What to know before taking transit to events on July 4!
Crossposted from Metro Matters
Fireworks, parades, picnics and festivals on July Fourth — there’s so much going on! Here’s some things to know before stepping onto transit on July 4 to get to your celebration.
- King County Metro buses are operating on Sunday schedules on July 4 and there are reroutes planned in several areas due to events, such as parades and local festivals in Bellevue, Bothell, Burien, Issaquah, Kent, Kirkland, West Seattle and downtown Seattle. Please check our service advisories for your route before traveling.
- Seattle Streetcar
- The First Hill Line will operate regular service July 4.
- The South Lake Union Line will operate extended service hours July 4. The last streetcar to Lake Union Park will depart at 9:45 p.m. Note: no streetcars will operate during the Lake Union fireworks display, 10:15 p.m. to 10:45 p.m.
- After the fireworks display, extra streetcars will be on hand, with the last trip to downtown Seattle leaving Lake Union Park at about 11:15 p.m.
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July 4 closures and notices
We wish all of our employees, their families, and the King County community a safe and wonderful Fourth of July. A few closures and notices will be in effect for the holiday:
King County government offices will be closed to observe Independence Day on Friday, July 4. All offices will be back on schedule Monday, July 7.
On July 4, most Metro Transit buses will operate on Sunday schedules with extra late-night services.
If you have questions about your holiday schedule, please speak to your supervisor. Have a safe and healthy holiday.
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Celebrating Excellence: Shannon Nale named Vehicle Maintenance Employee of the Year
Crossposted from Metro Matters
With great pride, King County Metro announced Thursday the Vehicle Maintenance Employee of the Year: Shannon Nale, an outstanding Transit Information Processing Specialist.
Shannon, a payroll specialist who works out of Metro’s South Base, was recognized for her excellence by leaders and colleagues in a ceremony at the base, receiving a day off, a dedicated parking spot for the coming year, and plenty of accolades for her honor.
Leaders and team members praised Shannon’s work, saying it’s vital to keeping Metro’s services safe, efficient and accountable. All her work orders are accurate, they said, every record meets the highest standards, and the critical data she collects is trustworthy and complete. Read more.
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Sheila Ater Capestany departs Children, Youth, and Young Adult Division; King County leaders gather to recognize her lasting impact
Crossposted from Cultivating Connections
After over a decade with King County Department of Community and Human Services, Sheila Ater Capestany will depart the Children, Youth and Young Adult Division for an exciting new chapter as Executive Director for Start Early Washington.
Ahead of her departure, King County leaders and community members came together to recognize Sheila’s visionary leadership that ushered in one of the largest publicly funded initiatives for babies, young people and families in the country, Best Starts for Kids, and created the Children, Youth, and Young Adult Division. Read more.
Pictured: From left, Former DCHS Department Director Leo Flor, CYYAD Deputy Director Jen Tanaka, King County Executive Shannon Braddock, Departing CYYAD Director Sheila Ater Capestany, and DCHS Department Director Kelly Rider.
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Cybersecurity best practices for King County employees
King County employees are reminded to never reuse passwords across accounts and always enable multifactor authentication (MFA), also called two-step authentication.
Recent news of 16 billion exposed credentials has made headlines around the globe. While this is not a new data breach (the list is a compilation of previously leaked credentials from various past incidents), it still serves as an important reminder: following cybersecurity best practices can help protect vital King County systems.
Thank you for doing your part to safeguard King County! For questions or assistance, contact the KCIT Helpdesk.
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King County and City of Seattle to increase Metro’s safety and security presence
Crossposted from Metro Matters
King County Executive Shannon Braddock’s proposed 2025 supplemental budget includes $26.1 million in safety and security investments for King County Metro. In partnership, the City of Seattle has committed more than $5 million in voter-approved funding to support Metro’s 2025 safety and security efforts.
To support safe, vibrant, and healthy communities where everyone can thrive, King County Executive Shannon Braddock’s proposed 2025 supplemental budget, with funding support from the City of Seattle, will strengthen both transit safety and security. Read more.
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King County employee Seahawks discount tickets
The Seattle Seahawks are excited to present an exclusive ticket offer to all King County Employees for the following games:
- Seahawks vs. Chiefs, Friday, Aug. 15 at 7 p.m. $40
- Seahawks vs. Texans, Monday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. $85
- Seahawks vs. Cardinals, Sunday, Nov. 9 at 1:05 p.m. $85
- Seahawks vs. Rams, Thursday, Dec. 18 at 5:15 p.m. $85
Purchase tickets here. For assistance, call or email Ruby Fera at RubyF@Seahawks.com or 425-203-8134.
See all available discounts on the Employee Discount intranet page.
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The Fourth of July: A pet’s least-favorite holiday
Did you know? About half of all pets that go missing every year are lost around the Fourth of July. It’s a scary statistic, but fortunately there are steps you can take to help keep your dog, cat, or other animals safe from the bang, boom, and pop of fireworks.
Before the fireworks
- Exercise your pet in the daytime before fireworks begin. That can help tire them out so they sleep through the peak of the noise.
- Check your pet’s license, ID tag, and/or microchip, and make sure the information is up to date in case your pet escapes. Pets with ID are much more likely to be returned to their owners.
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Second 2025 Professional Development Scholarship application period ends July 3
The second application period for the 2025 Professional Development Scholarship Program ends at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, July 3.
The Scholarship Program is a benefit offered as part of the 2025 Coalition Labor Agreement and is only open to employees represented by one of the unions in the Coalition.
The Scholarship Program is part of the County’s commitment to Investing in YOU, and is designed to assist eligible employees with their professional development by providing up to $3,000 annually towards obtaining training, certificates, degrees, licenses, and certifications.
Awardees for this period will be notified via email between August 1 – 8, 2025. Please check the scholarship website for important dates, scholarship information, and the link to apply.
For questions email ScholarshipFund@kingcounty.gov.
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‘We still brace ourselves, but now we can breathe easier’: Operators at West Point Treatment Plant credit new battery system for delivering reliable power during its first year
Operators at King County’s West Point Treatment Plant credit the new onsite battery system for providing reliable power during its first year of service, ensuring critical pumps operated during 78 power disruptions.
Engineers estimate that 15 of those power disruptions were severe enough to potentially cause an emergency bypass of untreated wastewater into Puget Sound had the onsite batteries not been activated in June 2024. Pumps at the state’s largest treatment plant were powered exclusively by the 16.8-megawatt battery system during each of those disruptions.
King County Executive Shannon Braddock praised the West Point employees who successfully built and are now operating this first-of-its-kind battery power system.
“What began as an award-winning engineering marvel is now an operational success,” said Executive Braddock. “The onsite battery system we installed at West Point Treatment Plant is delivering exactly what we promised: providing reliable power that protects Puget Sound, even when our region experiences catastrophic weather events.” Read more.
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