Metro invites input from Auburn residents on future RapidRide line and other area improvements

King County Metro releases survey to gather feedback from communities on transportation needs

March 4, 2019 4:30 pm
King County Metro is working to improve the transit network serving the Kent, Auburn and Renton communities and expand RapidRide bus service to the area. COURTESY PHOTO, King County Metro
King County Metro is working to improve the transit network serving the Kent, Auburn and Renton communities and expand RapidRide bus service to the area. COURTESY PHOTO, King County Metro

King County Metro is developing an Area Mobility Plan in South King County, including Auburn, Kent, Renton and surrounding areas that will map out future transit options for communities within the Green River Valley and East Hill.

The plan will integrate a new RapidRide line, which currently runs on six lines throughout King County, with service up to 20 percent faster than traditional bus service. The plan also will include local bus service, dial-a-ride transit (DART) buses, and Metro’s Community Connections Program, which provides cost-effective transportation options in areas that are not set up to support typical bus service.

Metro is talking with area communities to learn and understand their needs and priorities for the new RapidRide service and other mobility solutions. Input will help Metro make decisions about:

• Changes to existing transit routes and services

• The new RapidRide route (I Line)

• Other projects that improve safety for all kinds of travel in the area

• Other projects that improve access to transit by making it easier, safer, or more convenient to get to – or wait for – the bus

This summer and fall, Metro will present the communities with its proposals for new service and RapidRide I Line routing, and plans to finalize recommendations for the Area Mobility Plan next winter.

Some changes as a result of this plan will go into effect in September 2020, with plans to launch the RapidRide I Line service in 2023.

How does the community get involved?

• Take Metro’s Renton-Kent-Auburn Area Mobility Plan survey.

As Metro plans for future increases in its service offerings, it wants to know more about how people use transit in the area today and what changes they would like to see. The survey is available in multiple languages and can be accessed here.

• Talk with Metro officials in the community.

Metro will host information tables around the area this spring where residents can ask questions and fill out a survey. The calendar is available at kingcounty.gov.

• Join the Renton-Kent-Auburn Area Mobility Board.

Metro is seeking community members who live, work and travel within the area to advise Metro about service change concepts and proposals and ways to engage with the community. Apply here.