News

At Monday’s extended study session, the City Council was briefed on ongoing efforts and possible next steps to make downtown’s bicycle network safer and more effective. The presentation focused on a bikeway on 108th Avenue Northeast and bike lanes on Main Street.

If you’re reading this post, you are viewing our newly refreshed, redesigned Choose Your Way Bellevue website! We wanted to keep providing you the same useful travel option information for getting around Bellevue, while streamlining it for easier viewing. Our intent is a clean look with fewer words and pages that get straight to the point.

Transit boardings in the central Puget Sound region grew to 221 million by the end of 2018, marking the eighth straight year of growing transit ridership. Between 2017 and 2018, light rail boardings increased by 6.3%, commuter rail boardings by 4.5%, and ferry boardings by 2%. Bus boardings held steady at 0.2%.

Explore Bellevue's hidden treasures by bike on the Lake to Lake Bike Ride on June 8, 2019, rain or shine. Bring the whole family to this enjoyable, non-competitive ride benefiting the City of Bellevue's youth camp scholarship fund.

Get ready, because good weather is in the air and that means that Bike Everywhere Month is right around the corner! Here are a few exciting opportunities the City of Bellevue is offering to get you out on two wheels during the month of May!

In early 2020, King County Parks will kick off a partnership with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to build several new paved miles of the ERC trail including a critical bridge over Interstate 405 in Bellevue. This project is scheduled to break ground by spring 2020, with the goal to be complete in 2021.

King County Metro Transit and Parks departments are partnering again to bring Metro riders to area trails during the 2019 hiking season.

This Saturday, April 20, Trailhead Direct, seasonal weekend and holiday transit-to-trails service, provided by a partnership between King County Metro Transit Parks will return with more routes connecting hikers with convenient transit rides to popular trailheads.

In response to customer feedback from the 2018 season, King County added and modified Trailhead Direct service to provide more trail access to more people, with new routes and stops to create better connections and more hiking options that also now provide hikers with opportunities to transfer from one Trailhead Direct route to another at Issaquah or North Bend (see timetables for specific details and connections).

Mailbox Peak service 
Mailbox Peak trails
Riding Trailhead Direct is a great way for weekend hikers to get to trailheads that provide access to hiking trails in the Mailbox Peak area.

Some of the trails in the Mailbox Peak area include:
- Mailbox Peak
- Old Trail
- Teneriffe Falls

Service days & times
Trailhead Direct service operates on Saturdays and Sundays, and on Memorial Day, Monday, May 27; Independence Day, Thursday, July 4, and Labor Day, Monday, September 2.

Mailbox Peak service operates about every 30 minutes from 7:45 AM to 2:45 PM, starting from the Issaquah Transit Center at Bay 5 and serving the North Bend Park and Ride to and from Mailbox Peak.

Returning from Mailbox Peak it operates about every 30 minutes between 10:30 AM and 6:30 PM.

Hikers are encouraged to plan so they don’t miss the last return trips.

Major stops and transfer points
Hikers who want to access these trails can ride regular Metro service to the Issaquah Transit Center or to the North Bend Park and Ride.

For information about riding regularly scheduled bus service to connect with Trailhead Direct service, visit Metro’s online Trip Planner or its Android or iOS mobile apps to find out how to ride Metro routes - 208 (on Saturdays) to the North Bend P&R;- 208 or 269 (on Saturdays), or 271 on any day, to the Issaquah Transit Center, or - Sound Transit Express Route 554 to the Issaquah Transit Center.

At Issaquah Transit Center or North Bend Park and Ride, hikers can also connect with other Trailhead Direct services.

Fares and how to pay
Riding Trailhead Direct costs the same as riding regular Metro service, including for Youth, ORCA LIFT and RRFP cardholders. 

Payment of a valid fare is required for riders 6 and older, all regular transfer and fare policies apply.  Up to four children through age 5 may ride free with a fare-paying adult.

Upon boarding, pay your fare with exact change, a convenient regional ORCA card or an activated Transit GO mobile ticket.

FAQs
Visit Trailhead Direct’s FAQ page for information about planning your hike and what to carry, safety, trail etiquette, biking and more.

Trailhead Direct – more service
In addition to Trailhead Direct – Mailbox Peak service, please also see information about the Issaquah Alps route, the revised Mount Si / Little Si route and the new Cougar Mountain route.

Information
For more information about Trailhead Direct, including FAQs, blog posts and sponsors, visit kingcounty.gov/trailheaddirect.

For transit trip planning, including Trailhead Direct routes and regular transit service that connects with them, visit Metro’s Puget Sound online regional trip planner.  When planning Trailhead Direct trips, enter a weekend or holiday day/date in your query.

For assistance during business hours on weekdays, call Metro’s Customer Information line at 206-553-3000.

For hiking and trail information, visit the Washington Trails Association website.

Thank you for riding and for using Metro’s services

On Monday, the City Council previewed what is anticipated to be a busy season for transportation construction; more than $100 million worth of projects are expected to commence this year in Bellevue.

The City Council is seeking candidates for vacancies on Bellevue’s Arts, Environmental Services, Human Services, Planning and Transportation commissions, as well as the Library Board. You can apply online. Applications are due by 5 p.m., Friday, April 19.