Press release:

King County Executive Dow Constantine on Thursday, June 14 recommended alignments and station locations for two more RapidRide lines connecting Burien with Renton and Shoreline with Seattle.

The F Line in South King County will travel from the Burien Transit Center – via SeaTac and Tukwila – to downtown Renton, with a possible future extension to The Landing in North Renton. It will stop at both the Link light rail and Sounder train stations in Tukwila, plus connect workers to jobs at Sea-Tac Airport, Boeing worksites, and the Southcenter retail area.

“Implementation of the F Line is more than just moving people from one place to another,” said Councilmember Julia Patterson. “This east-west connection is about creating more opportunity for people to access jobs, services and shopping in South King County.

“With links to Link light rail and the Sounder, people of South County will have access to mobility options like never before.”

RapidRide is a different type of Metro service that features high-frequency service, off-board fare payment, and systems that integrate the buses with traffic signals and signage. It adds up to a more efficient and effective transit system. RapidRide also has distinctive red-and-yellow buses are energy efficient, low-emission hybrid vehicles with low floors and three doors for easier, faster boarding.

“I’m very excited to see RapidRide expand to more areas of the county,” said Councilmember Joe McDermott. “It's popular because it lives up to its name – it’s a rapid ride!”

“RapidRide is a cost-effective complement to light rail – and these two new lines deliver on the promise of Transit Now, with up to 4 million rides a year to jobs, shopping, and recreation,” said Executive Constantine, who sent his proposed ordinance to the Metropolitan King County Council.

The E Line will run the length of Aurora Boulevard from Shoreline to downtown Seattle. It will offer frequent service to the busy Aurora Village Transit Center, and provide key connections for residents who live east and west of Aurora.

Since RapidRide debuted in 2009, Metro has seen significant ridership growth in those corridors compared to the regular bus routes they replaced. Similar ridership gains are expected for the C and D lines that debut this September in Ballard/Uptown and West Seattle, and again when the E and F lines start up.

The proposed ordinance is scheduled for hearing at the Council’s Transportation, Economy and Environment Committee in mid-July.