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How the October service change will affect Bellevue travelers

Bellevue Transit Center

Big changes are coming to King County Metro and Sound Transit service starting Oct. 2. The changes include connections to three new Link light rail stations opening in Seattle! In addition, changes include updated service and restoration of previously suspended routes, many in Bellevue. Wondering how this will affect your travel in and out of Bellevue? Check out details below:

Restored Routes

Metro will restore the following routes that have been fully suspended. Read on for links to the new timetables, and route descriptions.

·        114 – Lake Kathleen to Downtown Seattle (stops in Newport Hills)

·        214 – Issaquah to Downtown Seattle (stops at Eastgate Park & Ride)

·        216 – Bear Creek Park & Ride to Downtown Seattle (stops at Eastgate Park & Ride)

·        217 – Downtown Seattle to North Issaquah (stops in Factoria and at Eastgate Park & Ride)

·        221* – Redmond Transit Center to Eastgate Park & Ride (stops in Crossroads)

·        226* – Eastgate Park & Ride to Bellevue Transit Center

·        232 – Bellevue to Duvall

·        237 – Bellevue to Woodinville

·        246 – Clyde Hill to Eastgate Park & Ride

·        249 – Redmond Technology Station to Bellevue Transit Center (see additional revision below)

·        250 – Avondale to Bellevue Transit Center, fully restore weekday service

·        271* – Issaquah to University District

·        342 – Renton Transit Center to Aurora Village Transit Center

·        981 – Mercer Island Park & Ride to Totem Lake (stops at Bellevue Transit Center)

·        989 – Factoria to Haller Lake

·        Sound Transit 556* – Issaquah to University District

*Additional details:

221 will have three weekday, three Saturday and five Sunday trips restored (restores the suspended night service)

226 will have 12 Saturday trips restored (returns to full original Saturday service level)

271 will have partial restoration of service on weekdays and weekends (this restores it to 15 minute or better frequency on weekdays until 7 p.m., fully restores Saturday service, and restores service after 8 pm in Issaquah)

556 will have service restored between U District Station and Issaquah via Bellevue – service operates in peak periods every 30 minutes; effective Monday, Oct. 4

Revised Routes

The following will have routing or schedule revisions. Read on for timetable links and information.

·        241 – Eastgate Park & Ride to Bellevue Transit Center

o   Will soon serve Bay 2 at a new South Bellevue Station bus loop at the South Bellevue Park-and-Ride once it opens; until then there will be a courtesy stop on Bellevue Way

·        249 – Redmond Technology Station to Bellevue Transit Center

o   Will now serve Bay 3 at the new South Bellevue Station bus loop (South Bellevue Park-and-Ride).

·        ST 532 – Everett to Bellevue

o   Schedule adjustments, effective Monday, October 4

·        ST 535 – Lynwood to Bellevue

o   Restore midday frequencies to 30 minutes, effective Saturday, October 2

·        ST 550 – Bellevue to Downtown Seattle

o   Will soon serve Bay 2 at the new South Bellevue Station bus loop once the South Bellevue Park-and-Ride reopens; until then, there will be a courtesy stop on Bellevue Way

For more details on the service change, check out King County Metro and Sound Transit pages on the topic.

Sources:

·        King County Metro Service Change Page

·        Sound Transit Service Change Page

·        King County Metro service planning staff

·        Sound Transit staff

- Choose Your Way Bellevue staffer Alex

The October Service Change is happening this Saturday, October 2. There will be a lot of routes being revised and restored, however, there will be a handful of routes that will be suspended. Below is information from Metro's blog post on the subject.

From King County Metro:

East King County

Route 200 (suspended)  

• In the Issaquah Highlands and Issaquah, use Route 269 (weekdays only w/no deviation off NW Sammamish Road) or Route ST 554.
• Along Newport Way NW, NW Gilman Road, and Front Street North, use Route 271 or Route ST 554.

Route 219 (suspended) 

• Use Route 216
• Use Route 269 (weekdays only) between Redmond and Issaquah Highlands Park and Ride.
• Use Route ST 554 between Issaquah Highlands Park and Ride and downtown Seattle.

Route 252 (suspended)  

• At Kingsgate P&R, use Route 257 or walk or roll to NE 128th Street for Route 311
• North of the P&R, use routes 239 or 930 to reach routes 255, 257, or 311 at NE 128th Street
• At NE 128th Street, ST Route 535 connects with ST Route 550 at the Bellevue Transit Center

Sound Transit Express Route 541 (suspended)  

• Use Route ST 542 between Overlake and the University District.
• Between the University District and Green Lake, use Route 45.

Sound Transit Express Route 544 (suspended)

• Between Overlake and Seattle, use Route ST 545 to Seattle.
• Between South Kirkland P&R and Seattle, use Route 255 and transfer to Route ST 545 at Evergreen Point, or to Route 70 at UW Station.

Sound Transit Express Route 555 (suspended) 

• Use Route 271 or ST Express Route 556between Issaquah, Bellevue, and University of Washington.
• Between University District and Northgate use Link 1 Line or Route 67.

Route 931 (suspended) 

• Between Woodinville and Bothell, use Route ST 522
• Between Woodinville and Redmond, use Route 231 and transfer to Route 250at Kirkland TC.
• There is no service through Cottage Lake, North Redmond, or on Woodinville-Redmond Road.

To read the full article for details on all suspended routes, click here.

Sources:

• "Route suspended? Updated travel options are available to help riders" King County Metro Blog

-Choose Your Way Bellevue staffer Alex

Ever want a personal, written guide for you to get from point A to point B in the most efficient way possible? We are here to help! If you want to commute into, out of or within Bellevue using a non-drive-alone mode, we’re the one-stop transportation shop for you. Our services include:

• Transit
  • We’ll provide you with a detailed stop-by-stop commute, listing bus routes that will make your travel the most efficient as possible. Often, we utilize the King County Metro Trip Planner to provide the most up-to-date information on routes and revisions.
• Carpool/Vanpool
  • We’ll give you resources to start a carpool or vanpool using our Choose Your Way Bellevue portal to the RideshareOnline regional ridematching service, or, the Choose Your Way Bellevue Vanpool Widget. There are apps also for on-demand ridesharing such as Scoop or Waze Carpool.
• Biking
  • We’ll help you with using resources like the Choose Your Way Bellevue bike map, which you can download here, and Google Maps.
• More Resources
  • Not only will we give you a detailed commute plan, we’ll also provide you with links and resources for better commuting. This includes access to non-drive-alone information on our website, details on using RideshareOnline, how ORCA works and more!

Of course, remember that you can always go to www.ChooseYourWayBellevue.org and click on a transportation mode to learn more about.

Don’t forget, the Fall Service Change is coming this October – it will restore much of the service that was cut due to COVID-19! You can learn more about it from both King County Metro and Sound Transit.

-Choose Your Way staffer Alex

Image and text from the City of Bellevue:

Built on an historic former railroad, the Eastrail trail will eventually connect Eastside cities from Renton all the way to Woodinville and Snohomish County. But the Eastrail has the potential to be much more than a trail.

In 2018 the Wilburton Commercial Area Citizen Advisory Committee presented recommendations to the City Council that envision the Eastrail trail as a signature public space that draws people not just for commuting but to linger and enjoy amenities, art, nature and retail, and community events all along the route. To help make sure this vision is realized the City of Bellevue is partnering with King County Parks and Sound Transit to develop a vision for the portion of the Eastrail trail that runs from SE 5th Street to NE 12th Street in Wilburton.

The goals of this effort are to understand what the community would like to see in this space,  how the trail could integrate with surrounding businesses, and how the trail can be a welcoming space for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. We want to hear from the community about what they would like to see in this section of the Eastrail. Take our short survey by September 3rd to share your feedback and ideas.
 

-Choose Your Way staffer Alex

This new blog series will bring you an interview with different Choose Your Way Bellevue staff, discussing their work and life throughout the last year. This blog’s interviewee is Alex Thoman.

What is your occupation?

I am the TDM Programs & Marketing Specialist for TransManage.

Where do you live and work?

I currently live in Seattle and work for the Bellevue Downtown Association.

How has your work life shifted since the beginning of the pandemic?

I started working from home full-time in March of 2020. It was strange, and something that took a while to get used to. I would wake up, work from my room, relax in my room and sleep in my room. Eventually, I was able to get a better separation between work and home life, dedicated a specific space in my home for work. Since then, I have slowly started coming into the office on a more regular basis.

How has your commute shifted since the beginning of the pandemic?

I was taking the bus to work every day before COVID hit. I stopped commuting to work entirely for a long time and eventually started commuting to work by car every now and then to my office. I try to carpool as much as I can.

What advice would you give to those working from home?

I would say try to have a clear separation of your workspace and your living space. Being in one room or section of a home for too long isn’t healthy. I would also say it’s important to prioritize your mental and physical health. Take breaks when you need to. Go for a walk during a lunch break or in between meetings. Fresh air goes a long way!

What do you do for fun and how do you get there?

I love playing music and watching live shows, as well as going to the movies. That’s been hard to do and nearly nonexistent for a while. Although, that’s slowly starting to change! You can still go see movies in theaters, and that’s always a blast. I usually get to these places by carpooling with my friends.

Want to share your commute story? You can do so through the Mover of the Month reward from our Choose Your Way Bellevue Rewards program! Each month, our staff will select one Bellevue traveler's submission, and their story will be featured in our monthly newsletter. Winners will receive $50 towards your bus or vanpool fare in the form of a TranBen voucher or the equivalent in Choose Your Way Bellevue merchandise! There's no need to reapply each month, but feel free to share more than one story with us. Learn more and submit your commute story here.

-Choose Your Way staffer Travis

The state is open. We’ve been stuck inside for over a year, and now it’s summertime. Time to get outside and enjoy the weather! Wondering what activities you can do? Look no further. We’ve collected a few fun things to do in the sunshine.

• Trailhead Bus Routes
  • Now that Washington state is open and the sun is shining, it’s a great time to get outdoors! King County Metro offers Trailhead Direct bus routes that will take you directly to a couple of your favorite Pacific Northwest hikes on weekends and holidays. These routes stop at Eastgate (Park-and-Ride) Freeway Station in Bellevue and are a great way to stay active this summer!
• Biking Trails
  • Why not take your bike out and ride on some great PNW trails this summer? There are plenty of biking trails to tackle; check out TrailLink’s webpage for ideas.
• Enjoy the Parks
  • There are plenty of parks where you can enjoy the sunny weather in Bellevue. Check out the Bellevue parks page on the city’s website for a list!
• Free Movies in Downtown and Crossroads Parks
  • Take a group bike ride with you friends, walk, bus or carpool to check out an outdoor movie on the big screen!
  • From the City of Bellevue: Movies in the Park are back at the Downtown Park on Tuesday, Aug. 10 and 17, and Crossroads Park on Thursday, Aug. 12 and 19, with seating starting at 7:30 p.m. and movies beginning at dusk. Learn more at the city’s webpage.
• Check Out a Free Concert While Riding Around Downtown!
  • Find a little rhythm and drown out the blues with Bellevue Beats, the Bellevue Downtown Association’s new (and biggest ever) music series! Spanning April through fall, it reignites Downtown's music scene with free concerts in the Heart of Bellevue. 
• Log Your Trips and Get Rewarded
  • Don’t forget to log all of your non-drive-alone trips in Bellevue through our Choose Your Way Bellevue Rewards program! You’ll be eligible to receive free branded merchandise.

These are just a handful of exciting outdoor activities to participate in this summer in Bellevue, with ideas to make it easier to get there in a greener way. We hope this helps keep your summer busy!

-Choose Your Way staffer Alex
 

We hope you enjoyed celebrating Ride Transit Month this June! Curious to know how Metro ridership has changed since 2021 began? Lucky for you, we checked into King County Metro’s The Dash and came up with some key takeaways below.

*All information in graph pulled from King County Metro’s “The Dash” page and shows only KCM data.

Key Takeaways:

• Metro’s countywide  ridership rose steadily since the beginning of the year, growing from 132,847 average weekday boardings in January to 155,065 average weekday boardings in May
• Average weekday boardings have remained fairly steady between April and May 2021, ranging from 153,504 to 155,065
• As Washington State began to open back up, ridership increased on Metro vessels

Still, ridership has decreased overall since the beginning of the pandemic, dropping significantly from a high point of 466,585 average weekday boardings in February of 2020. However, Metro is  seeing a steady rise in ridership in the last few months that will hopefully continue as things return closer to normal and transit returns to full capacity.

For more information on this topic, please visit Metro’s rider dashboard here.

-Choose Your Way staffer Alex
 

This year’s show, the first public event in the city since March 2020, will look different than past Independence Day celebrations. The Bellevue 4th of July Fireworks (not the Family 4th) will not include entertainment, live music or other activities before or after the show. However, it will include a “can’t miss” fireworks show at the Downtown Park. To help everyone get to and from the event more easily, Choose Your Way Bellevue encourages you to take a transportation mode other than driving alone to the festivities.

Transit

We recommend taking transit to the Bellevue Transit Center. It is a transit hub and just a short walk down the pedestrian corridor to the Downtown Park for the fireworks at the 4th of July Fireworks Show.

• Carry your exact bus fare in cash or have your ORCA card ready. Use the King County Trip Planner to plan your route, or ask us for help.

Cycling

There are stations to park and lock bikes at Bellevue Downtown Park! Take a look at the Bellevue Bike Map as well as Google Maps (click the cycling icon with the directions function) to plan your route.

Carpool/Driving

Complimentary event parking is provided courtesy of The Bellevue Collection and offered after 7 p.m. at Bellevue Square, Lincoln Square North, Lincoln Square South, and Bellevue Place. Disabled parking is located in the Red Lot off 100th Avenue Northeast. For an efficient post-event exit, park at the Bellevue Place garage and exit via Northeast 10th Street.

• Westbound Northeast First Street will be closed between 100th and 102nd Avenues Northeast from 6 p.m. to midnight.
• Eastbound Northeast Fourth Street will be closed at 100th Avenue Northeast 6 p.m.-11 p.m.
• Before the fireworks, starting about 9 p.m., streets closed to vehicle traffic will include: Northeast Fourth Street from 100th Avenue Northeast to Bellevue Way Northeast; Northeast First Street from 100th Avenue Northeast to 103rd Avenue Northeast; and 100th Avenue Northeast from Northeast First Street to Northeast Fifth Street.
• After the fireworks, restrictions will include the prohibition of right turns from northbound 100th Avenue Northeast to Northeast Eighth Street, and from eastbound Northeast 10th Street to all side streets between 100th Avenue Northeast and Interstate 405.
• Drivers on Northeast 10th Street heading to Interstate 405 should continue east, turn right on 116th Avenue Northeast, then right on Northeast Eighth Street and follow the signs for I-405 ramps.

Whether you get to event festivities via bus, carpool, bike or another form of non-drive-alone travel, have a fun and safe Independence Day 2021!

-Choose Your Way staffer Travis
 

Sources

City of Bellevue News Release - https://bellevuewa.gov/city-news/4th-july-fireworks-return

City of Bellevue Road Closures - https://bellevuewa.gov/city-government/departments/transportation/traffic-conditions/traffic-advisories

Ride Transit Month is happening now! It's the perfect time to celebrate public transportation and take transit to get to where you need to go.

^{*Graphic from Transportation Choices}

Below is a collection of ways to celebrate this month, including events and articles:

• A Just Recovery Will Take Transit – This event is hosted by the Transportation Choices statewide policy and advocacy nonprofit dedicated to bringing Washingtonians more and better transportation choices. You can attend this panel conversation, taking place June 16, to hear what agencies are doing, learn what to expect, and ask your questions on how transit agencies are preparing to keep passengers safe and moving. You can register for this transit talk here.
• Transit Trivia - As part of Ride Transit Month, Transportation Choices is hosting Transit Trivia on June 23 from 4 p.m.-7 p.m. Pacific time. Test you transit knowledge by taking part in this special event. Register here!
• Log Your Trips – If you live or work in Bellevue, don’t forget to log your Bellevue transit trips (and all non-drive-alone trips) during the month of June to win rewards! Learn more and take part in the Choose Your Way Bellevue Rewards Program now.

For more details, check out the Transportation Choices page.

-Choose Your Way staffer Alex
 

Did you know that every trip you make using a non-drive-alone mode can save you money and help you earn rewards?

This summer, take advantage of the Pacific Northwest weather and try a non-drive-alone mode to get around Bellevue! If you log at least eight days’ worth of trips June 1, 2021 through August 31, 2021 using vanpool, transit, carpool, telework, cycling, or walking, you can earn a Choose Your Way Bellevue reward – worth up to $25. Visit our rewards page to start logging trips.

Not sure where to begin? Complete a Commute Assistance Request and receive a customized commute plan based on your work schedule, home address, and worksite.

-Choose Your Way staffer Nicole