King County Metro proposes network restructure in Federal Way ahead of Link light-rail extension

King County Metro staff presented proposed changes to bus service in Federal Way on Feb. 4, 2025, during a special meeting of the Federal Way City Council, outlining a phase‑2 network intended to integrate local routes with Sound Transit’s Link light‑rail extension scheduled to begin service in 2026.

The presentation described a draft restructuring that would affect all Metro routes within Federal Way, including new Metroplex pilot zones in Federal Way and Auburn, the addition of a new fixed route (Route 186) to replace much of the current one‑direction DART 901, upgrades to some lines to “frequent” service, and a proposed 35% increase in Saturday trips and 75% increase in Sunday trips compared with current service levels.

Metro said the South Link Connections project is a multi‑phase redesign intended to align bus service with three new Link stations (Kent‑Des Moines, Star Lake and Federal Way Downtown). Metro staff described Phase 2 as the first set of concrete proposals developed from earlier outreach and technical analysis; feedback collected now will be used to refine a final plan to send to the King County Council in spring 2026, with implementation planned to begin fall 2026.

"South Link Connections is a service redesign project in South King County that will restructure Metro service with a Federal Way Link extension," said Amanda Pleasant Brown, government relations jurisdictional lead for King County Metro. She and other presenters described Phase 2 as balancing data and community priorities with operational…