News

Public pilot programs testing Open Payments and a 3-day PugetPass are planned for 2026, allowing more flexibility in how transit riders pay their fares.

King County Executive Girmay Zahilay announced today that Metro will join other regional transit agencies to provide free rides this New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31. Riders can travel without paying fares on King County Metro, Sound Transit, Community Transit, Everett Transit, Pierce Transit and the Seattle Streetcar as part of their holiday celebrations.

The holidays are coming! Whether you are going to holiday events, shopping or celebrating with friends and family, it’s a great time to explore your transit options.

We have some schedule adjustments to bus, water taxi and other services during the upcoming holidays and sharing them here to help you more easily make travel plans.

King County Metro’s commitment to improving the safety of our employees and riders remains unwavering. We have a clear-eyed focus on what people, process, technology, and other resource investments we need to make to make a meaningful impact on transit safety.

Marking ongoing positive ridership growth, King County Metro posted a silver medal win among the 10 largest transit agencies nationwide.

Metro had an estimated 63 million boardings this year through Aug. 31, which is increase and 4.5 million higher than the same time last year. Comparing August 2024 and 2025, we’re seeing about 5,000 more morning boardings, 6,600 more midday boardings and 9,500 more afternoon boardings on an average weekday.

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By the end of 2026, Sound Transit’s regional Link light rail will provide expanded service to areas now served by buses. Link expansions include the 2 Line Crosslake Connection, which will complete the 2 Line from Lynnwood City Center to Downtown Redmond, and the 1 Line to Federal Way Downtown.

If you currently ride ST Express, your trip could look different when Link opens. Sound Transit is conducting this survey to gather public feedback on our ST Express bus service proposals. Your participation will help inform the final 2026 Service Plan!

Join the City of Bellevue for its upcoming Eastgate and Factoria Neighborhood Scans! The walks will occur on October 4, 2025, from 10 AM–12 PM at Newport Way Library for the Eastgate scan and at the Newport Covenant Church for the Factoria scan. Bellevue’s Great Neighborhoods program is designed so that city staff can hear directly from community members on their values and vision for the future of their neighborhood. This work helps the city develop plans that will allow for future growth. Make your voice heard by attending this great event and let city officials know your thoughts on how best to improve your neighborhood.

Getting around the Overlake community just got easier! Today, King County Metro launched its popular Metro Flex service in the area, offering riders a new way to travel on their own schedule with affordable, on-demand rides that connect neighborhoods, transit hubs, shopping and more — all with just a few taps in an app.