COVID-19 Response: King County Metro and Sound Transit Reduce Services
March 24, 2020
As coronavirus continues to impact King County, King County Metro and Sound Transit modify services to adapt.
King County Metro and Sound Transit are making changes to their services in response to COVID-19. Both agencies cite sharp declines in ridership and staff shortages as being a motivator behind the changes.
King County Metro and
Sound Transit are not collecting fares during this time. The agencies encourage riders to board and exit buses using the rear doors whenever possible.
King County Metro announced that buses will begin a reduced schedule starting March 23, 2020. Metro shared that these reductions mean that "buses run less frequently throughout the day. Some bus service may also start later in the morning and end earlier in the evening. Some routes will not operate and nearly all routes have individual trip cancellations." View this post to learn more
about the exact routes and rides changed by this decision. These service changes also mean that trip planning applications may not provide accurate information. Instead, riders can use Metro text departures
to stay updated on running services by texting a bus stop ID to 62550.
Sound Transit also announced the reduction of services on Link light rail, Sounder trains, and some ST Express routes. Click here
or here
to learn more about the specific service changes each mode will undergo. Sound Transit similarly states that trip planning applications may not be synced, and suggests riders sign up for rider alerts.
Both changes come alongside previously scheduled service changes that either agencies were implementing.
To learn more about the way transportation and mobility services are adapting to coronavirus concerns, contact Nathan Emory, Regional Alliance for Resilient and Equitable Transit (RARET) Workgroup Coordinator, at NEmory@hopelink.org. You can also subscribe
to RARET weekly updates on service changes.
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