Interim GM Rob Gannon has been appointed to the permanent position of leading Seattle-based King County Metro Transit.

Gannon, 47, served as interim GM from March 2016 until now. He was Metro Deputy GM from 2013-2016, and Human Resources manager for the King County Department of Transportation from 2011-2013. He previously oversaw budget and labor relations at the University of Montana.

As GM, Gannon said he will focus on three primary areas:

• Assuring that Metro is safe and reliable for customers and operators, and gets people where they need to be.

• Meeting today’s demands while building capacity for Metro Connects - getting our system to perform optimally so we’re building on the best possible foundation.

• Strengthening Metro as a great place to work. It's the best way to provide outstanding service to customers and embrace innovation.

Gannon’s salary will be $193,634.06 annually. The agency’s proposed 2017-2018 budget is approximately $2.5 billion to operate transit service across King County. The transit division has 4,700 employees, with the backbone of service provided by 2,700 part-time and full-time bus operators and more than 600 vehicle maintenance staff at seven bus bases located in Seattle, Shoreline, Tukwila and Bellevue.

Metro provides a wide range of services, including more than 200 bus routes plus RapidRide lines, Demand Area Response Transit (DART), and operation of the City of Seattle's streetcar system.

In addition to those fixed-route services, Metro offers accessible services for people with disabilities, commuter vanpools, and alternative services in communities where regular bus routes aren't the best solution for local transportation needs.

Metro also operates Sound Transit's Link light rail and most of its Regional Express bus service in King County under contract, and is reimbursed for the operating costs and relevant capital costs.

Transit accounts for 23.4 percent of King County’s approximately $11.3 billion 2017-2018 budget. Metro has its own dedicated funding sources and relies on sales tax for more than half of its total budget. Other significant revenue sources include fares, federal grants and revenue from contract services.

Metro’s long-range plan Metro Connects calls for increasing the number of buses on the street by 30 percent, increasing bus service by 70 percent and doubling ridership.