King County Metro

King County Metro, officially the King County Department of Transportation Metro Transit Division or Metro for short, is the public transit authority of King County, Washington. It began operations on January 1, 1973, but can trace its roots to Seattle Transit, founded in 1939, and Overlake Transit Service, founded in 1927.

Metro is the eight-largest transit bus agency in the United States, carrying an average of 395,000 passengers each weekday on 215 routes. Metro employs 2,716 full- and part-time operators and operates 1,882 buses.

Metro is also contracted to operate and maintain Sound Transit’s Central Link light rail line and eight Sound Transit Express bus routes along with the Seattle Streetcar lines owned by the City of Seattle.

History

The Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle, was created by a local referendum in 1958 authorized to manage regional wastewater and water quality issues in King County. After two failed attempts to enable it to build a regional rapid transit system, it was authorized to operate a regional bus system in 1972. The bus system was known as Metro Transit and began operations in 1973. Its operations subsumed the Seattle Transit System, formerly under the purview of the City of Seattle and the Metropolitan Transit Corporation, a private company serving suburban cities in King County. In the early 1970s, the private Metropolitan faced bankruptcy because of low ridership. King County voters authorized Metro to buy Metropolitan and operate the county's mass transit bus system.

King County, Washington

King County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2010 census its population was 1,931,249. King is the most populous county in Washington, and the 13th-most populous in the United States. The county seat is Seattle, which is the state's largest city.

King County is included in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA Metropolitan Statistical Area. About two-thirds of the county's population lives in the city's suburbs. As of 2011, King County was the 86th highest-income county in the United States.

Etymology

The county was originally named after William Rufus King who was Vice-President when the Washington Territory was created. In 1986, a motion was introduced to change the namesake to Martin Luther King, Jr. No public votes or hearings were taken on the change.

On February 24, 1986, the King County Council passed Council Motion 6461 five votes to four setting forth the historical basis for the renaming of King County in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Because only the state can charter counties, this change was not made official until April 19, 2005, when the Governor signed Senate Bill 5332 into law.

King County (disambiguation)

King County, Washington is a county in Washington State that includes the city of Seattle.

King County may also refer to:

Places

  • King County, Texas, United States
  • King County, New South Wales, Australia
  • Ships

  • King County (steam ferry), which operated on Lake Washington, Washington, United States, from 1900 to 1907 or 1908
  • See also

  • Kings County (disambiguation)
  • King County (steam ferry)

    King County was a steam ferry built in 1900 which served on Lake Washington until 1908.

    Career

    King County was the first true ferry to operate on Lake Washington. The ferry was built in 1900 at Madison Park The ferry was launched on March 8, 1900. A mishap occurred during the vessel's launching with a number of notable figures on board, the ferry slid down the ways but rather than floating in the water, became stuck in the mud. The steamer Cyrene had to pull the new ferry free.

    King County was placed on the route from Madison Park to Kirkland. The county hired George Bartsch to act as the ferry's captain. When his services weren't necessary for the ferry, Bartsch ran a sideline with his own steamboat towing log rafts on the lake. It was said by some that he spent most of his time doing this, as business was too sparse to justify much operation of the ferry.

    Poorly built, King County lasted only eight years, and 1908, the vessel was condemned as unfit for further service. The vessel is also reported to have sunk in May 1907.

    Podcasts:

    developed with YouTube
    PLAYLIST TIME:

    Latest News for: king county metro

    Rant and Rave: Reader’s lost bag retrieved

    The Seattle Times 23 Jan 2025
    RAVE to King County Metro customer service and a thoughtful ...

    Boulder Valley King Soopers union members plan strike vote next week

    Daily Camera 23 Jan 2025
    Unionized King Soopers workers in Broomfield and Boulder counties will join their peers from ...

    Where to find overnight shelters, warming centers in Metro Detroit

    Detroit news 19 Jan 2025
    Various public buildings and churches across Metro Detroit will provide warmth to the unhoused community this weekend and next week as temperatures plummet ... A list of these amenities in each Metro Detroit county is below ... Wayne County.

    Shawn Yim’s death: Address homelessness, mental health

    The Seattle Times 18 Jan 2025
    I salute the transit union for organizing a public memorial to ...

    San Francisco sees big drop in economic rankings, while smaller California cities rise

    Visalia Times Delta 18 Jan 2025
    metro areas — 200 large and 203 small cities — on factors such as employment growth and housing affordability ... In the small city category, Hanford in Kings County jumped 86 spots from 143 to 57.

    King County Metro receives $80M federal boost to expand its RapidRide service

    Sunnyside Daily Sun 17 Jan 2025
    (The Center Square) – King County Metro is receiving almost $80 million federal grant to help upgrade its bus line running through several major south King County cities ....

    Slog AM: Gov. Ferguson Takes Office, Ceasefire in Gaza, Even More Senate Confirmation Hearings

    The Stranger 16 Jan 2025
    The Stranger's morning news roundup. by Vivian McCall ... Not for you ... I’m here to reform it.” ... The federal government granted King County $79.7 million to launch the Metro RapidRide I Line to expand speedy service to Renton, Kent and Auburn.

    A new governor piloting WSF

    The San Juan Journal 14 Jan 2025
    Greg Nance of the 23rd district (Kitsap County) – all Democrats ... The first audience member to address the state leaders was San Juan County Council member Jane Fuller of Lopez Island ... I love that it’s King County Metro.

    Drivers, union voice frustrations over safety concerns on King County Metro buses

    Marietta Daily Journal 13 Jan 2025
    (The Center Square) – King County Metro workers are calling for an urgent response to safety concerns as county council members explore solutions ... .

    Slog AM: Seattle Does Dry January, 24 Dead in LA Fires, and What the Hell Is ...

    The Stranger 13 Jan 2025
    ... procession and memorial service and for the outpouring of love and support.https.//t.co/eCbJ2hTHPL pic.twitter.com/gnKo2nhEOe — King County Metro 🚏 (@KingCountyMetro) January 11, 2025.

    King County Metro to resume fare inspection with light enforcement

    Sunnyside Daily Sun 11 Jan 2025
    (The Center Square) – For the first time since 2020 and the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, King County Metro is resuming fare inspections ....

    King County Metro will honor murdered driver for years to come

    The Seattle Times 10 Jan 2025
    Shawn Yim, killed Dec. 18, will be remembered not only with Friday's memorial but with a bigger commitment to transit driver and rider safety ... .

    Slog AM: Bob Ferguson Is Anti-Tax, California Is Still on Fire, Donald Trump Is a Felon

    The Stranger 10 Jan 2025
    King County Metro will hold a memorial for bus driver Shawn Yim who was killed last month when a passenger stabbed him. The memorial will begin at King County Metro Atlantic and Central Bases in SODO at 10 am.

    Slog AM: Los Angeles Is on Fire, Trump Says We Could Take Canada, Seattle Law ...

    The Stranger 08 Jan 2025
    ... officer who hit and killed college student Jaahnavi Kandula in a crosswalk, the SPD officer who pulled over a King County Metro bus driver, and two more cops who beat a man suspected of arson.

    Bad Apples

    The Stranger 07 Jan 2025
    In March last year, Seattle Police Department Detective Anthony Belgarde pulled over a King County Metro bus driver for honking at Belgrade when the detective reportedly pulled out in front of the bus.

    Most Viewed

    ×