With ridership nearly 7 percent higher than this time last year, Metro Transit is adding two new bus routes and more service on 20 routes throughout King County beginning Saturday, Sept. 20.

Metro is also making routing and schedule changes to another 22 routes, including three that serve the Juanita, Brickyard, and Kingsgate areas – routes 244, 245 and 255.

The new bus routes will serve North Bend, Snoqualmie, and Kent, plus service improvements will be added to 11 routes in Seattle, five on the Eastside, and four in the south part of the county. And in response to requests from the cycling community, Metro will launch a demonstration project that allows bicycles to be loaded and unloaded on buses at any stop in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel – not just the first and last tunnel stations.

Metro’s ridership has recently climbed to about 400,000 boardings each weekday, and is expected to increase this fall. Most of the additional service for the September service change is funded through the voter-approved Transit Now initiative, and includes several partnerships with cities and businesses.

Bus riders can find all the September changes detailed online at www.kingcounty.gov/metro or call Metro Rider Information at 206-553-3000.