Metro Adds Routes, Buses Tomorrow

Beginning tomorrow, buses will run more frequently along Aurora Avenue in North Seattle, but route changes could inconvenience some commuters in the Green Lake area.

The changes are the last planned as part of a major restructuring at Metro Transit that began in 1995.

Most significant of the changes will be a new Route 358 on Aurora Avenue North between Aurora Village and downtown Seattle. The bus will run every 10 minutes at rush hour and every 20 minutes after that. It replaces parts of routes 6, 359 and 360, all of which will be eliminated.

Route 16, between Northgate and downtown, will run every 20 minutes. However, the bus will run on Stone Way North instead of Wallingford Avenue.

Jack Whisner, Metro transit planner, said the changes were made to improve service for the most passengers in the area, but he noted that some riders who used the No. 16 bus between the Wallingford area and Aurora now will have to transfer or walk to a new stop.

A few other route changes begin tomorrow in downtown Seattle, West Seattle and the Eastside.

Whisner said some new service will be added next year on the Eastside.

Other changes: North Seattle:

-- Route 74 will now connect the University District and Seattle Center via Lower Queen Anne.

-- Route 315 between Richmond Beach and Northgate will have added weekend evening trips.

Central Seattle:

-- Route 66 no longer will serve the Colman Ferry dock.

-- A new Route 97 will use small buses to connect downtown Seattle with the Port of Seattle headquarters and trade center on the waterfront.

-- Added evening service on Route 9 between Rainier Beach, Capitol Hill and the University District, and added evening service on Route 36 between Rainier Beach, Beacon Hill and downtown Seattle.

West Seattle:

-- Route 60 from Capitol Hill via Georgetown will be extended to South Park and White Center.

South King County:

-- Route 153 will provide hourly service between Kent and Renton.

-- Route 166 between Kent and Highline Community College will be extended into Des Moines, and Route 189 between Des Moines and Highline also will be extended.

Eastside:

-- Extension of Route 233 between Overlake and Bellevue.

-- Improved service on Route 255 between Kirkland and downtown Seattle.

-- Extension of Route 263 to the Redmond park-and-ride lot.

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Details are available from Metro Transit by calling 206-553-3000, or from its Web site: http://transit.metrokc.gov