South Link Connections
As Link light rail expands farther south with stations at Kent/Des Moines, Star Lake, and Federal Way, the South Link Connections mobility project will address changing mobility needs and improve travel options for communities in South King County. Metro is collaborating with Sound Transit and other partners to develop a future transit network informed by feedback from communities.
Project overview
As soon as 2026, Sound Transit will expand the Link light rail to three new stations in Kent/Des Moines, Star Lake, and Federal Way. This expansion may also bring changes to ST Express buses in the project area.
To prepare for these changes and improve mobility and access for historically underserved populations, Metro is launching a mobility project in South King County serving communities in Algona, Auburn, Burien, Des Moines, Federal Way, Kent, Normandy Park, Pacific, SeaTac, and Tukwila. This project will create an updated mobility network that integrates Metro services with the Link light rail, ST Express bus network, and any Pierce Transit service in King County. The project will be a coordinated process with Sound Transit and other agency and jurisdictional partners. The updated mobility network will be implemented at a service change date that aligns with or immediately follows the opening of the Link light rail extension.
Project goals
Improve mobility for priority populations (as defined by the Mobility Framework).
Equitably inform, engage, and empower current and potential customers traveling in the project area.
Deliver integrated service that responds to Link expansion, changes in the transit network, and community needs.
Improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and environmental sustainability of the transit system.
Route information
The following routes will be explored for potential changes as part of the South Link Connections Project.
Metro routes: RapidRide A Line, 121, 122, 123, 154, 156, 157, 162, 165, 177, 178, 179, 181, 182, 183, 187, 190, 193, 197, 631, 901, 903
Process and timeline
During this first phase of engagement, Metro will share information about the project scope and vision. We will also gather information about service needs by reviewing existing data and reports from recent engagement, interview key stakeholders and community-based organizations, and through a project-specific survey. This information will help inform the draft service concept for public feedback during Phase 2 engagement. Consider taking our survey to help impact the future of transit in South King County.
During this second phase of engagement, Metro will share proposed changes to project routes based on Phase 1 feedback. We will collect feedback on the draft service changes to learn more about community priorities and how they should inform changes to the service proposal. Activities used to inform communities about engagement opportunities may include a press release, multilingual blog post, paid ads in diverse media, Transit Alerts, Rider Alerts, coach posters, distributing digital and/or printed multilingual materials, and multilingual information available on the Metro and Sound Transit websites.
In the final phase of engagement, Metro will present updated service concepts to the public, explaining how community input from Phase 2 influenced these updates. We will seek feedback on ways to further improve the service concepts prior to finalizing the service proposal. Finally, we will summarize the previous phases of engagement and project development, review how community input and priorities influenced concept development and the final plan, and explain any other relevant next steps.
Community engagement
Through a three-phase deliberate and transparent community engagement process, Metro removes barriers and provides opportunities for South King County communities to express their transit needs and have a meaningful role in shaping Metro’s route changes. We collaborate with local communities to use meaningful, inclusive and community driven approaches to inform, gather feedback, evaluate, and collaboratively decide optimum route changes for South King County communities.
Engagement events
Virtual Community Information Session #2
April 21, 2024 10:30 AM
Mobility Board
Metro is forming a South Link Connections Mobility Board that is representative of the project area and equitably represents groups of people historically left out of decision-making conversations related to transit and who are disproportionately affected by these decisions. The Mobility Board’s primary role is to collaborate with Metro staff to develop and refine a coordinated transit network in South King County.
Partner Review Board
Metro is forming a team of external stakeholders to serve as a concept review board, known as the Partner Review Board. The Board includes representatives from jurisdictions and major institutions in the project area, leaders of community-based organizations, and representatives from partner transit agencies. The Partner Review Board’s primary role is to review and provide comment on service concepts developed by the Mobility Board.
Equity Impact Review
The South Link Connections project will include an Equity Impact Review (EIR) study to ensure proposed route changes will improve mobility and access to transportation for historically underserved populations in King County. At each phase of the planning process, Metro will review technical data and results from engagement with priority populations to understand the anticipated impact to underserved communities and inform planning decisions. The EIR analysis, community engagement feedback, and service design best practices will all inform the proposed changes in the South Link Connections project. Public engagement and EIR summaries will be shared at the end of each phase of engagement under the Process and Timeline section above.
Resource library
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