Riders in the eastern part of the county may notice news signs telling them certain routes have been deleted or revised.
REDMOND, Wash. — King County Metro has rolled out a major update to its bus system, changing routes and pickup times—particularly in the eastern part of the county—as part of a broader plan to modernize transit and improve connections to Sound Transit’s expanding 2 Line light rail.
Riders may notice new signage at bus stops alerting them to discontinued or revised routes. The changes include the launch of four new bus lines and increased service frequency on five others. Metro officials said this is the first phase of a two-part plan, with additional updates expected next spring.
The goal, according to Metro, is to strengthen the county’s transportation network and streamline access to the 2 Line.
But for some riders, the transition has been confusing.
“I just don’t understand why they would change the route. Now I have to figure out how to get to work,” said Ben Banai, who was trying to catch his usual bus at the Downtown Redmond Transit Station on Saturday.
In Redmond, Route 222 has been replaced by Route 223, which no longer serves the East Hill neighborhood and now terminates at the transit center.
“It’s kind of confusing,” Banai added.
Starting Saturday, people can take these new routes:
- Route 203: Connects Issaquah Highlands, North Issaquah, Issaquah Transit Center, Newport Way, Factoria, and South Bellevue Station.
- Route 222: Serves Overlake, Idylwood, Downtown Redmond, Education Hill, Cottage Lake, and connects to Downtown Redmond and Redmond Technology Stations.
- Route 223: Links Eastgate, Lake Hills, Overlake, and Downtown Redmond Station with 20-minute weekday service.
- Route 256: Offers peak-only service from Woodinville to South Lake Union and Downtown Seattle.
These routes will have more pickup times during the weekdays:
- DART Route 224: Hourly service between Duvall and Redmond.
- Route 226: 20-minute peak service in Bellevue, connecting to South Bellevue Station.
- Route 240: 20-minute service during peak and midday hours between Bellevue, Newcastle, and Renton.
- DART Route 249: 30-minute weekday service with added evening trips.
Route 106: Now arrives every 15 minutes from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., with 30 new weekly trips connecting Chinatown-International District to Rainier Valley and Renton. This is in effect every day of the week.
