Metro to suspend routes 15 and 18 in September

Meghan Walker Ballard

King County Metro is suspending 20 routes starting in September, including two that serve Ballard.

Routes 15 and 18 in Ballard are being completely suspended; Metro says RapidRide D Line will serve as the alternative for Route 15, while Route 40 will be an alternate for people who rely on the 18.

Metro says they’re making the changes to “increase reliability and build resiliency”—the new schedules take effect Sept. 2. The transit department is suspending the 20 routes due to low ridership; they say 92% of boardings will not be directly impacted by the changes.

“Reducing service to make our transit schedule more accurate is neither a rest nor a retreat,” King County Metro General Manager Michelle Allison said in a statement. “We’re engaged in full-scale business transformation across recruiting, training, retention, fleet maintenance and agency-wide innovation. Metro is working harder than ever to deliver your service every day, to strengthen and improve our agency, and to grow transit region-wide.”

Here are all the suspended routes:

  • Route 15 (suspended): Alternate route RapidRide D Line
  • Route 16 (suspended):AlternateRoute 5 
  • Route 18 (suspended): Alternate Route 40
  • Route 29 (suspended): alternate routes 1, 2, 3, 4, 13, 31, 32, 40, RapidRide D Line and Seattle Monorail. 
  • Route 55 (suspended): Alternate routes 56, 57, or Route 775 to connect with the West Seattle Water Taxi, RapidRide C Line, Route 21
  • Route 64 (suspended): Routes 62, 65, 322, ST Express 522, Link and Route 8 at Capitol Hill Station or Route 70 at U District Station
  • Route 301 (suspended): Alternate routes 346 and 348 
  • Route 304 (suspended): Alternate routes 331, 345 and 348 
  • Route 320 (suspended): Alternate routes 20, 372, ST Express 522, Link and Route 8 at Capitol Hill Station or with Route 70 at U District Station.  
  • East King County 
  • Route 214 (suspended): Alternate route ST Express Route 554
  • Route 216 (suspended): Alternate routes 218, 269, ST Express routes 545, 550 and 554, Metro Flex in Sammamish.
  • Route 217 (suspended): Alternate routes 269 and ST Express Route 554. 
  • Route 232 (suspended): Alternate routes 224 and RapidRide B Line.  
  • Route 237 (suspended): Alternate routes 231, 250, 311, ST Express routes 522, 532 and 535. 
  • Route 268 (suspended): Alternate route 269 and ST Express Route 545. 
  • Route 342 (suspended): Alternate routes 245, 250, 331, ST Express routes 535, 560, 566 
  • South King County 
  • Route 114 (suspended): Alternate routes 105 or 240 and transfer to/from Route 101; Route 240 to/from ST Express Routes 550 and 554. 
  • Route 121 (suspended): Alternate routes RapidRide H Line, Routes 113, 131 and 132.
  • Route 167 (suspended): Alternate routes101 or 102 to Link light rail, routes 255 or ST Express Route 542. 
  • Route 190 (suspended): Alternate routes RapidRide A Line to Link light rail at Angle Lake Station, routes 150, 162, 165, 183 and Sounder. 
  • Routes affected by September service change

Below is a list of reduced trips (from King County Metro):

Route(s)Reduction/Suspension Summary
(affected time periods in parentheses)
15, 16, 18, 29, 55, 64, 114, 121, 167, 190, 214, 216, 217, 232, 237, 268, 301, 304, 320 and 342Full suspension 
7On weekdays: reduce to every 10 minutes (AM peak); reduce to every 7.5 minutes (PM Peak) 
10On weekdays: reduce to every 15 minutes on weekdays (peak) 
On weekdays, Saturdays, Sundays: reduce to half-hourly (weekday nights, all weekend) 
20On weekdays: reduce to half-hourly (peak and off-peak); reduce to hourly (night) 
28On weekdays, Saturdays, Sundays: reduce to hourly (off-peak, night) 
36On weekdays: reduce to every 10 minutes (AM peak, off-peak, evening); reduce to every 7-8 minutes (PM peak) 
73On weekdays: reduce to half-hourly (peak); 
On weekdays, Saturdays, Sundays: reduce to half-hourly (off-peak, night) 
79On weekdays: reduce to hourly (all periods) 
225On weekdays: reduce to hourly (peak, off-peak) 
230On weekdays: reduce to hourly (peak, off-peak) 
231On weekdays: reduce to hourly (peak, off-peak) 
255On weekdays: reduce to half-hourly (night) 
345On weekdays, Saturdays, Sundays: reduce to hourly (night) 

Metro said they protected routes that serve a “higher percentage of riders who have lower incomes or identify as Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color.”

Further, the transit department said the “adjusted scheduled and suspended routes will deliver the same number of transit trips currently operating the road ‘without the day-to-day variability that has inconvenienced riders during the past several months.'”

Photo: King County Metro