King County Metro details Linwood Link Connections; Lake Forest Park officials and residents raise transfer and equity concerns

King County Metro officials described the final phase of the multi‑year Linwood Link Connections project and the service changes slated for Aug. 29, 2026. Metro staff said the project added east–west connections, extended night and weekend spans, and improved frequency in the study area; staff credited prior phases (fall 2024 and 2025) with ridership increases on several routes.

"We have equity, service design, and engagement as our guiding lenses," said Genevieve Jones, government relations administrator for King County Metro, as she reviewed the project's goals and outreach. Dave Vanderzee, Metro transportation planner, said expanded service on Route 331 includes later night service (to midnight weekdays and 11 p.m. weekends) and that revisions to Routes 322 and a new frequent Route 72 are intended to preserve fast, frequent connections to Link stations.

Council members and residents pressed Metro about the practical effects for local trips. Multiple speakers raised safety and equity concerns about transfers at NE 145th and Lake City Way, a wide, high‑volume intersection. "I do not feel comfortable sending a 14‑year‑old down there in the winter," a council member said, expressing worries about walking across multiple lanes to make transfers. Metro staff proposed options intended to reduce risky crossings, including a temporary reactivated stop in front of McDonald's and in‑station transfers at Shoreline South Station.

Metro also outlined a multilingual communications plan — rider alerts, street teams, translated web materials, and regional meetings — and said staff will monitor performance after the Aug. 29 change and report outcomes to the King County Council in the fall of 2027. Council members asked for follow‑up on pedestrian safety at the transfer location and on preservation of north–south local access for residents who rely on direct routes to groceries and pharmacies.