Metro is adding two southbound trips to the Route 28 Express starting on Sept. 29. The extra trips leave Aurora Avenue North and North 145th Street at 5:25 a.m. and 8:32 a.m.

And don’t forget that Metro is eliminating the Ride Free Area on the same day. Riders will be required to pay on entry for all trips in King County.

The King County Council today approved the route and station and stop locations for Metro’s new RapidRide E Line, which will connect Shoreline to downtown Seattle starting early next year. It will replace Metro bus route 358.

The E Line will travel on Aurora Avenue North, except for one northbound station at North 66th Street and Linden Avenue North.

At the highest ridership stops, RapidRide stations will be installed, which feature a shelter, benches, bicycle racks, electronic signs indicating how soon the next bus will arrive, and an ORCA card reader so riders can “tap on” before the bus arrives and enter through any of the RapidRide bus’ three doors.

RapidRide distinctive red-and-yellow buses are energy efficient, low-emission hybrid vehicles with low floors and three doors for easier, faster boarding.

Click here for links to the E Line description and map.

King County is hosting a public meeting Tuesday morning on routing and station locations for its new RapidRide E Line, which will travel along Aurora Avenue North from Shoreline to downtown Seattle. The RapidRide E Line should start in Fall 2013.

RapidRide is intended to run 19 hours a day, seven days a week, with special buses arriving at least every 10 minutes during the weekday morning and evening commute. RapidRide buses have low floors and three doors, so people can get on and off quicker.

The meeting by the County Council’s Transportation, Economy and Environmental Committee begins at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in King County Council Chambers, on the 10th floor of the King County Courthouse, 516 Third Ave. If you can’t make the meeting, you can email comments to testimony@kingcounty.gov. You can also watch committee proceedings online at http://www.kingcounty.gov/kctv.aspx.

The full County Council is expected to make its final decision in late July or mid-August.

Washington State Department of Transportation will close all southbound lanes of the Aurora Avenue Bridge from 10 p.m. Thursday through 5 a.m. Friday, and all northbound lanes from 11:59 p.m. Thursday to 5 a.m. Friday. Crews will be removing scaffolding that is part of the seismic improvement work on the bridge. Detour routes will be posted.

Metro buses also will be detoured. Routes serving our neighborhood, including the 5 and 358, will be rerouted. Route 358 rerouting begins at 10 p.m. Thursday.

During this time, Routes 5, 16, 82 (the 3:30 AM trip) and 358 heading toward downtown Seattle will travel instead via the Fremont Bridge, Dexter Av N, 7th Av then to their regular routes.

The Route 82 trip at 2:15 AM will travel via the Fremont Bridge, W Nickerson St, 3rd Av W and W McGraw St to its regular route.

Heading toward Shoreline, Northgate, East Green Lake or Aurora Village these routes will travel instead via Aurora Av N, Aloha St, Dexter Av N, the Fremont Bridge and Fremont Av N. Route 5 will continue to its regular route. Routes 16 and 82 will continue via N 35th St and Stone Way N to their regular routes. Route 358 will continue via N 35th St, Stone Way N, Bridge Way N and Aurora Av N to its regular route.

Just a reminder that all Metro bus routes will be Sunday schedules on July 4th. Check your bus schedules online before you head out so you’re not waiting at the stop for too long.

If you take the bus downtown, be aware that increased security due to President Obama’s visit tomorrow will likely delay bus service.

Here’s the latest from Metro:

From about 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Convention Place Station (CPS) in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel will be closed to all pedestrian access. Buses will continue to travel through CPS, but will not stop there. No passengers will be allowed to board or exit buses in the station, or access the tunnel from the CPS entrance at 9th Avenue and Pine Street.

During this time please board or exit all tunnel buses at the other four tunnel stations, or at their regularly posted surface street stops before they enter or after they leave CPS. Sound Transit Link light rail service is expected to operate normally in the tunnel during this time.

Additionally, from about noon to about 3 p.m. on Thursday, Pine Street will be closed west of Interstate 5. During this closure, there will be no bus service on Pine Street between I-5 and 5th Avenue.

Because of street closures and traffic congestion, bus passengers should expect delays throughout the day on Thursday. This could affect bus service in other parts of the county as well. Please allow extra travel time on Thursday and to be prepared for traffic conditions to change.

Starting next Tuesday, southbound lanes of Aurora Avenue North/State Route 99 will be narrowed from three lanes to two between Republican and John streets, just north of the Battery Street Tunnel.

The closure will last about six weeks as crews relocate utilities before construction of the State Route 99 tunnel’s north portal begins.

Metro Transit will reroute five buses that use this section of southbound SR 99: Route 5, Route 5 Express, Route 26 Express, Route 28 Express and Route 358.

During the lane closure, southbound buses on Aurora will exit at Valley Street. The southbound bus stops on Aurora at Broad and at John streets, plus the one westbound on Wall Street at Fifth Avenue, will not be served. This will affect approximately 385 bus trips a day on Route 5, Route 5 Express, Route 26 Express, Route 28 Express and Route 358.

The southbound detoured buses will turn left from Valley Street to Fifth Avenue North to travel southbound into downtown Seattle, where they will resume regular routing and stops. The buses will not stop along the detour route with two exceptions – they will stop on Fifth Avenue North at both Mercer and John streets.

You can find updated information on Metro’s Construction & Events page.

Metro Transit is proposing to change bus Route 5 service north of North 105th Street, but will keep the current routing south of 105th when it implements changes this fall.

According to Metro, all Route 5 trips would begin and end at Shoreline Community College. Riders wishing to get to Northgate would need to transfer to a revised Route 18. The Route 5 Express service will not change.

Last fall, Metro had proposed revising the route to use Fremont Avenue North and Dexter Avenue North instead of Aurora Avenue North, but decided against it after receiving community input. However, Metro will consider those changes again after the RapidRide E Line launches in 2013.

Metro estimates the time between Route 5 buses as 15 minutes during both peak and off-peak hours during weekdays, between 15-30 minutes at night, 15 minutes on Saturdays, and 30 minutes on Sundays.

You can weigh in on the proposed changes at another public forum from 6-8 p.m. Monday at Ballard High School.

Metro Transit had recently proposed drastically changing Route 28 bus service through Greenwood and Broadview, but those plans changed after Metro received feedback from the community.

The latest from Metro:

Now, Metro is seeking a second round of input to shape the final September plan that will be submitted to the King County Council later this spring.

During public outreach in November, Metro suggested replacing Route 28 and revising Route 28 Express as part of a package of related changes in Fremont and North Seattle. Metro has decided not to move forward with these changes now, but will consider making changes in this area with the launch of RapidRide E Line in 2013.

“Last fall, we received comments from more than 5,000 people, and that feedback was invaluable in helping us review and revise these proposals,” said Victor Obeso, Metro’s manager of Service Development. “Now, we want the community’s help again to continue moving forward with our vision for a transit system that is efficient, cost-effective, and best serves the entire county.”

The latest changes now being considered for this area include:

• New Routes: RapidRide D Line*
• Routes proposed for routing or frequency changes: 5*, 28*, 75, 16*, and 18*
• Routes proposed for replacement or deletion: None
• Routes with no change: 28X, 48, 48X, 355, and 358

* Route change proposal revised from November 2011

Most of the proposals support the launch of the RapidRide C and D lines that will connect downtown Seattle to Ballard and West Seattle starting on Sept. 29. For that reason, the changes primarily affect service in Seattle and adjacent communities. Some of the revisions, such as the proposed changes to the 2 (south), 10, 11, 12, 14, 123, and 125 will also improve the flow of buses through downtown Seattle, which will produce significant efficiencies for Metro’s overall system.

The introduction of the RapidRide lines and associated service adjustments will allow Metro to improve bus connections to jobs, shopping and other destinations – places in and around Seattle that have grown and changed over the years. Many bus routes serving these areas have not been adjusted for more than a decade.
People will have an opportunity to comment on the newly revised September service proposals during the second round of public review that is now underway. You can submit comments by attending one of several meetings and information tables Metro is hosting, or filling out an online survey.

To learn more about the proposals and ways to speak up about the changes, visit: www.kingcounty.gov/haveasay.

Metro is hosting another six open houses to get more feedback on final proposals. The closest public meeting to our neighborhood is in Ballard, from 6-8 p.m. next Monday, Feb. 13, at Ballard High School.

During this round of open-house meetings, customers will have an opportunity to review the revised proposals and share their comments. That feedback will help shape final September service recommendations that will be forwarded to the King County Council for action this spring (probably in May). Those unable to attend one of these forums can give us their comments via an online survey on Metro’s website.

And Metro is also testing a new version of its home page, and they’re asking for feedback through an online survey. The redesign is supposed to make it easier to find the most requested information, and should display better on mobile devices.

Next year, Metro Transit will begin a new bus system from Shoreline to downtown Seattle. The RapidRide E Line will replace Route 358 with buses stopping every 10-15 minutes most of the day, seven days a week.

RapidRide is a different type of Metro service that includes newly designed buses, shelters and signs. The distinctive red-and-yellow buses are energy efficient, low-emission hybrid vehicles with low floors and three doors for easier, faster boarding. Metro’s A Line between Tukwila and Federal Way debuted in 2010, and the B Line connecting Bellevue and Redmond rolled out in 2011. The C and D lines – serving Ballard and West Seattle – will begin this coming September.

The E Line will travel along Aurora Avenue N between Shoreline and Seattle, replacing Route 358. We’re considering two alternative paths in the Green Lake area between N 64th Street and Winona Avenue N, and want to know which option people prefer. We’d also like comments about overall route design and proposed stop locations.

Metro is hosting an open house about the options from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday at Greenlake Presbyterian Church, 6318 Linden Ave. N.

You can also complete an online survey, email your comments, or call 206-263-9768 (English) and 206-263-9988 (Spanish).

Life is getting back to normal after last week’s snow storm. Seattle Public Schools will reopen Monday morning, and Metro Transit has returned all buses to normal routes, after canceling dozens of routes last week.

Seattle Public Utilities is back on its normal pickup schedule for garbage, recycling and yard waste starting Monday.

Residential customers that had their collections missed last week can set out double their normal amount of garbage, recycling and yard waste on their regularly scheduled collection day at no additional charge.

Extra recycling that doesn’t fit in the city-provided container should be placed in sturdy bins or boxes next to your recycling cart. Remember to flatten empty cardboard boxes and do not put recyclables inside of bags.

Extra yard waste that does not fit in the city-supplied cart should be set out in one of the following ways:
• A 32-gallon can with handles. Label your can “yard waste,” and fill it loosely, so that it will empty easily when turned upside down.
• Bundles, tied with fiber twine, up to 4-feet long by 2-feet in diameter. Do not use wire, nylon cording, or plastic banding to tie these bundles.
• Kraft paper bags, available at many home and garden retailers
• Reusable yard waste bags, made of polyethylene.

No food waste is allowed in these extra units.

Extra garbage should be placed in plastic bags or your own garbage can (up to 32 gallons), and put next to your regular garbage.

The city, utilities and schools are all getting ready for possible major snow on Wednesday. KING 5′s Jeff Renner is forecasting snow accumulations of up to 10 inches in the foothills tomorrow.

Seattle Public Schools has canceled all classes and activities on Wednesday.

The Seattle Public Library has canceled Wednesday night’s meeting for community input on library services at the Ballard Library. The meeting will be rescheduled.

Seattle Public Utilities says Wednesday customers should set out all garbage, recycling and yard/food waste carts by 7 a.m. tomorrow, but collection will depend on the weather.

Please put your garbage, recycling, and food/yard waste out by 7 a.m. Wednesday. If your collection is missed, please leave your materials out for one more day. If your materials still have not been collected by the end of the day Thursday, put them out on your next regularly scheduled pickup day.

Customers, who were missed today, Tuesday, Jan. 17, should set out your materials for pickup Wednesday morning. If your material is not picked up Wednesday, please set it out on your next regularly scheduled pickup day.

Customers who were missed Monday, Jan. 16, should set your materials out on your next regularly scheduled pickup day.

Missed customers will be allowed to set out double their normal amount of garbage, recycling and yard waste at no additional charge.

SPU is also asking people to make sure the storm drains in the street in front of their homes are clear of leaves, ice and other debris. Blocked storm drains can cause localized flooding. Seattle has about 80,000 storm drains.

Metro buses remain on snow routes, and some routes will be canceled on Wednesday. Metro plans to cancel as many as 30 routes tomorrow morning, depending on how severe the storm is.

Due to the weather forecast for treacherous and impassable roadways, Metro is scaling back some service Wednesday to be able to operate the rest of its system safely and as reliably as possible. The routes scheduled to be canceled for Wednesday are: 2EX, 38, 42, 45, 46, 51, 53, 79, 114, 161, 162, 175, 192, 193, 197, 205, 210, 215, 216, 219, 224, 237, 251, 268, 277, 316, 355, and the Center Park Shuttle.

Information about these Wednesday route cancellations will be added to Metro’s snow page after midnight tonight. But, service on those routes could be restored depending on overnight weather forecasts and actual travel conditions tomorrow. So before traveling, riders should check either online or by phone (206-553-3000) for the most current status of Metro service.

For travel on Wednesday, check Metro’s snow web page before leaving. Updates to the online information begin as early as 4 a.m. and continue as needed until travel conditions improve. Also, it is important to sign up for Transit Alerts so you can be alerted when bus service status changes.

Even though weather and road conditions in the morning may not be bad in your area, delays and service disruptions can occur in other parts of the county that affect bus service in your area. Buses will also be chained, which means they have to travel at slower speeds.