Metro Bus Route 25 Changes For the Summer

Metro Bus Route #25 that serves Laurelhurst is now on a revised route, along with other City routes, through the summer to reduce costs, preserve bus service and operate more efficiently, according to the Metro website.

The main changes are that Route 25 will be revised to operate in both directions via the UW campus.  It will no longer operate on NE 45th Street between Montlake Boulevard NE and 15th Avenue NE, or on 15th Avenue NE between NE 45th Street and NE 40th Street.

Also, service frequency will be reduced from 30 minutes to 60 minutes during the morning and afternoon peak periods, so there will only be half the runs during peak periods to only once an hour now.

A Laurelhurst Community Board Member told that the bus used to use the viaduct and 15th Avenue NE between NE 45th Street and NE 40th Street where the UW entrance/exit is, thereby operating between Montlake Boulevard and 15th Avenue NE and on 15th Avenue NE between NE 45th Street and NE 40th Street.  Now people oing to Laurelhurst from the Univeristy District will have to catch the bus on campus, near the south end, instead of on NE 45th Street, effectively eliminating any service to Laurelhurst from the University District. 

The Board Member added that also now because the stops at NE 45th Street from 15th Avenue NE through to Roosevelt are such big transfer hubs, it will provide the new burden of needing to transfer busses twice to get from Laurelhurst, up to the UniversityDistrict, then off to other locations.  

Route 25 has two regular stops in Laurelhurst, one at Children's Hospital on NE 45th Street and the other at 55th Avenue NE and NE 44th Street.