Priority 3: Service Growth

Metro’s third investment priority is to grow transit countywide. Metro Connects envisions service growth throughout King County that is captured in a more nearterm interim network and a 2050 network. The Service Guidelines identify candidate routes for investment in the interim network as well as the existing transit network. Metro will update the guidelines for investing in the 2050 network as it gets closer to that time or more fully implements the interim network. Service that exists today does not always have an equivalent in the Metro Connects networks. Metro will evaluate the existing service until a service restructure triggers consideration of network adjustments to fully integrate the Metro Connects interim network. Where Metro Connects envisions service where none exists today, the routes from Metro Connects will be evaluated as a service growth need. Areas where Metro Connects shows all-day service where there is peak-only service today will also be evaluated as a service growth need. See page 16 for more information about restructuring service. For information in growing flexible services and water taxi, see Planning Flexible Services and Planning Marine Services.

Identifying Service Growth Needs

Metro projects future service needs and sets target service levels in the annual System Evaluation Report. The target service levels are the highest levels suggested by either 1) the service guidelines growth methodology, which uses the factors of land use, equity and geographic value as described below or 2) the service levels envisioned in the Metro Connects interim network. In rare instances, existing service levels may be higher than the target service levels determined using the service growth methodology or envisioned in Metro Connects. This could occur if extra trips were added to overcrowded routes or if a partner has funded more service on a route. In these instances, Metro sets the target service level at existing service levels. Metro will evaluate the impact of partner-funded service on investments for service growth to ensure that Metro investments are consistent with Service Guidelines policies.

Setting Target Service Levels

Land use, equity, and geographic value are described below as part of the service growth methodology, which is used to develop target service levels in cases where this analysis envisions higher levels of the service than the Metro Connects interim network.