertly deliver these service changes, as well as our public transportation every day.”
The service changes going into effect starting March 29th include “hundreds of new weekend bus trips on key routes that are supported by the Seattle Transit Measure,” Metro says.
The measure approved by voters in November 2020 is funded by a 0.15% sales tax through early 2027 to support transit access and frequency citywide. The city has used the tax revenue to essentially purchase additional service from Metro on key routes.
The spring 2025 changes enabled by the measure are focused on expanded weekend service. “Expanding access to reliable and frequent bus service is a vital step toward building a more connected, equitable Seattle,” Mayor Bruce Harrell said in the announcement, saying the addition “of over 200 bus trips on Saturdays and Sundays” is “making it easier for people to travel on weekends, support local businesses, and enjoy all our city has to offer.”
Seattle Transit Measure funded:
- Route 8: Eight new trips will be added on Saturday and 33 new trips will be added on Sunday.
- Route 36: 14 new trips will be added on Saturday and 36 new trips will be added on Sunday.
- Route 56: This route will have one fewer trip each weekday during the morning commute hours, which is a reduction in trips that are currently funded by the Seattle Transit Measure. These service hours will be re-invested in other routes to better meet the City’s policy goals and equity commitments.
- Route 107: Six trips will be added on weekdays, 61 trips will be added on Saturday and 63 trips will be added on Sunday.
- Route 124: One trip will be added on Saturday and two trips will be added on Sunday.
- RapidRide C Line: Buses will come about every 10 minutes or more frequently. This route will have fewer trips during afternoon commute hours, some of which were funded by the voter-approved Seattle Transit Measure. This change is to support Seattle’s equity goals, better align with transit need and demand, and be consistent with Metro’s RapidRide policies.
- RapidRide G Line: Two late night trips will be added for both weekday and weekend service.
- RapidRide H line: Five trips will be added on weekdays and three trips will be added on Saturday and Sunday.
The new RapidRide G trips will add to a busy schedule on Madison. CHS looked at early ridership numbers for the new line here.
$5 A MONTH TO HELP KEEP CHS PAYWALL-FREE THIS SPRING
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Hooray for more trips on the 8, but without more bus lanes on Denny, they’ll be stuck in I-5 traffic, even on Sundays.