RapidRide K Line

Community engagement

People who live, work, and play in Kirkland and Bellevue helped Metro decide where to bring RapidRide K Line. Now we need to hear what you think of proposed station locations and projects, like sidewalks and crossings, that make it easier to get to the bus. Take our survey or stop by a community event to chat with Metro staff.

Background

Between October and December 2019, Metro engaged eastside communities to determine needs and priorities for RapidRide service between Kirkland and Bellevue. To hear from communities historically underrepresented in transit planning, we led an inclusive engagement campaign. We gathered feedback from community-based organizations (CBOs), businesses and community members on their current transit use — and how and where they need to travel — and proposed routes throughout Kirkland and Bellevue.

In addition to community interviews, we produced an online survey and held in-person engagement events, including informational sessions,, tabling and transit center and onboard bus outreach. WWe translated outreach materials into Spanish and simplified Chinese, the languages most commonly spoken in this engagement area.

What we heard

• Community members want transit that will get them to important destinations within the community.
• Speed of travel is important.
• Community members want to be certain the bus will be there when they need it.
• Many expressed concerns for planned changes to Route 255 and the resulting lack of direct connections to Downtown Seattle.
• Some noted a need for better service to people with mobility, vision, hearing or other disabilities.
• Safety is important at stations, including lighting and crosswalks, as well as surrounding sidewalks.
• Difficulty getting to and from the bus stop can make it hard for people to use transit.
• Buses take much longer than other transportation methods, which creates barriers to getting places on time.

These community-identified priorities from Eastside residents are aligned with the East Link Connections priority mobility needs that were developed in 2021-2022, and reconfirmed in 2024.

Next steps

The feedback Metro collected during Phase 1 helped inform how and where we plan to engage with community members and groups in future phases. In Phase 2, we will re-introduce the project to the community and gather feedback on design plans for the RapidRide K Line, which Metro developed in partnership with local agencies and address project and agency goals. Specific areas for conversation include:

• Proposed RapidRide K Line station locations.
• Potential locations for projects to make it easier for people who walk, roll and bike to get to the station.
• Roadway improvements to make the bus faster and more reliable.
• Additional ways to share information and gather input from the Eastside.

Phase 3 will focus on presenting a complete vision of the proposed project, with the goals of getting even more detailed feedback. The project team will use this feedback to adjust the project vision, ensure that the project meets community priorities and complete the project’s planning stage through a formal adoption of the Locally Preferred Alternative by the King County Council.