Seattle's King County Metro Expands Via to Transit Program

Seattle’s King County Transit is expanding its Via to Transit program to four new communities.

Via to Transit is an on-demand pilot service connecting riders to and from select hubs in their community. The service, originally launched in 2019 in collaboration with Via, has continued to expand access to affordable, efficient, and equitable transportation in King County. People who live, work, or go to school within the specified service areas can download the Via app or call and request a ride from Via to Transit to connect to buses and trains, or get to select community hubs like grocery stores, parks, libraries, healthcare, and more.

“We are committed to expanding mobility options for communities that have lacked reliable transit,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “Via to Transit provides greater choices for areas that have unmet transportation needs, connecting riders to the light rail and bus transit network from points across Renton, Tukwila, Skyway, and Rainier Beach.”

Via to Transit will serve some of the most diverse neighborhoods in the county; 66% of residents are Black, Indigenous, or other people of color, 37% were born abroad, and 45% speak a language other than English at home. Metro’s Mobility Framework— which helps the agency adapt to the changing transportation landscape in an equitable and sustainable way— identified these core neighborhoods as areas of opportunity due to their difficulty to serve with fixed-route services, and high unmet need for affordable access to public transit.

Metro has worked closely with these communities to understand their needs. Residents have expressed strong support for an on-demand flexible service and have helped identify which community and transit hubs are most important to serve to increase access.

Via to Transit will be available in four service areas: Othello, Rainier Beach/Skyway, Renton Highlands, and Tukwila. One end of a trip must be a designated hub for the service area.