New Metro RapidRide Bus Line Means Changes for Eastside Riders

Metro officials  would have trade-offs for some riders — for example, current Redmond-to-Kirkland riders on Route 230 along Northup Way will have to switch buses come October. But officials say transit service will be more frequent along more populated routes.

“In a challenging economy, the RapidRide service will help Eastside families with affordable transportation options,” Councilmember Kathy Lambert of Redmond said in a news release. “This expansion of King County transit services on the Eastside benefits the business and residential hubs that drive our economy. RapidRide helps reduce traffic congestion, and it also will make using transit more convenient.”

Rapid Ride was part of an initiative approved by voters in 2006. The “B Line” will operate between the Bellevue Transit Center and the Redmond Transit Center via Northeast Eighth Street, Crossroads, and Overlake Transit Center.

The new Rapid Ride line is scheduled to arrive every 10 minutes during the busiest morning and evening travel hours. The buses will have low floors and three doors, so people can get on and off quickly, according to the news release. Riders with passes also would be able to pay through any bus door. 

The county says that the changes will mean more frequent and all-day connections between Totem Lake, Kirkland, Bellevue, Redmond, Crossroads and Eastgate.

The list of additions and deletions are as follows:

Route Location Hours Description RapidRide B Bellevue Transit Center to Redmond Transit Center via N.E. 8thStreet, Crossroads, and Overlake Transit Center 55,000 Implements second Transit Now bus rapid transit service corridor 211 Issaquah, Eastgate, South Bellevue, Mercer Island, Union Station, First Hill (Transit Now Partnership Route) 2,300 Extend route so all trips begin and end at Issaquah Highlands Park-and-Ride; add two morning and two afternoon trips so all Seattle/Tacoma Sounder trips will have connecting trips to First Hill 212, 225, 229 Eastgate Park-and-Ride, Downtown Seattle 212  +3,000   225/229  -5,500 Discontinue Routes 225 and 229; trips on Route 212 to provide replacement service to and from Downtown Seattle.  Routes 221, 226 (formerly 233), 245 replace portions of 225 and 229 north and east of Eastgate Park-and-Ride 221 Redmond, Redmond Town Center, Overlake, Crossroads, Southeast Bellevue, Bellevue College, Eastgate 0 Route changes delete service to Overlake Transit Center, 148th Avenue N.E./S.E. between N.E. 8th Street and Bellevue College vicinity; new service on N.E. 8th St. between 148thAvenue and 164th Avenue and on 164th Avenue in Southeast Bellevue 222, 241 Eastgate, Southeast Newport Way, Factoria, Downtown Bellevue 222  
-15,600   241  +16,000 Delete Route 222; replace with Routes 241 and 249.  New Route 241 is same as deleted Route 222 between Eastgate Park-and-Ride and South Bellevue Park-and-Ride; then serves Bellevue Transit Center via 108th Avenue S.E.  The Route 249 serves Enatai and Beaux Arts on a route that includes part, but not all, of the deleted Route 222 segment in this area 226, 233 Bellevue, Bel-Red Road, east Bellevue, Crossroads, Bellevue College, Eastgate, Overlake, Redmond 226  +24,000   233 
 -1,100 Delete Route 233; replace part of Route 230 east of 156th Avenue N.E. with new Route 226; new Route 226 serves Bel-Red Road from Bellevue Transit Center to 156th Avenue N.E., plus service through southeast Bellevue to Eastgate Park-and-Ride 230, 235 Kingsgate Park-and-Ride, Totem Lake, Kirkland, Bellevue, Crossroads, east Bellevue, Overlake, Redmond 230 
-40,500   235  +21,000 Delete Route 230; portion east of Bellevue Transit Center replaced by Rapid Ride Line B and Route 226; Kingsgate-Bellevue Transit Center service replaced by new Route 235 and Route 249 234 Kenmore, Juanita, Kirkland, Bellevue 0 Revise route from Kirkland Transit Center to South Kirkland Park-and-Ride to follow State Street and Lake Washington Boulevard N.E., eliminating service on 6th Street and 108thAvenue N.E.; new route matches Route 235 and provides more frequent connections between Kirkland Transit Center and Bellevue Transit Center 238 Downtown Kirkland 0 Revise route to serve State Street and N.E. 68thStreet between the Kirkland Transit Center and 108th Avenue N.E. instead of 6th Street S. and Kirkland Way; replacement service would be available on routes 245 and 255 240 Bellevue 0 Revise Route 240 between Factoria and the Bellevue Transit Center to serve the Eastgate Park-and-Ride, Richards Road and 112thAvenue SE.  Replacement service between Factoria and the Bellevue Transit Center via South Bellevue Park-and-Ride and 108thAvenue SE next to Surrey Downs on Route 241; eliminate portion of route from Bellevue Transit Center to Clyde Hill’ for this portion of route, replacement service on Route 246 245 Kirkland, Houghton, Overlake, Crossroads, Bellevue College, Eastgate, Factoria 4,000 Revise route to eliminate service on 148thAvenue S.E., Lake Hills Boulevard, 156thAvenue S.E.; replacement service on Route 226; instead serve 145th Place S.E., 140thAvenue S.E., and Main Street; improve frequency to every 15 minutes between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. 246 Eastgate, Somerset, Factoria, Woodridge, Bellevue, Clyde Hill 0 Revise route to connect Factoria and Woodridge via Factoria Boulevard S.E. and Richards Road, and terminate at the Eastgate Park-and-Ride.  Revise north end of route to connect the Bellevue Transit Center with Clyde Hill via N.E. 8th Street and 100th Avenue N.E. 247 Overlake, Crossroads, Eastgate, Factoria, Renton, Kent -2,800 Delete Route 247; replacement service available on Routes 226 and 240 connecting with Sound Transit 560 and 566 at Bellevue Transit Center; vanpools may be an alternative for some riders 249 Overlake, Bel-Red, South Kirkland, Bellevue, Enatai, Beaux Arts 11,100 Revise route in Overlake area, delete 116thAvenue N.E./N.E. 10th Street segment in Bellevue, replace with service on Bellevue Way N.E. between South Kirkland Park-and-Ride, and the Bellevue Transit Center; add service between the Bellevue Transit Center and the South Bellevue Park-and-Ride on 108th Avenue N.E., Main Street, Bellevue Way S.E., 104thAvenue S.E., S.E. 34th Street, and 112thAvenue S.E. 250 Redmond, Overlake, SR 520 0 Revise route to start at Overlake Transit Center, run on N.E. 40th Street, West Lake Sammamish Parkway, N.E. 24th Street to Overlake Park-and-Ride, revision in Overlake area to serve 148th Avenue N.E. between N.E. 36th Street and SR-520 253 Redmond, Overlake, Crossroads, Bellevue -26,500 Delete Route 253; replacement service RapidRide Line B, Routes 221, 248, 249, 269, Sound Transit 545 255, 256 Totem Lake, Juanita, Kirkland, Overlake, Bel-Red, South Kirkland, SR-520, Downtown Seattle 255  +6,200   256 
 -3,300 Delete Route 256; replacement service on Route 255 with South Kirkland Park-and-Ride connections with Route 249 (or routes 234 and 235 as far east as 116th Avenue N.E.); add Route 255 service to include 10-minute frequency during morning and afternoon peaks, 30-minute frequency on weekday evenings (up from 60 minutes) 261 Overlake, Bellevue, Clyde Hill, Medina, downtown Seattle -4,200 Delete Route 261; replacement service on Rapid Ride Line B, Sound Transit 550, Route 271 265 Redmond, Overlake, Old Redmond Road, 148thAvenue N.E., Rose Hill, SR-520 0 Revise easternmost part of route to delete service east of 148th Avenue N.E. via Old Redmond Road [replacement service on RapidRide Line B, Route 221, Sound Transit 545]; add new segment between N.E. 70th and Overlake Transit Center via 148th Avenue N.E. and N.E. 40th Street 266 Redmond, Overlake, SR-520 -4,800 Delete Route 266; replacement service on Rapid Ride Line B, Routes 221, 250, 265, 268, Sound Transit 545 271 Issaquah to University District via Eastgate Park-and-Ride, Bellevue College, Bellevue Transit Center 7,500 For service in the part of the route between Eastgate Park-and-Ride and the University District, add three westbound trips in the morning peak, three eastbound trips in the afternoon peak, and improve midday frequency to 15 minute service 272 Eastgate, southeast Bellevue, N.E. 8thStreet, University District -5,600 Delete Route 272, serving the University District, SR 520, N.E. 8th Street in Bellevue, 164th Avenue N.E., and S.E. Lake Hills Boulevard, 148th Avenue S.E., Eastgate Park-and-Ride, and part of the Eastgate neighborhood south of I-90.  Replacement service is available on Routes 221, 226, 271, RapidRide Line B, and Sound Transit 556; Routes 271, 277, 542, and 556 would connect at Evergreen Point freeway station 303 Shoreline, Northgate, First Hill (Transit Now Partnership Program) 2,000 Add two morning and three afternoon trips in the peak direction 309 Kenmore, Lake Forest Park, Lake City, North Seattle, South Lake Union, First Hill (Transit Now Partnership Program) 1,200 Add two morning trips and one afternoon trip in the peak direction 926 Eastgate, southeast Bellevue, Crossroads -5,100 Delete Route 926; replace by revised Route 221 54 Westwood, Fauntleroy, Alaska Junction, Downtown Seattle 19,000 Improve off-peak frequency in Rapid Ride C corridor before implementation of Line C in Fall 2012; adds 15-minute frequency 9:00 am-3:00 pm weekdays and Saturdays until 7:00 pm

— Information from Metropolitan King County Council