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South Link Connections
As Link light rail expands farther south with three new stations in Kent Des Moines, Star Lake and Downtown Federal Way, the South Link Connections project aims to improve transportation options for communities in South King County. Metro is working with Sound TransitOpens in a new tab and other partners to create a new transit network based on community feedback.
Project overview
As soon as 2026, Sound Transit will expand Link light rail south with three new stations: Kent Des Moines, Star Lake and Federal Way Downtown. Changes to the ST Express buses in the area may also occur.
To get ready for these changes and to create a more accessible and efficient transit network for everyone, Metro has started a project in South King County to improve transportation for communities in Algona, Auburn, Burien, Des Moines, Federal Way, Kent, Normandy Park, Pacific, SeaTac, Tukwila and parts of unincorporated King County. This project will create a new transit network that connects Metro buses with Link light rail, ST Express buses and Pierce Transit services in King County. Metro is working together with Sound Transit and other transit agencies and cities on this effort. The new transit network will be put in place around the same time the new Link light rail stations open.
Project goals
- Improve travel options for priority populations (as defined by the Metro’s adopted policies).
- Engage and inform the community about transit changes.
- Offer integrated services that meet community needs.
- Enhance the overall efficiency and sustainability of the transit network.
Quick definitions
A fixed-route service with the flexibility to pick up and drop off passengers in requested locations specific to their area. Usually a small bus.
The number of minutes between bus trips.
Bus service scheduled to run approximately every 15 minutes or better from 6 am to 7 pm on weekdays, and every 30 minutes or better on evenings and weekends.
An on–demand transit service that provides rides within multiple King County neighborhoods. Riders can book rides using the Metro Flex smartphone app or with a phone call to the reservation line.
Transit service that operates during peak travel periods (from 6 to 9 am and from 3 to 7 pm on weekdays).
Community members who are Black, Indigenous and of color; have low or no income; are immigrants or refugees; have disabilities; or are linguistically diverse.
Sound Transit
All types of public transportation in an area that work together to help people travel. This includes bus, rail, train, flexible services, etc.
Project mobility priorities
Metro gathered community feedback in multiple ways in Phase 1 and worked with the Mobility Board to prioritize the five main priorities below. Metro used these priorities to inform the Phase 2 transit network.
Greater transit coverage
Improved early morning and nighttime service
Faster travel times within and beyond the project area
Improved east-west transit connections
Increased weekend service, especially on Saturdays
Metro will continue working with our partners on other identified needs including:
- Maintaining and improving bus frequencies.
- Enhancing midday service during weekdays.
- Making transfers easier within the South Link Connections project area.
- Improving safety and comfort at transit stops and on buses/trains.
- Increasing reliability and on-time trips.
Phase 2 network proposal
Metro has used the priorities above, best practices in service design and equity considerations to suggest updates to the transit network in South King County.
Key points of the Phase 2 proposal
- New transit connections: Adding new connections to future Link light rail stations.
- All-day service: Investing in bus routes that operate all day, every day, with 30% more early morning and late-night trips on weekdays, and 53% more weekends trips.
- New weekend service: New service on Saturdays and Sundays in Burien and new service on Sundays between Kent and Federal Way. The Phase 2 network would provide 35% more trips on Saturday and 75% more trips on Sunday compared to today.
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Improved east-west service: Enhancing important
routes across the area, including:
- New frequent service connecting Highline College, Kent Station, and Green River College.
- Frequent service between Twin Lakes Park & Ride, Federal Way Downtown Station, and Auburn Station.
- On-demand services: Launching two new Metro Flex on-demand pilot services in Federal Way and Auburn to connect more people to transit.
- Faster service: Updating bus routes between West Federal Way and Downtown Federal Way to make this connection quicker, more direct and easier to navigate.
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Route changes: Removing some commuting routes
between South King County and Downtown Seattle to:
- Avoid overlapping services with Link light rail.
- Reinvest resources from these routes to enhance the all-day services that connect to Link light rail.
Tap or select the map to enlarge and explore the proposed network or view the comparison with the current network.
Service changes by type
New Service
164, 166, 186, Federal Way Link Extension, South Auburn Metro Flex pilot, Federal Way Metro Flex pilot
Improved Service
181, 183, 631, 903, A Line
Revised Service
156, 162, 182, 187, 193
Removed Routes
121*, 122*, 123*, 154*, 157*, 165, 177, 179*, 190*, 197*, 901
*Routes that are currently suspended/not operating
Service changes by area
The South Link Connections project is divided into two areas: north and south. The north area includes Burien, Des Moines, Kent, Normandy Park, SeaTac and Tukwila. The south area includes Auburn, Algona, Federal Way and Pacific. To learn more about the proposed changes in your area, select the north area and south area tabs below.
North area
Side-by-side comparison of the current and proposed north area maps. Tap or select the image to enlarge.
Proposed route maps and details
| Route sheet | Description |
|---|---|
| 156 Serves Des Moines, SeaTac, Tukwila |
Kent Des Moines Station to Southcenter via Des Moines and
SeaTac Station Revised to provide more trips to Kent Des Moines Station and a more direct route through McMicken Heights. |
| 162 Serves Kent, Seattle |
Lake Meridian Park & Ride to Downtown Seattle via Kent
Station Revised peak-only route with reduced trips. |
| 164 Serves Des Moines, Kent, Auburn |
Kent Des Moines Station to Green River College via Kent
Station New frequent route with more trips. Replaces part of Route 165. |
| 166 Serves Des Moines, Normandy Park, Burien |
Kent Des Moines Station to Burien Transit Center via Des
Moines and Normandy Park New local route with more trips. Replaces part of Route 165. |
| 183 Serves Federal Way, Kent |
Federal Way Downtown Station to Kent Station via Star Lake
Station Improved with new Sunday service and more trips. Will serve Star Lake Station and Federal Way Downtown Station. |
| 631 Serves Burien |
Burien Transit Center to Gregory Heights via Highline Medical
Center Improved with new weekend service. |
| Federal Way Link Extension Serves Des Moines, Kent, Federal Way | Three new light rail stations: Kent Des Moines, Star Lake and Downtown Federal Way |
South area
Side-by-side comparison of the current and proposed south area maps. Tap or select the image to enlarge.
Proposed route maps and details
| Route sheet | Description |
|---|---|
| 181 Serves Federal Way, Auburn |
Twin Lakes Park and Ride to Green River Community College via
Federal Way Downtown Station, Outlet Collection Seattle, and
Auburn Station Improved frequent route with more trips on weekdays and weekends. Will serve Federal Way Downtown Station. |
| 182 Serves Federal Way |
Federal Way Downtown Station to Twin Lakes Park and
Ride Revised to serve Federal Way Downtown Station and Twin Lakes Park and Ride with more trips on weekdays and weekends. |
| 186 Serves Federal Way |
Federal Way Downtown Station to Twin Lakes via Mirror
Lake New local route. Partially replaces revised Route 187 and removed Route 901. |
| 187 Serves Federal Way |
Federal Way Downtown Station to Twin Lakes via SW 320th
St Revised two-way service on 320th Street between Federal Way Downtown Station and 47th Ave SW. More weekday and weekend trips. |
| 193 Serves Federal Way, Tukwila, Seattle |
Federal Way Downtown Station to First Hill (Seattle) via
Tukwila Park & Ride Revised peak-only route with fewer stops. Will serve Federal Way Downtown Station. |
| 903 Serves Federal Way |
Federal Way Downtown Station to Twin Lakes via south Federal
Way Improved with more weekday and weekend trips. Will serve Federal Way Downtown Station. |
| RapidRide A Line Serves Federal Way, Des Moines, Kent, SeaTac, Tukwila |
Federal Way Downtown Station to Tukwila International
Boulevard Station Improved to serve Federal Way Downtown Station. |
| Federal Way Link Extension Serves Des Moines, Kent, Federal Way | Three new light rail stations: Kent Des Moines, Star Lake and Downtown Federal Way |
| South Auburn Metro Flex Pilot Serves Auburn | New Metro Flex pilot zone providing on-demand service Monday through Saturday. Serving areas south of State Route 18, east of A Street SE, north of the White River and west of Auburn Way S/Forest Villa Manor. Includes Auburn Station and Riverside High School. |
| Federal Way Metro Flex Pilot Serves Federal Way, Auburn | New Metro Flex pilot zone providing on-demand service Monday through Saturday. Serving Federal Way Downtown Station, Laurelwood south of S 288th Street and West Hill south of S 298th St, west of W Valley Highway N, and north of State Route 18. |
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March to May 2024
Phase 1: Needs assessment
During this first phase of engagement, Metro shared information about the project scope and vision.We gathered information about service needs by reviewing existing data and reports from recent engagement, direct feedback from surveys, in-person engagement, conversations with Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) and input from our Partner Review Board and Mobility Board. We analyzed the feedback to find common themes and worked with the Mobility Board to identify key priorities. These priorities helped shape the draft service plan, which will be shared for public feedback in the second phase. We looked through feedback, found common themes, and worked with the Mobility Board to identify top priorities that helped inform the draft transit network concept for public feedback during Phase 2 engagement.
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Winter 2024 to 2025
Current phase
Phase 2: Service concepts
During this second phase of engagement Metro will share proposed route changes to based on Phase 1 feedback. We will collect feedback on the proposed changes to better understand community priorities and how they should guide any updates to the plan. To inform people on how to get involved, we will gather direct feedback from surveys, in-person engagement and conversations with Community-Based Organizations (CBOs). We will conduct social media campaigns, write blog posts in different languages, place ads in diverse media, Transit Alerts, RiderAlerts, posters on buses and share information in multiple languages online and in print.
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Summer 2025
Phase 3: Service proposal
In the final phase of engagement Metro will share updated service plans with the public, explaining how community input from Phase 2 influenced these updates.We will seek feedback on how to improve the plans before finalizing them. We will also summarize the earlier phases of the project, explain how community feedback shaped the final plan and discuss the next steps.
Community engagement
Through a deliberate and transparent three-phase community engagement process, Metro removes barriers and provides opportunities for South King County communities to express their transit needs and have a meaningful role in shaping Metro’s route changes. Metro works with local communities, particularly priority populations who have been historically left out of decision-making conversations and have been disproportionately impacted by these decisions, using meaningful, inclusive and community-driven approaches. We work together to inform, gather feedback, evaluate and decide the best route changes for South King County communities.
During phase 1, Metro formed a South Link Connections Mobility Board representative of the project area and equitably represents groups of people historically left out of decision-making conversations related to transit and who are disproportionately affected by these decisions. The Mobility Board’s primary role is to collaborate with Metro staff to develop and refine a coordinated transit network in South King County.
During the engagement process, Metro meets with external stakeholders who serve as a concept review board, known as the Partner Review Board. The Board includes representatives from local jurisdictions and major institutions in the project area, leaders of community-based organizations, and representatives from partner transit agencies. The Partner Review Board’s primary role is to review and provide comment on service concepts developed by the Mobility Board. If your organization is within the service area and is interested in joining the Partner Review Board, please complete the short inquiry form.
Equity Impact Review
The South Link Connections project will include an Equity Impact Review (EIR) study to ensure proposed route changes will improve mobility and access to transportation for historically underserved populations in King County. At each phase of the planning process, Metro will review technical data and results from engagement with priority populations to understand the anticipated impact to underserved communities and inform planning decisions.
The EIR analysis, community engagement feedback, and service design best practices will all inform the proposed changes in the South Link Connections project. Public engagement and EIR summaries will be shared at the end of each phase of engagement under the Process and Timeline section above.
Resource library
Phase 1 resources
Phase 2 resources
Additional resources
Contact us
Please reach out to us in your preferred language by email at: haveasay@kingcounty.gov
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