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 constraints.

Metro staff said the Phase 2 scope covers 22 routes chosen because of proximity to future Link stations or because existing routes provide service into Seattle that light rail will also serve. To fund new coverage and more frequent service, Metro proposes retiring 10 peak‑only routes; staff noted nine of those routes are currently suspended and one operating peak‑only route — Route 177 — is proposed for removal once Link service and alternatives are available.

"Of the 10 peak only routes that are proposed for removal, it is important to note that 9 are currently suspended and are not operating," said Nicola Geary, transportation planner and project manager for South Link Connections. Geary added that Route 177 is the only peak‑only route currently operating that the proposal would remove because its corridor largely duplicates the corridor Link will serve.

Specific changes affecting Federal Way described in the presentation include: - Reorienting all routes that now use the Federal Way Transit Center to serve the new Federal Way Downtown station beginning in spring 2025 so connections are aligned with the upcoming rail service. - Replacing one‑direction DART Route 901 with a new two‑way fixed route, Route 186, and creating a Metroplex pilot zone intended to preserve coverage for most existing riders (Metro said the proposal maintains coverage for roughly 94% of boardings on Route 901 when Route 186 and the Metroplex zone are considered together). - Upgrading Route 181 to frequent service, adding Sunday service to Route 183, and adding earlier and later trips on Routes 181, 182, 183, 187 and 903. - Shortening Route 193 to begin and end at the Federal Way Downtown station (instead of the South 300th & 20th Park & Ride) to find operational savings.

Metro said the weekend‑service increases come partly from adding Sunday service on routes that currently have none and from converting many Sunday frequencies from 60‑minute headways to 30‑minute headways. "In total, we are proposing 35% more trips on Saturday and 75% more trips on Sunday compared to our service on the ground today," Geary said.

Council members asked for data and clarifications. Council member Asapet Dawson asked about outreach and turnout; Metro staff said the Phase‑1 survey had about 2,000 survey respondents and that Phase‑2 outreach materials and a mini survey were being used in community sessions and interviews. Christina Gonzales, senior community engagement planner, said materials and the survey are available in 15 languages and that Metro was working with community‑based organizations including the Federal Way Black Collective to reach people throughout the city.

Council member Walsh and others questioned how removing Route 177 would affect commute capacity. Metro staff said Route 177 currently provides five morning trips and four afternoon trips and recorded about 150 boardings per day across directions in the fall service change; staff characterized the corridor as also served by Sound Transit routes 577 and 578 and said Metro would not implement the proposed removal of Route 177 until alternatives (including Link service) were operational.

Metro staff described MetroFlex/Metroplex as an on‑demand, flexible zone service intended for lower‑density areas or to provide first/last‑mile connections to transit hubs. Geary estimated two vehicles would initially be assigned to the proposed Federal Way Metroplex zone but said vehicle counts are adjusted based on modeled demand and contractor availability.

Staff also noted some tradeoffs: to add all‑day local coverage, earlier/later trips and more frequent weekend service, Metro proposes reallocating resources from low‑ridership or peak‑only services. Metro said it will submit final proposed changes to the King County Council for adoption around spring 2026 and plans to implement the restructured network beginning fall 2026, after Link opens in the area.

The Federal Way City Council did not take formal action on the Metro proposal at the Feb. 4 meeting; Metro staff requested council assistance publicizing the Phase‑2 survey and an upcoming open house scheduled for Feb. 10. The council recessed for executive session following the presentation.

Why it matters: Metro’s proposal would change how many Federal Way residents access regional and local transit by reorienting buses to a downtown Link station, shifting resources toward all‑day local connections and expanding weekend service. The plan ties Metro service timing to the Sound Transit Link extension and will be refined through further outreach before formal consideration by the King County Council.