A ‘Playbook’ for Better Bus Service, From King County Metro

King County Metro operates one of the nation’s busiest transit systems—without running any trains. The agency recently released a playbook as a guide to transit service.

1 minute read

April 14, 2022, 8:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


King County Metro Transit

TS Photographer / Shutterstock

In an article published by Transportation for America, Jackson Pierce shares news and details on the “Transit Speed & Reliability Guidelines and Strategies” published by Washington State’s King County Metro in late 2021.

According to Pierce, the guide presents a “playbook” for operational tools and capital projects that can be copied by other transit agencies to save riders time and money. “At a time when building public trust in transit is essential, it’s an excellent guide to the infrastructure and services that make transit trustworthy,” write Pierce.

Kings County Metro is one of the nation’s highest performing transit agencies—"one of America’s ten most-ridden transit agencies in 2019, and the busiest not to operate any rail services,” as noted by Pierce. “They achieved this high ridership through smart comprehensive planning (and funding!) for services that run to the places where people actually go.”

As for the specific investments and strategies recommended in the guide, Pierce highlights several (with more detail to be found in the source article below), including changes to street and intersection design and bus stop planning considerations like stop consolidation and bulbouts.

An article by Jeff Switzer for King County Metro at the time of the guide’s release in November 2021 offers additional insight into the document and its recommendations.

Wednesday, April 6, 2022 in Transportation for America

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 25, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Person wearing mask walking through temporary outdoor dining setup lined with bistro lights at dusk in New York City.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?

Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

June 19, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Western U.S. indicating public lands that would be for sale under a Senate plan in yellow and green.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands

For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

June 19, 2025 - Outdoor Life

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1 - Honolulu Civil Beat

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1 - KQED

Tents inhabited by unhoused people lined up on sidewalk in Los Angeles, California in front of industrial building.

California Homeless Arrests, Citations Spike After Ruling

An investigation reveals that anti-homeless actions increased up to 500% after Grants Pass v. Johnson — even in cities claiming no policy change.

July 1 - Times of San Diego

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.