King County Metro
King County Metro, officially the King County Metro Transit Department and often shortened to Metro, is the public transit authority of King County, Washington, which includes the city of Seattle. It is the eighth-largest transit bus agency in the United States. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 78,121,600, or about 256,200 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2023. Metro employs 2,444 full-time and part-time operators and operates 1,540 buses.
A King County Metro bus operating on Route 212 in Eastgate, Bellevue. | |
| Founded | January 1, 1973 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | 201 S. Jackson St., Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Service area | King County, Washington |
| Service type | Transit bus, Vanpool, Paratransit |
| Alliance | Sound Transit |
| Routes | 237 (excluding routes operated by Metro under contract for another agency as of 2019) |
| Stops | 8,521 (year-end 2012) |
| Hubs | 13 transit centers |
| Fleet | 1,540 |
| Daily ridership | 256,200 (weekdays, Q4 2023) |
| Annual ridership | 78,121,600 (2023) |
| Fuel type | Battery electric, Diesel-electric hybrid, Electric trolleybus |
| Chief executive | Michelle Allison (General Manager) |
| Website | kingcounty.gov/metro |
King County Metro formally began operations on January 1, 1973, but can trace its roots to the Seattle Transit System, founded in 1939, and Overlake Transit Service, a private operator founded in 1927 to serve the Eastside. Metro is also contracted to operate and maintain Sound Transit's 1 Line Link light rail line and eight of the agency's Sound Transit Express bus routes along with the Seattle Streetcar lines owned by the City of Seattle. Metro's services include electric trolleybuses in Seattle, RapidRide enhanced buses on six lines, commuter routes along the regional freeway system, dial-a-ride routes, paratransit services, and overnight “owl” bus routes.