What a first year!
Our goals were clear: create a department and begin delivering improved government services to the diverse residents and businesses of unincorporated King County.
We took that and ran with it, retooling how the county listens to residents, works collaboratively with them, and acts in their communities.
Here are 19 accomplishments we racked up in 2019: Continue reading Local Services’ 19: Top Accomplishments of 2019
Crossposted from Metro Matters
Not everyone who needs transit lives near a bus stop. And not every area has the right mix of infrastructure and housing to support traditional bus service. So Metro is exploring several new ways to connect more people to transit and improve mobility options for customers who need them.
Metro recently launched the Des Moines Community Shuttle/Route 635, in partnership with the City of Des Moines, to connect workers commuting to Des Moines with the Angle Lake light rail station. It is one of the ways Metro is working to connect more people to transit and improve mobility. Continue reading Improving mobility by connecting more communities to transit
Crossposted excerpt from the Seattle Medium newspaper.
By Rob Gannon, King County Metro General Manager
When you board a Metro bus, you’re doing more than getting a ride—you’re exercising a right.That’s what we believe at Metro: Transportation is a human right—your right to go where you want to go and have access to the opportunities we all need to thrive. Metro works hard to make that right a reality for everyone in King County. Continue reading King County Metro Honors the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The year 2017 saw adjustments to Metro Transit fares aimed at making public transit easier for all to use and understand and more affordable for those in need.
Youth ridership on buses, trains and streetcars increased dramatically last summer when King County Executive Dow Constantine launched a pilot program offering reduced 50-cent fares for youth paying with ORCA cards for Metro buses, to make it easier for young residents – particularly those who have limited transportation options – to take transit to jobs, internships, camps, and other activities during the summer, when youth ridership has historically declined. Sound Transit offered a reduced fare of $1 and Seattle offered $0.50 fares for the Streetcar. Metro distributed more than 11,000 free ORCA Youth cards during the promotion – twice more than originally planned. Excluding ORCA cards offered through other programs, Metro’s youth ridership increased to 376,000 boardings, up 35 percent from the previous summer. Youth ridership on Link light rail increased 42 percent while Streetcar boardings increased 25 percent. Continue reading 2017 in review: Metro Transit fares made simpler for all and more accessible
King County Executive Dow Constantine is accelerating the transition to zero-emissions transportation by making one of the largest bus fleets in the US all-electric by as early as 2034. Under his leadership, and that of DOT Director Harold Taniguchi and Metro General Manager Rob Gannon, Metro is not only upgrading its fleet to battery-powered buses, we’re demonstrating that there is strong market demand for the new generation of cleaner, quieter buses that can help King County confront climate change. Continue reading 2017 in review: Leading the nation in the transition to battery-powered buses
As part of the ongoing work to dismantle racial injustice that can persist in our policies and systems, KCDOT recently partnered with staff from the County’s Communities of Opportunity initiative and the Department of Community and Human Services to recruit new employees for entry-level and journey-level job openings.
More than 170 jobseekers received valuable information about jobs and tips for applying online, at the event held Nov. 16 at the YWCA Learning Center at Greenbridge in White Center. Staff worked with community-based partners and WorkSource providers to get the word out and increase access to jobs to more candidates from traditionally underserved and under-represented communities. Nearly three-fourths of the attendees were people of color, nearly a third were women, and 40 percent came from targeted Communities of Opportunity of Rainier Valley, White Center, SeaTac, and Tukwila. Continue reading Recruiting new employees from King County’s “Communities of Opportunity”
by Harold S. Taniguchi
Director, King County Dept. of Transportation
This weekend we pause as a grateful nation to salute the men and women who answered the call to serve in our country’s armed forces. Continue reading Recognizing our military veterans and reservists at KCDOT
Crossposted from Metro Matters
As King County Metro grows and changes in our role as the regional mobility provider, there’s something we’ll never leave behind: our commitment to keeping Metro safe and welcoming for everyone who uses our services or works here. Recent events across the nation are grim reminders of how important that commitment is.
Continue reading New Metro placards remind us that “All Are Welcome Here”
Cross-posted from Metro Matters
To take advantage of new strides in battery bus technology, Metro Transit is test driving a new Proterra extended-range electric battery bus, capable of traveling at least 140 miles on a single charge, and with new flexibility to use a fast-charge system or overnight charging. We’re putting it through some initial paces on a short-term basis on our hills, with more testing planned in 2018.
Continue reading Metro testing new extended-range electric battery buses
by Harold S. Taniguchi
Director, King County Dept. of Transportation
Executive Constantine announced this week that he is working with the County Council to make a big change: In early 2019, Metro Transit will become a stand-alone County department, no longer part of the Department of Transportation.
This change makes sense. Public transportation is a top priority for the Executive and our region. Population and job growth mean that Metro must provide more and better travel options for all who live and work here—and Metro has a long-range plan for doing just that.
By becoming a department, Metro will be in a better position to partner with other agencies, to deliver the large increases in service and the investments in facilities and vehicles that will be needed, and to grow and support its top-notch workforce. Building upon the strength of General Manager Rob Gannon’s leadership, and the momentum of the division, now is simply a good time for this reorganization.
King County Local 
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