Council Vice Chair Larry Goldman said the committee should consider outreach after Councilmember Rosenau introduced a draft letter to King County Metro about service changes planned for this fall.
“Come this fall, after the World Cup, both Sound Transit and Metro are changing their bus service,” Rosenau said, explaining that the 522 would run via 145th and that Metro’s 372 would no longer serve Lake Forest Park. Rosenau said the net effect would be a daytime service gap for North Shore communities (Lake Forest Park, Kenmore, Bothell) and awkward transfers at key stops.
Deputy Mayor Furitani and Councilmember Good described the changes as likely to worsen local access to grocery and pharmacy destinations and to create a “transportation desert” for residents who rely on daytime buses. Furitani urged the council to press for solutions that keep two buses stopping at the same transfer points to reduce dangerous street crossings and heat/wet‑weather exposure for riders.
Rosenau said the draft is in early form and asked whether the Council should send it as a formal city letter or seek sign‑ons from neighboring jurisdictions and community groups. Administrator Hill said staff could reach out to city managers and legislative liaisons in surrounding cities to gauge support; several councilmembers volunteered to contact counterparts in Kenmore, Bothell and Shoreline.
The council agreed to form a three‑member subcommittee (Councilmembers Rosenau and Good and Vice Chair Goldman) to tighten the draft and return it at the June work session with recommended outreach steps. Rosenau said the subcommittee aims for a first follow‑up meeting in early June, with the item to come back to the Council for possible formal action.
Next steps: the subcommittee will refine the letter, Administrator Hill will pursue informal outreach with neighboring city staff, and Council will revisit the draft at the June work session.