Yes, Metro is running yet another planning survey. But this one you’ll probably only have to answer once every 25 years.
Metro Transit created an online survey and will co-host a series of open houses with Sound Transit where residents can provide their thoughts on the draft of the plan — Metro Connects — that will set the course for what transportation will look like in 25 years as King County’s population continues to grow.
The proposed draft plan includes elements ranging from customized local services for “unique” areas to investments that will reduce the amount of time buses spend waiting at stops and changes that will make it easier for buses to navigate the city quickly like more bus only lanes and traffic signal priority. The draft plan also calls for Metro to deliver better real-time information for riders and efforts to “make it easier to move between Metro and other transportation providers” through elements like integrated payment options.
The survey, in addition to collecting some of your usage habits, is focused on your take on the draft plan. So you’re going to have to read it. You can check out the summary here.
The plan breaks down to five components: 1) More Service, 2) Count on Metro, 3) More Choices, 4) One System, and 5) What We Need to Succeed.
Increase the proportion of local service planned through our flexible transit program.
Practice inclusion planning to ensure we provide fair treatment, access, and opportunity for everyone we serve. We’ll work to make general public transit service more accessible, and find better and more cost-effective ways to provide ADA-paratransit service.
Grow our research and development function to study and pilot new products.
Make it easier to move between Metro and other transportation providers—for example, co-locating transit with carshare or bikeshare system, or integrating payment.
Increase the number of small employers and property owners who provide ORCA cards to employees and renters to further increase Metro’s highly successful ORCA Passport program.
Deliver real-time information about more things (bus arrivals, seat availability, delays and re-routes, etc) to more customers.
Enhance wayfinding throughout the system and improve tactile and auditory information.
Make it easier to walk and bike to transit by investing with partners to fund hundreds of miles of new trails and paths, sidewalks, and bicycle parking facilities at transit hubs around King County.
Make the best use of our park and rides to maximize ridership through strategies such as parking permits, paid parking and real-time parking availability information.
Improve customer comfort and safety by investing in 4,500 accessible bus stops, shelters, stations and transit centers.
Making boarding easier and faster.
Safety, maintenance, and incident-response infrastructure.