Metro is working to bring better bus service to people living and working in Renton, Kent and Auburn.

Building off of the efforts put forth in the Renton-Kent-Auburn Area Mobility Project, Metro plans to upgrade the Route 160 into RapidRide I Line by 2023.

The new Route 160 began operating in September and provides residents with a single route connecting Renton, Kent and Auburn, and service every 15 minutes on weekdays. The RapidRide I Line will use the same pathway and offer riders even faster, more frequent and reliable bus service, fast all-door boarding and enhanced stations and passenger amenities, according to a Metro news release.

With the community’s input, Metro has identified the I Line route, station locations and areas to make it easier to walk, roll and bike to the bus. Now, Metro wants to hear from the community to make decisions about:

• Projects, such as dedicated bus lanes and roadway changes, that improve bus speed and reliability and enhance safety for all who travel in the area.

• Additional projects, including crosswalks and sidewalks that make it easier and safer to get to the bus.

How can the community get involved?

1) Visit Metro’s online open house at https://rapidrideiline.com/and provide comments through Jan. 25. The online open house is available in English, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish and Vietnamese.

2) Visit the project website at King County Metro online to learn more and sign-up to receive email updates.

Metro is committed to prioritizing investment where needs are greatest, such as communities historically underserved and areas with higher percentages of people of color and residents with low income or limited English proficiency. This includes South County, the area served by the future I Line, where ridership has remained the highest throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

About RapidRide

RapidRide is celebrating 10 years of making transit rides easier and more convenient. Metro began planning efforts in 2006 and launched the RapidRide A Line in 2010.

Today, Metro operates six lines across King County, offering riders more frequent and reliable service, efficient off-board ORCA fare payment, bus station amenities, fast all-door boarding and on-board Wi-Fi. RapidRide routes carry tens of thousands of people each weekday— about 70% more than the bus routes that served the same areas before the RapidRide lines were launched. RapidRide is up to 20% faster, saving an average of about five minutes per trip.