Bothell Sound

Transportation · Jul 1, 2025

Bothell packet recommended Metro talks before possible Flex cancellation

A July 1, 2025 City Council packet included a staff briefing and draft letter asking King County Metro to discuss alternatives before cancelling the Juanita Metro Flex pilot. 1

What the records say

Ahead of the July 1, 2025 Bothell City Council meeting, the agenda packet included a City Manager Report item on King County Metro Flex. The staff briefing says Metro is considering cancelling the Juanita Request Zone pilot because it scored 4.8 against a target score of 5.0. Staff recommended sending a letter from the City Council to Metro requesting an opportunity to discuss alternatives with Metro, Kirkland, and Kenmore before cancellation. 1 The packet includes a draft letter (Att-1) and a Q1 2025 Juanita Request Zone ridership heat map (Att-2). 1 The draft letter cites future Sound Transit Stride S2/S3 and Community Transit Swift Greenline stations, local destinations, senior living facilities, and challenging topography, and notes that a planned Sound Transit park-and-ride in downtown Bothell has been pushed to the 2030s. 1 Because this is a pre-meeting record, the supplied materials do not establish what happened at the July 1 meeting or whether the council took any action. 1

  • The July 1, 2025 Bothell City Council agenda packet included King County Metro Flex under the City Manager Report, with a staff briefing, draft letter (Att-1), and Juanita Request Zone ridership map (Att-2). 1
  • The staff briefing says Metro is considering cancelling the Juanita Request Zone pilot because it scored 4.8, below the target score of 5.0. 1
  • Staff recommended sending a letter from the City Council to Metro requesting an opportunity to discuss alternatives with Metro, Kirkland, and Kenmore before cancellation. 1
  • The draft letter cites future Sound Transit Stride S2/S3 and Community Transit Swift Greenline stations, local destinations, senior living facilities, and challenging topography, and notes that a planned downtown Bothell park-and-ride has been pushed to the 2030s. 1
  • The pre-meeting record does not establish the July 1 meeting outcome or Metro's final decision. 1

Why it matters

Metro Flex is an on-demand minivan service in the Juanita Request Zone, which includes part of Bothell. 1 Analysis: If Metro proceeds with cancellation, residents who use the pilot could lose that transit option. The draft letter says the service connects neighborhoods to local destinations and future bus rapid transit. 1 The packet does not state Metro's final decision. 1

What changed / what's next

  • The packet put possible cancellation of Juanita Metro Flex before the Bothell City Council and recommended asking Metro to discuss alternatives before cancellation. 1
  • Whether Metro proceeds with cancellation and whether Bothell, Kirkland, and Kenmore discussions occur are not established by the packet. 1
  • The July 1, 2025 meeting outcome is not established by the supplied pre-meeting record. 1
  • The available records do not establish the meeting's outcome.