Featured Headlines
Holiday travel? Metro will help you get there
Emergency exercise tests communications ahead of World Cup
King County Wins 2025 Geospatial Professional Network Award for Innovative AI-GIS System
Recognizing the service of Metro veterans
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Holiday travel? Metro will help you get there
Crossposted from Metro Matters The holidays are coming! Whether you are going to holiday events, shopping or celebrating with friends and family, it’s a great time to explore your transit options. We have some schedule adjustments to bus, water taxi and other services during the upcoming holidays and sharing them here to help you more easily make travel plans. Tips for holiday travel How do I pay my fare? Tap your ORCA card, show your Transit Go Ticket or tap your Android Google Pay app. Insert correct amount of cash into the farebox. Link tickets… Read More
Keep food poisoning off the menu this holiday season
Crossposted from Public Health Insider It’s the holiday season, and that means FOOD! Whether you’re hosting a big group or bringing your famous side dish to a gathering, you want to make sure your food is both delicious and safe. While anyone can get a foodborne illness, and symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting are never pleasant, foodborne illnesses are most dangerous for children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems. Read more.
Spend your remaining FSA funds
Do you have money left in your Flexible Spending Account (FSA)? To check the balance of your Health Care or Day Care FSA, go to Navia Benefits and sign in to your account. Expenses must be incurred by Dec. 31, 2025, and submitted for reimbursement by March 31, 2026. Please see details below. Health Care FSAs The Health Care FSA allows you to carry over up to $660 of unused funds from your 2025 Health Care FSA for use in 2026. Any other remaining funds are forfeited. You can use your Health Care FSA funds to… Read More
Honoring Native American Heritage Month
Crossposted from Metro Matters Each November, Native American Heritage Month invites us to honor the history, cultures, and enduring contributions of Native peoples throughout our region and across the nation. At Metro, this is also a time to reflect on how our work connects to the values of stewardship, respect, and community—values long upheld by the Indigenous peoples of this land. We acknowledge that Metro operates on the ancestral lands of the Muckleshoot, Snoqualmie, Puyallup, Tulalip, Suquamish, Coast Salish Tribes, and the Duwamish people. These communities have cared for the land and… Read More
Metro General Manager Michelle Allison named Woman of Influence
Crossposted from Metro Matters The Puget Sound Business Journal honored King County Metro General Manager Michelle Allison with a Woman of Influence award, recognizing a leader whose clarity of purpose, steady approach, and commitment to community are transforming how our region moves. The award was given at a ceremony on Wednesday night in Seattle. “She is only the second woman to lead Metro, and her example is paving the way for future generations of women in public service,” said King County Executive Shannon Braddock. Every weekday, Metro delivers more than 300,000 rides. That number… Read More
Big day for small runway: 14L/32R reopens after rehabilitation project
Crossposted from the DES Express Before dawn on Oct. 30, promptly at 7 a.m., Runway 14L/32R at King County International Airport-Boeing Field (KCIA) officially reopened for flight operations. Moments later, BETA Technologies’ ALIA electric aircraft quietly took off from the runway (watch a video of the flight), the first plane to do so. Later, airport tenants, guests and employees celebrated the reopening of the small utility runway at a brief gathering over the lunch hour outside the terminal, with Mount Rainier in the background. “This is celebrating the history of Boeing Field,”… Read More
Emergency exercise tests communications ahead of World Cup
Crossposted from the DES Express For the first time, Emergency Management held a drill called a Joint Information Center/Joint Information System exercise involving other local governments and non-profit organizations in addition to the usual King County agencies. A total of 33 people participated, with 13 of those in person and 20 online. They hailed from as far south as Clark County and as far north as Vancouver, Canada. Another eight people were involved in exercise coordination. “This exercise was a great opportunity to have our partners test the communications plans and procedures… Read More
King County Wins 2025 Geospatial Professional Network Award for Innovative AI-GIS System
Crossposted from GIS & You King County is proud to have been honored with the 2025 Exemplary Systems in Geospatial (ESIG) Award in the Single Process Systems category by the Geospatial Professional Network (GPN, formerly URISA). This recognition honors our innovative AI-GIS Strengthened State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) Response Letter Generator, a novel system that integrates geographic information systems (GIS) with generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) to advance health equity across King County. Read more.
Executive Braddock on adoption of $20 billion budget for 2026-27 – A reflection of our community’s priorities
King County Executive Shannon Braddock issued the following statement after the King County Council passed a $20 billion biennial budget that adopts major components of her 200-Day Plan and reflects key investments in public safety, housing and homelessness, and behavioral health while preparing for future federal funding uncertainties. “This budget reflects King County’s values, which means delivering a balanced plan that protects essential services, increases efficiency, and reinvests in programs that most benefit our residents. I would like to thank the King County Council for their hard work in passing the budget,… Read More
One day left to pledge: Annual Giving Drive
Thank you to everyone who has participated in this year’s Annual Giving Drive so far! As a reminder, the Employee Giving Program made a one-time extension to this year’s Annual Giving Drive (AGD), to Friday, Nov. 21., 2025. If you are donating eligible Vacation or Compensatory time, tomorrow Nov. 21, 2025 is a firm deadline and one of the benefits of PeopleSoft is that it can be done from home. Every year, hundreds of hours of time must be turned away because they come in after the deadline and were not able to be processed. Click here to learn more about giving… Read More
Special discount for Cirque du Soleil’s ECHO
King County employees can now take advantage of discounted tickets for ECHO, performing at King County’s Marymoor Park Jan. 30 to March 22. Use this link to save up to 40% on select seats and dates. For groups of 10+, enjoy up to 40% off plus reduced handling fees. For questions or more information, contact Sarah.Hudson@cirquedusoleil.com. See all available discounts on the Employee Discount intranet page.
Executive Braddock announces upgrades to Metro’s Access paratransit service, improving freedom and flexibility for riders with disabilities living in rural communities
Crossposted from Metro Matters Recently, King County Executive Shannon Braddock and Metro announced an improved customer experience for Access paratransit service customers and seniors, especially in rural communities, delivering on one of the key priorities in the Executive’s 200-Day Plan. People with disabilities who live in rural communities and use Access will have an easier time making reservations and enjoy improved on-time arrivals. There are also pilot programs that range from grocery delivery to same-day reservations. These services – alongside new in-person support for Access paratransit, Community Van, and Hopelink – will offer… Read More
As surging utility costs make housing less affordable throughout King County, Executive Braddock brings together partners to develop a more sustainable future
With household costs for utilities projected to rapidly increase each year for the next decade – making housing even less affordable than it is today – King County Executive Shannon Braddock and Sound Cities Association on Friday brought together more than 150 elected officials, regulators, and public works managers from throughout King County to develop a path that both protects the natural environment and reduces the burden on homeowners. A typical single-family household in King County currently pays an estimated $400 per month for utilities, including natural gas, electricity, solid waste, stormwater, sewer, and… Read More
Monitoring in Action: PHSKC responds to unpermitted food vending with an equity and data-driven perspective
Ava Michler, with the Performance and Strategy (PSB) team, spoke with Eyob Mazengia about how Public Health – Seattle & King County (PHSKC) responds to unpermitted food vending. The Food Safety team decreases barriers to receiving permits and uses data visualization to inform their operations. As we see an increase of unpermitted food vending throughout the county, the Food Safety team’s work has been critical for protecting the health of county residents and upholding food safety standards. A key part of their approach is supporting vendor entrepreneurial goals, by providing guidance and… Read More
Employee notice about the KC Employee ID/ORCA pass
King County employees can now note that their ORCA pass will automatically renew at the start of the new year and disregard the expiration alert when tapping for use on transit. For questions or concerns, please reach out to the Employee Transportation Program coordinator at ETP@kingcounty.gov. For more information, visit the Employee Transportation Program SharePoint employee website.
Support Hurricane Melissa relief through the Annual Giving Drive
In the wake of Hurricane Melissa, a devastating Category 5 storm that struck Jamaica and parts of the Caribbean, thousands of families are facing unimaginable loss. Homes, hospitals, and infrastructure have been destroyed. Many communities still remain without power, clean water, or access to basic necessities. Through the Annual Giving Drive, we have an opportunity to come together and support the nonprofits working tirelessly on the ground to provide emergency aid and long-term recovery. Here are the Employee Giving Program (EGP) nonprofits that are responding to Hurricane Melissa relief efforts. Read more. To see the full list and discover more, search online or review… Read More
Annual Giving Drive extended to Nov. 21
Good news: the Employee Giving Program is making a one-time extension to this year’s Annual Giving Drive (AGD), made possible by the early kick-off. The AGD was launched a week earlier than usual to meet an anticipated payroll processing deadline. We have since learned that we can stick to our usual timing. The new deadline will be Nov. 21. This includes Time Donations. This is a special opportunity, during a busy time. Join us in coming together for an extra week of fun, joy, and community! Renew now. Donate now. Learn more on the King County Employee Giving… Read More
Recognizing the service of Metro veterans
Crossposted from Metro Matters This Veterans Day, we recognized and thanked all of Metro’s military service members, past and present, for their service and sacrifice. Your continued commitment to public service strengthens our community. On Monday, Nov. 10, we held a ceremonial flag raising at one of our facilities honor the courage and dedication of veterans and their families. In addition to this ceremony, we’re also continuing our annual tradition of highlighting Metro colleagues who have served in the military. This year, I’m pleased to share the stories of four veterans —Nicholas Warren, Ruy… Read More
It’s the journey and the destination
Crossposted from Metro Matters While I lead transit communications and marketing in Washington state, my earliest public transportation journeys were nearly 5,000 miles away in my birthplace of London, England. As a toddler, my paternal grandmother—who exclusively took transit or walked—would take my sister and me on double-decker buses. I’d always ask to go upstairs. But my Granny, to avoid taking two small children up and down a windy staircase on a moving vehicle, creatively claimed that we couldn’t go up there because that’s where the bus driver lives. Read more.
Welcoming Executive-Elect Girmay Zahilay
From Shannon Braddock, King County Executive Dear fellow King County employees, Following last week’s election, we now know that King County’s next executive will be Girmay Zahilay. I want to start by congratulating the Executive-Elect on his successful campaign! We look forward to working closely together over the next two weeks to help his new administration settle in and complete the transition process. Executive-Elect Zahilay and I are announcing what some of those next steps will look like and who will lead his transition committee. That committee includes four co-chairs: Katie Garrow, Executive Secretary-Treasurer… Read More
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