King County Metro is adding hundreds of new bus trips and increasing reliability on more than 40 bus routes across the county beginning Saturday, March 10.

This expansion will reduce crowding and help meet growing demand, according to a county news release.

The planned changes deliver the third round of improvements approved in King County’s 2017-2018 budget. Metro Transit’s two-year budget invests $30 million annually in better service and schedules.

Since 2014, Metro bus service has increased by 15 percent across the county. Transit ridership in Greater Seattle continues to lead the nation, reaching a record 122.2 million rides last year. Studies show fewer people commuting alone by car to downtown.

“Riders will see more buses across King County – from Issaquah to Seattle, Shoreline to Federal Way – as we meet the challenge of growing transit demand,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “With more people calling King County home, we need alternatives to driving alone on our clogged roads and highways. This is Metro’s seventh consecutive boost in service, making it even easier to get around. The people of this region deserve the best transit system in the nation, and I aim to provide exactly that.”

Riders can read details about changes on Metro’s website and begin pre-planning trips using Metro’s Trip Planner app by entering a travel date of March 10 or later. Changes also are included in an orange Rider Alert brochure and new green-colored timetables that will be distributed on buses and at customer service locations. Route changes also are available online in Spanish.