King County Metro

FACILITIES MASTER
PLANNING PROGRAM:

Operational Capacity
Growth Report

Final 
March 2019
Developed by King County Metro with support from:
• Studio Meng Strazzara
• Jacobs
• Fehr & Peers
• Stepherson & Associates Communications
• Wirthlin Consulting
TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE 1.
SECTION 1:
Metro Bus Base Locations ............................................... iv
Executive Summary...................................................1 FIGURE 2.
Central Campus.................................................................... 1 Estimated Schedule for Operational Capacity Growth............3
South Campus (Tukwila)....................................................... 1 FIGURE 3.
New Base............................................................................ 1 Fleet Projection vs Existing Base Capacity............................7
North Base and East Campus................................................ 1 FIGURE 4.
The Need............................................................................. 2 Metro’s Transition to a Zero-Emission Fleet.........................13
Advancing Social Equity and Environmental Sustainability...... 2 FIGURE 5.
Operational Growth Strategy: Central Campus....................15
SECTION 2: FIGURE 6.
Introduction................................................................4 Operational Growth Strategy: South Campus......................17
Future Planning.................................................................... 4 FIGURE 7.

Policy Guidance.................................................................... 4 Operational Growth Strategy: New Base............................19

FIGURE 8.
Advancing Equity and Social Justice in the Operational
Operational Capacity Growth Strategy...............................31
Capacity Growth Strategy..................................................... 6
Existing Conditions............................................................... 7
Understanding Base Capacity and Functions.......................... 8 LIST OF TABLES
TABLE 1.
SECTION 3: Summary of Metro’s Base Capacity.....................................9
Operational Capacity Growth Strategy ................10 TABLE 2.
Operational Capacity Growth Projects..................................10 Optimization Opportunities.............................................25
North Base and East Campus...............................................11 TABLE 3.
Advancing Environmental Sustainability in the Operational Review of Expansion Approaches.....................................27
Capacity Growth Strategy ...................................................11
Planning for Electrification...................................................12 LIST OF APPENDICES
Central Campus...................................................................14 APPENDIX A.
South Campus.....................................................................16 Base Capacity Demand Analysis
New Base...........................................................................18 APPENDIX B.
Key Considerations for Delivering Projects on Time............... 20 Policy Matrix
Factors to Consider in Base Development and Operations .....21 APPENDIX C.
Workshop Report
SECTION 4: APPENDIX D.
Developing the Strategy, Schedule and Delivery Methods Review
Cost Estimates.........................................................23 APPENDIX E.
Step 1: Identify Operational Capacity Needs........................ 23 Metro Operational Capacity Growth Strategy Cost Estimate
and Project Schedule Analysis
Step 2: Identify Opportunities to Increase Operational
APPENDIX F.
Capacity............................................................................. 23
Background Analysis for METRO CONNECTS Fleet Projections
Step 3: Identify Specific Projects, Cost and Schedule ............28
APPENDIX G.
Project Schedule and Cost Estimates.....................................28 Industry Best Practices and Peer Agency Review
Peer Agency Interviews and Metro Facility Planning
Workshop ......................................................................... 29 The Operating Facilities Existing Conditions Report is available
upon request.

O P E R AT I O N A L C A PAC I T Y G R O W T H R E P O R T iii
Figure 1. Metro Bus Base Locations

North Base

East Campus
Bellevue Base
East Base

Central Campus
Atlantic Base
Central Base
Ryerson Base

South Campus
South Base
Component Supply Center
South Annex
SECTION 1:

Executive Summary
King County Metro has an urgent need to increase operational and bus base capacity. More capacity is needed
to efficiently support near-term service demand, to accommodate the growth and enhancement of service
envisioned in the METRO CONNECTS long-term plan, to accommodate the battery-electric buses and charging
infrastructure coming in the near future, and to keep fleet and capital assets in a state of good repair.
This Operational Capacity Growth strategy outlines how Metro can meet facility capacity needs over
the next 20 years—and can do so in ways that achieve significant advancements in social equity and
environmental sustainability.
The strategy focuses mainly on projects at Metro’s Central Campus (Atlantic/Central/Ryerson bases), South
Campus, and a new base anticipated to be in South King County. Metro determined these project areas
provide the best options for achieving growth targets on the timeline needed. Metro will continue to seek
opportunities to optimize operations at North Base and the East Campus. The projects and estimated
construction times, costs, and capacity gains are listed below. Figure 2 shows the timeline and costs.

Central Campus
1. Body shop conversion. Convert four body shop bays to maintenance bays. (2022, $20M*, capacity gain
of 60 bus spaces from this and earlier optimization projects)
2. Extend Central Campus. Build a new facility on adjacent Metro-owned property. (2024, $60M*, capacity
gain of space for body shop, wellness center, and expanded transit safety and security system facilities)
3. Expand Central Campus. Acquire property to build additional bus facilities and parking. (2023–2025,
$159M, capacity gain of 90 bus spaces)

South Campus (Tukwila)

1. Build an interim base. Install temporary operating and maintenance structures and provide for battery-bus
charging, adding bus capacity to support near-term fleet growth. (2020, $33M*; cost estimate does not
include an estimate for battery-bus charging infrastructure, capacity gain of temporary space for 125 buses)
2. Upgrade a parking garage. Convert a former Group Health garage for Metro use. (2019, $3M*)
3. Build a new permanent South Annex Base. Relocate nonessential base functions, demolish or relocate
existing structures, and build permanent facilities. (2025, $337M*, capacity gain of space for 250 buses
and operations, maintenance, and battery-bus charging functions)

New Base
1. Build an additional new base. Likely to be located in South King County to efficiently support future
service growth. This base is being planned to be able to support a fully zero-emission electric bus fleet.
(2030, $480M*, capacity gain of space for 250 buses and operations, maintenance, and battery-bus
charging functions)

North Base and East Campus

Near-term expansion in these areas is challenging. North Base is limited by a neighborhood agreement,
and the East Campus is experiencing pressure from surrounding development as Link light rail expands.
1. Focus efforts on preserving and optimizing existing facility capacity against development pressure.
2. Consider alternatives such as building vertically as part of future planning efforts.

* These cost estimates were developed in the fall of 2018 by the consultant team.

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 The Need
All of Metro’s seven bases are currently operating beyond optimal capacity and are nearing the point of
unstable operations—which means higher costs, deteriorating service quality, and increased safety risks.
Currently, Metro is unable to add new service that requires more buses, simply because there is no room
to park or provide maintenance for additional buses. This affects Metro’s ability to meet growing ridership
and to address service quality issues (overcrowded trips, for example). It also constrains Metro’s ability to
support partners in their desires to expand service.
METRO CONNECTS envisions Metro service increasing by approximately 30 percent by 2025 and
70 percent by 2040. To meet this anticipated demand, Metro must increase its vehicle fleet by more than
40 percent—a total of 2,145 buses by 2040, or more than 620 buses over the 2016 fleet. Metro will need
the equivalent capacity of two or three additional bases to support this service vision.
Metro facilities also need critical upgrades to support the agency’s goal to transition to a 100 percent
zero-emission bus fleet by 2040. This conversion is critical to meeting the emissions reduction targets
in the King County Strategic Climate Action Plan. The transition to a zero-emissions fleet will require
significant renovation of Metro facilities while we continue to operate and expand service.

Advancing Social Equity and Environmental Sustainability

Metro will leverage its substantial investment in new base capacity to help achieve King County’s equity,
social justice and sustainability goals, as articulated in the County’s Equity and Social Justice Ordinance
and Strategic Implementation Plan, Green Building Ordinance and Strategic Climate Action Plan. Metro is
already incorporating equity and social justice strategies into the capital planning process by conducting
equity assessments on key projects.
Metro’s approach to delivering equity, social justice and sustainability goals in the optimization, expansion
and construction of both new and existing transit facilities includes the following:
• Engage community. Metro will expand on its outreach process to work with community-based
organizations to gather feedback from non-traditional participants, including people of color, low-
income individuals and people with limited English proficiency, to surface concerns and incorporate
input into decisions regarding base facilities and base locations.
• Promote healthy people and places. Metro’s new facilities will be designed to help enhance the
environment and physical health in the neighborhoods they inhabit and maximize the health and
productivity of employees. The new bases will also house Metro’s zero-emission fleet, reducing both
pollution and noise impacts.
• Incorporate green building and sustainability best practices and accountability. Ensure projects are
consistent with the latest green building and sustainable development standards, including third-party
certification where applicable. Design, construct and operate facilities to use fewer water, energy and
material resources, decrease life-cycle costs and reduce waste.
• Provide community amenities. Metro will work to incorporate desired community amenities in facilities
that advance equity, such as aesthetic and artistic features, cultural and historical markers, and civic
spaces that will benefit Metro employees and the community.
• Catalyze economic development. Metro’s new and expanded transit facilities will provide economic
opportunities for long-term employment in the community and contracts that help advance equity and
social justice goals, including increasing utilization of minority and women-owned businesses.
• Measure equity impact, evaluate and adjust approach. Metro will create equity-based metrics that will
guide our decisions and document the effectiveness of our investments on meeting equity and social
justice goals.
Refer to page 6 for more details about Metro’s approach to implementing equity and social justice goals and
page 11 about priorities for sustainability and green building in the Operational Capacity Growth strategy.

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Figure 2. Estimated Schedule for Operational Capacity Growth
$ 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031

Central Campus
1. Central Base Maintenance Bay Conversion 6 6 12 6 9 9
Conversion of 4 body shop bays to general $20M
vehicle maintenance bays.

2. Central Campus Extension

A new facility on Metro-owned land that
was recently cleared by the demolition of 15 3 18 6 24 6
$60M
an aging warehouse. This facility will include a
bus body shop, employee wellness center and
transit safety and security system expansion.

3. Central Campus Expansion

Expansion of Central Campus by acquiring 6 18 6 18 6 18 9
$159M
land to build additional base facilities and
provide more bus parking.
South Campus
1. Interim Base at South Campus* 12 33 6 9
Construction of a temporary base to support $33M
125 buses. Electric bus compatible.

2. Parking Garage Upgrades 6 33 6

Upgrades to newly acquired former Group Health $3M
parking garage to enable Metro use.

3. South Annex Base**

Construction of a new permanent base 12 6 27 6 39 9
for ~250 buses on Metro-owned South $337M
Annex property, across from South Base. Will
require relocation of some existing functions.
6 6 6 6 9
Relocation of Training Base $137M

4. Interim Base to Permanent Use

(Cost and schedule estimate based on conversion 12 18 12 6 12 9
$26M
to permanent office space. Actual permanent use
to be determined through further study.)
South King County
1. New Base***
Construction of a new permanent base for 12 48 6 18 6 48 12
$480M
250 buses. This base will have infrastructure
for zero-emission buses.

TOTAL: $1,255M
KEY  # = Duration in Months

Plan and Prep Land Procurement Contract Development and Procurement Design Construction Float
* Cost does not include electrification infrastructure
** Includes $200M for electrification
*** Project cost assumes all-electric bus base and includes land acquisition costs.

Cost estimates were developed in the fall of 2018 by the consultant team.
O P E R AT I O N A L C A PAC I T Y G R O W T H R E P O R T 3
 SECTION 2:

Introduction
This Operational Capacity Growth strategy was developed to guide Metro in increasing bus base capacity
to support efficient operations, system growth, and the transition to a zero-emission fleet. The strategy is
designed to advance social equity and environmental sustainability and to comply with federal and agency
requirements for keeping facilities in a state of good repair.
Metro developed this strategy with the assistance of a team of consultants who have expertise in subjects
such as base design and construction, program implementation, and project delivery. We also gained
insight from a peer agency review process and from a Metro staff workshop, both summarized on page 29.
The strategy includes projects, high-level cost estimates and schedules, and consultants’ suggestions
about how to deliver projects in less time or at a lower cost. The report documents how the strategy was
developed and identifies considerations going forward.

Future Planning
Metro has an urgent need to increase base capacity for its own fleet and the Sound Transit buses operated
under contract, and the strategy presented here focuses on the most critical next steps.
This strategy supports envisioned system growth until 2040. By then, Metro’s base capacity could again
be constrained, and some of Metro’s older transit facilities will be near the end of their lifecycle. To
maintain stable operations into the future, Metro will need ongoing facility planning. Metro will need
to track service and fleet growth, the impact of bus electrification on base capacity, and facility capacity
investments over time to make sure they are all aligned.
Metro will continue to refine its fleet projections to inform more detailed capital planning as it further
defines its service plans. Metro will also work closely with Sound Transit and other partners to understand
their desired fleet and service projections.
Metro will also develop a transition plan over the next year to more clearly define the steps needed to
convert to a zero-emission fleet.
Future plans will also address additional components of Metro’s capital facility program, such as a new or
expanded vanpool distribution center and additional maintenance facilities.

Policy Guidance
The Operational Capacity Growth strategy is guided by a number of policy documents.
The METRO CONNECTS long-term plan is the foundation for the strategy. METRO CONNECTS envisions
service growth of approximately 30 percent by 2025 and 70 percent by 2040. Expected population
and employment growth, Metro’s ongoing work to make transit affordable and accessible to all, Sound
Transit’s expansion of the high-capacity rail network, and other major transportation improvements are
key drivers of growth.
The envisioned service growth is expected to require a fleet of roughly 2,145 buses by 2040, including an
assumed 120 Metro-operated Sound Transit buses — an increase of more than 620 buses over the 2016
fleet size. Metro will need the equivalent of two or three additional bases to support the METRO CONNECTS
service vision. Without additional transit facility capacity, Metro will be unable to expand service.
Metro’s 2017 Feasibility of Achieving a Carbon Neutral or Zero-Emission Fleet report sets a goal of
converting the bus fleet to 100 percent zero-emission by as early as 2040 (Figure 4). Metro will make this
transition by replacing retiring fleet with battery-electric buses, designing new facilities to support battery
buses and retrofitting existing bases, once new facilities are operational.

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This transition will require Metro to renovate bases while continuing to operate and expand service.
Existing base capacity must be expanded to accommodate portions of each base being taken offline for
up to one year.
The technology and equipment needed to operate and maintain battery-electric buses are evolving and
have different operational considerations compared to existing bus types. The infrastructure necessary
to support battery buses will likely occupy more space compared to fossil fuel buses. The amount of
electricity required for a fully zero-emission fleet will be much greater and will likely be more concentrated
at bus bases, in contrast to the electric trolley bus fleet’s distributed power network.
The conversion to a zero-emission fleet is critical to meeting the emissions reduction targets in the 2015
King County Strategic Climate Action Plan (reduce countywide sources of greenhouse gas emissions,
compared to a 2007 baseline, by 25 percent by 2020, 50 percent by 2030, and 80 percent by 2050). The
climate action plan and the County’s Green Building Ordinance define actions and targets that Metro’s
capital program will follow as it increases base capacity. These include:
• Strive for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) platinum certification in major new
building construction projects; incorporate cost-effective green building and sustainable development
practices using the King County Sustainable infrastructure scorecard into projects that are not LEED
eligible or limited in their ability to achieve LEED certification.
• Meet the most progressive energy code in King County.
• Ensure that all electricity supplied for operations is greenhouse gas neutral by 2025.
• Consider solar integration.
• Mitigate the negative environmental, economic, health and social impacts of operation and renovation.
• Conduct a life-cycle cost analysis that considers energy costs and the social cost of greenhouse gas emissions.
• Incorporate the green operations and maintenance practices in King County’s Green Operations and
Maintenance Guidelines Handbook.
The cost estimates prepared for this report include costs for green building elements based on current
policies. Policies and criteria related to sustainability will continue to evolve. All projects will plan for and
adhere to these requirements, including the Green Building Ordinance scorecard.
King County’s Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan and Equity Review Process will guide Metro in
developing and operating new and expanded transit facilities in ways that advance social equity.
Metro will use King County’s Equity Review process, which uses quantitative and qualitative data to assess
the downstream result of proposed projects, to identify opportunities to advance social equity through
facility development.
Metro will conduct Equity Assessments on Portfolios and Programs, and Equity Impact Reviews for
major capital projects, and develop and implement Equity Action Plans throughout the life of the
projects. Progress will be scored using the Equity and Social Justice Credits within the Green Building
Ordinance scorecard, as well as custom metrics designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the investments
on advancing the County’s Equity and Social Justice Strategic Implementation Plan. Portfolio Equity
Assessments will be integrated within the process to prioritize programs and the projects within them.
Metro’s Transit Asset Management Plan includes the policies, protocols, procedures, and actions
necessary to align operations to the Asset Management Policy issued by the General Manager. The
Transit Asset Management Plan recommends projects to address federal and agency requirements for
state of good repair. It also provides direction for which projects should be completed and when to fulfill
requirements.

A matrix in Appendix B summarizes policies with the greatest effect on developing project alternatives and
associated costs estimates and schedules. Policy documents can be found by searching www.KingCounty.gov.

O P E R AT I O N A L C A PAC I T Y G R O W T H R E P O R T 5
 Advancing Equity and Social Justice
in the Operational Capacity Growth Strategy
Metro is advancing equity and social justice through a number of steps in capital planning. Metro will develop and
implement Equity and Social Justice Action Plans throughout the lifecycle of all projects detailed in this report
to increase base capacity to support efficient operations, system growth and the transition to a zero-emission
fleet. Progress will be scored using the Equity and Social Justice Credits within the Green Building Ordinance
scorecard, as well as custom metrics designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the investments on advancing the
County’s Equity and Social Justice Strategic Implementation Plan.

Engage Community
Metro’s approach will begin with community-centered, collaborative engagement that will surface
concerns regarding facilities as well as opportunities for community enhancements. Metro will work
through community-based organizations to gather input from non-traditional participants, using culturally-
appropriate and transcreated outreach materials. In partnership with community-based organizations,
Metro will use a wide range of non-traditional methods to ensure greater participation by people of color,
low-income individuals, and people with limited English proficiency. Metro will engage with community
at a high level, incorporating input into decisions regarding designing, siting, constructing, and operating
new and expanded facilities. After facility locations are finalized, Metro will build a framework for ongoing
partnerships with the selected communities that will last from planning through beginning of operations.

Minimize and Mitigate Impacts

Metro recognizes new base capacity identified in this strategy will be located mostly in South King County,
where air quality and other measures of environmental and physical health are lower than in other areas
of King County. Rather than increase these inequities, Metro’s new facilities will be designed to help
contribute to environmental and physical health in the neighborhoods they inhabit. The new facilities are
intended to house Metro’s zero-emission fleet, reducing both pollution and noise impacts. Metro will also
review how to minimize traffic impacts, improving road conditions for the area and providing better traffic
flow overall. As part of the traffic mitigation plan, Metro will also consider public transit solutions
to improve access to transit facilities for Metro employees and the community.

Provide Community Amenities

Beyond minimizing impacts, Metro will work with the community to identify opportunities to leverage
major county investments to advance equity. Metro will engage the community and potential partners to
identify aesthetic and artistic features, cultural and historical markers and civic spaces that can feasibly be
incorporated into project design.

Catalyze Economic Development

New and expanded bases will catalyze economic development, providing jobs during planning,
construction, and operations. Newly developed equity and social justice criteria will create incentives in the
procurement process for contractors to provide innovative concepts that help advance equity and social
justice goals, including increasing utilization of minority and women-owned businesses.

Measure Equity Impact, Evaluate Results and Adjust Approach

From planning to post-implementation, Metro will create equity-based metrics that will guide our
decisions and document the effectiveness of our investments on meeting equity and social justice goals.
Metro will use a values-based, data-driven approach that quantifies how our investments can contribute to
more equitable outcomes. Metrics will be used to supplement enhanced community outreach and ensure
that Metro considers impacts and opportunities for those with the greatest needs. By conducting a holistic
analysis, through the lifecycle of the project, Metro can ensure the capital investments made can support
operations and amenities needed to deliver equity and social justice goals.

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Existing Conditions
Metro currently operates seven bus bases that are strategically located to provide critical support services
and serve riders across King County. These bases support a fleet of more than 1,600 buses, including
35‑foot, 40-foot, and 60-foot coaches. Approximately 55 percent of the current fleet are 60-foot
articulated buses. Metro’s fleet also includes 174 electric trolley buses and 120 Sound Transit buses.
All of Metro’s bases are currently operating beyond optimal capacity and are nearing the point of
unstable operations (Figure 3). During the economic recession that began in 2008 and the period of slow
ridership growth that resulted, Metro suspended planning for capital expansion for several years. Metro’s
facility investments focused primarily on required maintenance and small expansion projects, including
improvements at the Atlantic/Central/Ryerson Central Campus. In recent years, as the economy and
ridership have improved, Metro has emphasized investment in service.
Current conditions make it difficult for Metro to add peak and other service that requires more buses,
affecting Metro’s ability to meet increasing demand and limiting long-term system growth. This also
impacts how Metro addresses service quality issues, such as overloaded trips or unreliable service, and
constrains Metro’s ability to support partners in their desires to expand service. In addition, Metro’s bases
need critical maintenance and upgrades to support a transition to a zero-emission bus fleet, both of which
will affect capacity during periods of construction.

Figure 3. Fleet Projection vs Existing Base Capacity

2250

2000

1750

1500

1250

1000
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035 2036 2037 2038 2039 2040

KEY: Efficient Operations Constrained Operations Unstable Operations Current Fleet Plan Metro Connects Plan*

* The METRO CONNECTS fleet projection was based on projected service hours and assumed Metro’s standard fleet reserve ratio of 20%

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 Understanding Base Capacity and Functions
Bus base capacity refers to the number of buses that can be supported and operated out of a base. Base
capacity changes as service and fleet characteristics change. Service characteristics include the number of
miles and hours of service operated and the number and types of buses dispatched. Fleet characteristics
include the age and size of the buses in use.
To estimate base capacity, Metro uses a dynamic model that focuses on the number of buses that can be
parked and the number of buses that can be maintained at a base. Factors not included in this model—
such as bus parts, storage, fuel and wash buildings, driver report areas, administrative staff areas, vehicle
maintenance, and employee parking—also affect capacity, but these become more important in base
planning and programming.
The model accounts for the fleet mix assigned to each base and maintenance requirements of each fleet
type, based on data from a two-year period.
• Maintenance capacity. Maintenance demand for each fleet type is measured by the number of repair
hours per 1,000 service miles. Vehicle maintenance capacity is determined by the number of bays and
mechanic work shifts at a base.
• Bus parking. The area required for bus parking is determined by the length of the buses, which varies
by fleet type, plus space for bike racks and space for drivers and mechanics to safely walk around the
buses. Electric trolley buses need more space between them than diesel or hybrid buses to allow for
the trolley service equipment. Battery-electric buses are also likely to need more space for charging
infrastructure.
The base capacity model determines whether a base’s level of service or operating conditions are efficient,
constrained, or unstable.
• Efficient operation (optimal capacity) means space is used effectively for daily operations such as fueling,
washing, and maintenance. At this level, a base can accommodate increases in the number of assigned
buses and continue to deliver bus service during routine facility maintenance.
• Constrained operations occur as a base becomes overcrowded and daily operations become more
congested and less efficient. A base at this level may be able to accommodate small increases in the
number of assigned buses and minor construction on a base. Projects that reduce the operating
capacity of a base may require a decrease in service or temporary workarounds.
• Unstable operations mean a base is over capacity. Daily operations have higher costs, service quality
deteriorates, and safety risks increase. At this level, a base would likely be unable to accommodate
increases in buses or any reduction in base capacity during maintenance or upgrades.
Metro has established a target of operating bus bases at “efficient operation” or better.

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Table 1. Summary of Metro’s Base Capacity

Efficient Constrained % Over

Number Capacity Capacity Optimal
Year of Buses (Number of (Number of Capacity Summary of
Base Opened Acres (11/2018) Buses)* Buses) (11/2018) Considerations

Central Campus 757 650 740 16%

Atlantic Base 1941 14 315 255 300 24% Only base that
maintains electric trolley
buses. Co-located with
Central Base.

Central Base 1990 10 229 205 220 12% Co-located with

Atlantic Base.

Ryerson Base 1982 9 213 190 220 12% Next to SODO busway.

East Campus 378 345 375 10%

East Base 1978 17 229 205 230 12% Houses Metro-operated

Sound Transit buses;
primarily supports
articulated buses.

Bellevue Base Re-opened 8 149 140 145 6% Limited to maintaining

1998 40-foot and smaller
buses. Supports
11 Proterra fast-charge
battery-electric buses,
and one fast charger.
Stalled bus parking
available.

South Campus 273

South Base 1979 16 273 260 280 5% Part of larger

(South campus that includes
Base) Component Supply
Center (CSC) and South
Annex.

South Annex – – – –
Base

North Campus 202

North Base 1991 12 202 175 205 15% Community agreement

limits base to 225
buses. Surrounded by
residential area.

New Base – – – –

Total 86 1,610 1430 1600 13%

* Results of base capacity model analysis of fall 2018 fleet assignment; capacity number represents approximate upper limit of range

O P E R AT I O N A L C A PAC I T Y G R O W T H R E P O R T 9
 SECTION 3:

Operational Capacity Growth Strategy

This section describes the Operational Capacity Growth strategy that Metro developed to accommodate
near- and long-term service growth, support efficient operations, and transition to a zero-emission fleet. It
sets out an ambitious schedule, and there will be some periods of constraint along the way, even as Metro
moves forward to implement the approach.
The strategy focuses on projects at Central Campus and South Campus as well as a new base, anticipated
to be in South King County. Based on initial review, these project areas provide the best opportunities to
achieve Metro’s growth targets on the timeline needed. Metro will also continue to explore opportunities
to optimize capacity at North Base and East Campus. In future planning, Metro will consider opportunities
for co-development and building vertically.
The recommended projects are summarized below and further described in the pages that follow. More
detail about how the strategy was developed can be found in Section 3 (Developing the Strategy, Schedule
and Cost Estimates). Suggestions made by the consultant team to help speed up project implementation,
including project delivery methods and resources, can be found on page 20.

Operational Capacity Growth Projects

Central Campus (Atlantic/Central/Ryerson bases)
1. Convert Maintenance Bays (2022). Convert four body shop bays to maintenance bays.
2. Extend Central Campus (2024). Build a new facility on Metro-owned land adjacent to Central Base with a
body shop, wellness center, and expanded transit safety and security system facilities.
3. Expand Central Campus (2023-2025). Acquire property to build additional bus facilities and parking.
These projects build on an earlier Central Base project that demolished old buildings, relocated non-core
functions, and implemented yard efficiencies, adding parking capacity for about 60 buses.
Find details about the Central Campus projects on pages 14–15.

South Campus
1. Build an Interim Base (2020). Install temporary operating and maintenance structures and provide for
battery-bus charging, adding capacity for 125 buses to support near-term fleet growth. The temporary
base would be retired when permanent base facilities are available.
2. Upgrade Parking Garage (2019) for Metro use.
3. Build a New Permanent South Annex Base (2025). Relocate nonessential functions, demolish or relocate
existing structures, and build permanent facilities for yard, operations and maintenance, and battery-
bus charging, adding capacity for approximately 250 buses.
Find details about the South Campus projects on pages 16–17.

New Base
1. Build an Additional New Base. Likely to be located in South King County to efficiently support future
service growth. This base probably would have infrastructure for zero-emission buses only, and would
offer new opportunities to create jobs, to lower health risks by reducing emissions, and to enhance
service in communities that depend heavily on transit. This base would add capacity for approximately
250 buses on or after 2030.
Find details about the new base project on pages 18–19.

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North Base and East Campus
North Base is currently limited by a neighborhood agreement, and the East Campus is experiencing
pressure from surrounding development as Link light rail expands. Metro will continue to seek
opportunities to maintain and optimize capacity in these areas.
1. Focus near-term efforts on preserving existing base capacity against development pressure and
continue to optimize operations.
2. Consider alternatives as part of future planning efforts to support increased demand in North and
East King County. Strategies to consider include seeking opportunities for innovative solutions to add
operational capacity, such as building vertically and co-development with other functions (housing,
for example).

Advancing Environmental Sustainability in the

Operational Capacity Growth Strategy
Metro prioritizes sustainability in capital projects in order to support a healthier environment with
improved air quality and resource conservation, stronger communities, financial sustainability through
reduction of waste and life-cycle costs, and healthier work environments for our employees. Green
building is an integrative process in the planning, design, construction and operations of facilities to
maximize the positive and mitigate the negative impacts over the life cycle of a structure. King County’s
Green Building Ordinance (GBO) and the County’s Strategic Climate Action Plan (SCAP) outline specific
goals to reduce facility energy use, increase renewable energy consumption, encourage adoption of
the highest green building standards, and reduce construction and demolition waste to landfills. This
policy requires all new buildings and major modernizations to strive to achieve Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification by 2020. Facilities where LEED certification is
not applicable are required to meet an equivalent score with King County’s Sustainable Infrastructure
Scorecard, or other certification standards (such as Envision).

The Strategic Climate Action Plan sets out the following goals and targets:
• King County will reduce normalized energy use in county-owned facilities by at least 7.5 percent by
2020 and 10 percent by 2025, as compared to the 2014 baseline.
• By 2025, Metro will ensure all electricity supplied for operations is from renewable sources.
• Facilities will meet the equivalent energy performance of the most progressive energy code in King
County (for example, 2015 Seattle Energy Code).
• Metro will implement a life-cycle cost analysis of alternatives for large capital projects with energy-using
equipment. This will compare alternatives relative to historical energy use and energy code. The results
will consider including the social cost of greenhouse gas emissions in addition to energy costs.
• All new facilities over 200 square feet must consider future solar integration.
• Construction and demolition contracts will specify diversion from landfills of 85 percent by 2025 and
zero waste by 2030.
• By 2030, all King County projects shall achieve certifications that demonstrate a net zero greenhouse
gas emissions footprint for new facilities and infrastructure.
The cost estimates prepared for this report include costs for green building elements based on current
policies. Policies and criteria related to sustainability will continue to evolve. All projects need to
accommodate these requirements and plan for them throughout the process.

O P E R AT I O N A L C A PAC I T Y G R O W T H R E P O R T 11
 Planning for Electrification
Metro set a goal of converting to a 100 percent zero-emission fleet by 2040. To meet this target, we will
need to add and replace existing buses with electric trolley buses and battery-electric buses.
The battery-electric bus and charging infrastructure industry is rapidly developing. Battery-electric bus
technology is in its infancy, and battery technologies, capacities, energy density, and charge power rates,
as well as management schemes, are all evolving.
We know that electric buses’ space and power requirements will differ from those of diesel-hybrid buses,
but we don’t fully know what those requirements will be. To adapt to innovations, Metro must plan for
flexible use of space and consider both bus technology and electrification of base sites.

Bus Technology
Bus technology is foremost in the transition to a battery-electric fleet. Metro needs battery-electric buses
that can meet its service requirements. Buses must be able to climb hills without sacrificing the number of
passengers being carried, have options for 60-foot articulated buses to meet capacity requirements, have
common charging standards, and be able to travel far enough to cover Metro’s routes.
Metro has been testing fast-charge, 40-foot buses but is awaiting proven technology for extended-range
40- and 60-foot buses. A 60-foot battery-electric bus meeting Metro’s specification is not currently
available, although Metro just launched a year-long pilot of 40- and 60-foot extended-range buses in late
2018. Currently, we are considering providing mostly slow-chargers to support extended-range buses with
a smaller percentage of fast-chargers on Metro bases.
There are some challenges and considerations with the adoption of battery-electric buses:
• High demand for battery-electric buses in the U.S. can lead to bus delivery delays.
• Bus quality, documentation and training support can be inconsistent.
• Buses that can travel extended ranges require heavier batteries, may exceed roadway weight limits
when carrying typical passenger loads, and may require different maintenance equipment.
• A battery-electric bus fleet will potentially require a higher spare ratio, at least in the early years, which
in turn will affect the amount of base capacity needed.

Electrification of Base Sites

Electrification of Metro’s facilities must consider several factors:
• Challenges in quality, availability. Metro and other transit agencies are experiencing failures with
charging infrastructure and occasional long-lead times to receive repair parts.
• Limited industry experience with large-scale applications of charging infrastructure. In North America,
transit agencies are conducting small-scale operational tests of charging infrastructure, including testing
of multiple manufacturers. No transit agency has yet attempted to scale battery-electric buses to the
size of an interim- (120 buses) and full-size (250 to 275 buses) base.
• Lack of interoperability. Charging infrastructure is not currently compatible between different
manufacturers or vehicles.
• Quick-charging versus extended range buses currently require different infrastructure. This can affect
where that infrastructure is located (at a base versus in the field), and how bus service is designed.
• More space required. Bases will likely require more room to house charging infrastructure.
• Transit agencies will become major consumers of electricityto support the charging of battery-electric buses.
• The cost to deliver this infrastructure is hard to estimate because the technology is evolving.
• Large-scale power upgrades to existing or new sites will require careful timing and coordination with
power utility companies, permitting groups, and the communities whose support is needed to eliminate
bus emissions from the routes served.

12 K I N G C O U N T Y M E T R O FAC I L I T I E S M A S T E R P L A N N I N G P R O G R A M
Metro as an Industry Leader
Metro is taking a major first step toward our zero-emissions target by planning for our interim 125-bus
base to be ready for battery-electric bus operations in 2021. This base will support the planned purchase
of 100 battery-electric buses by the end of 2020, and will place Metro at the forefront of developing large-
scale battery-electric bus bases in North America.
This effort requires coordination with utility partners and local stakeholders to achieve successful on-
schedule and on-budget completion by 2021. The lessons learned from this capital project will inform
requirements for charging standards, safety, and design-and-construction methods. The lessons learned
will facilitate 100 percent electric bus (battery/trolley) operations before 2040 and inform future projects.
The new South Annex Base will also be built to support all-electric bus charging. Metro then plans to
retrofit its existing bases for electric-bus charging.

2019 Zero-Emission Bus Transition Plan

Metro will develop a transition plan over the next year to further define our conversion to a zero-emission
fleet. We will consider lessons learned from our current battery-electric bus pilot deployment, other
large-city pilot projects, and industry literature research and from our involvement in industry groups such
as International Bus Benchmarking Group, American Public Transportation Association, Electric Power
Research Institute, and Society of Automotive Engineers.

Figure 4. Metro’s Transition to a Zero-Emission Fleet

100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%
’17 ’18 ’19 ’20 ’21 ’22 ’23 ’24 ’25 ’26 ’27 ’28 ’29 ’30 ’31 ’32 ’33 ’34 ’35 ’36 ’37 ’38 ’39 ’40

KEY: Electric Trolley Battery Electric Diesel Diesel Hybrid

This projection assumes maintenance of our existing trolley fleet.

O P E R AT I O N A L C A PAC I T Y G R O W T H R E P O R T 13
 Central Campus
The three Central Campus projects would increase operational capacity by approximately 150 buses­—
90 spaces from expansion of the campus footprint and 60 from optimization and maintenance bay conversion.
These projects will require land acquisition and construction of new facilities to add yard space, convert
the body shop to maintenance bays, and build a replacement body shop, wellness center and transit safety
and security system expansion.

1 Central Base Maintenance Bay Conversion

• Conversion of four paint and body bays to four vehicle maintenance bays
• Cost: $20M*

2 Central Campus Extension

• Construction of body shop, wellness center, and transit safety and security system expansion
• Cost: $60M*

3 Central Campus Expansion

• Land acquisition and construction of bus facility
• Cost: $159M (Metro estimate)

Central Campus Considerations

• The Central Campus Expansion will acquire property to build additional bus facilities and add parking
for approximately 90 buses. The project is dependent upon property availability and cost.
• Sound Transit’s ST3 West Seattle-Ballard Light Rail Extension is likely to impact the area and could
impact property availability and project timing.
• The Central Base Maintenance Bay Conversion project completes a series of optimization projects and
allows Metro to fully realize a capacity increase of about 60 buses.
• The Central Campus Extension will build a new facility on Metro-owned land recently made available by
demolishing an aging warehouse.
• Metro will need to further consider the future mix of the electric bus fleet and the addition of battery-
bus charging infrastructure to Central Campus.
• Additional operational capacity in the area may be needed during electrification.
• Some elements of the projects at Central Campus could lend themselves to an alternative delivery method
that could potentially save time or money. Metro could evaluate available delivery methods to determine
which method would provide the best balance of schedule, project cost, and project control goals.

* Cost estimates prepared in fall 2018 by consultant team.

14 K I N G C O U N T Y M E T R O FAC I L I T I E S M A S T E R P L A N N I N G P R O G R A M
Figure 5. Operational Growth Strategy: Central Campus

2
Central Central
Campus Campus
Extension 3
Central
Campus
Expansion

1
Central
Vehicle
Maintenance

Estimated Project Timeline* 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030

Central Campus Operational Capacity Growth Efforts

6 6 12 6 9 9
1. Central Base Maintenance Bay Conversion

15 3 18 6 24 6
2. Central Campus Extension**

6 18 6 18 6 18 9
3. Central Campus Expansion

KEY  # = Duration in Months

Plan and Prep Land Procurement Contract Development and Procurement Design Construction Float

* Estimated project timeline developed in fall 2018 by consultant team.

** Expansion timing dependent upon land cost and availability;
Sound Transit’s ST3 West Seattle-Ballard Light Rail Extension will also potentially impact the area

O P E R AT I O N A L C A PAC I T Y G R O W T H R E P O R T 15
 South Campus
The South Campus strategy comprises several projects to increase operational capacity.
The major projects are a new permanent South Annex Base for approximately 250 buses by 2025, and
a temporary Interim Base at the South Campus for 125 buses in 2020. The Interim Base will be built on
recently acquired property and will require demolition of an office building and installation of temporary
structures. Development of the South Annex Base will require relocating functions such as the Metro
South Training facility, storage area, and historical fleet.
The Interim Base could later be converted to another use once the permanent bus base is completed.

1 Interim Base at South Campus

• Demolition and paving of Group Health office building and construction of facilities to support interim
base needs
• Cost: $33M* (does not include estimated cost of electrification)

2 Parking Garage Upgrades

• Retrofit parking garage for Metro use
• Cost: $3M*

3 South Annex Base

• Planning, design, and construction of approximately 250-bus transit base on the South Annex Site
• Cost: $337M* (includes $200M for electrification**)

4 Interim Base Permanent Use

• Conversion of property to permanent use, to be determined
• Cost: $26M* (representative project, assumes conversion to office and training facility)

South Campus Considerations

• South Annex Base will be designed with the capability to support an all-electric fleet, but with flexibility to
accommodate the fleet that is in operation at the time the base opens.
• To achieve the Interim Base target of opening in 2020, early work, such as demolition and grading,
should be underway by 2019.
• Minor delays in contract development, procurement, design, or construction activities could delay the
South Annex Base project timeline and lead to missing the target opening date of 2025.
• Future power needs for battery-electric buses could require considerably more electrical power to
bases. Total future power demand for South Campus could be over 50 MW to support battery-electric
buses.
• A standard design-bid-build project delivery method is likely the best approach for completing both
the Interim Base and the South Annex Base on schedule. Metro does not yet have a history with other
project delivery methods, which could cause delays for near-term projects.
• To decrease the number of contracts needed, Metro could consider delivering South Campus projects as
part of a comprehensive design and engineering program contract. This approach could avoid potential
delays associated with developing multiple separate contracts.

* Cost estimates prepared in fall 2018 by consultant team.

** Electrification includes provision of substations, power distribution, and charging infrastructure assumptions
based on 2018 technology to support battery-electric bus fleet.

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Figure 6. Operational Growth Strategy: South Campus

3
South Annex
Base

2
South Base Parking South
Garage Campus

1 4
Interim Base

Estimated Project Timeline* 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030

South Campus Operational Capacity Growth Efforts

12 3 3 6 9
1. Interim Base at South Campus

6 33 6
2. Parking Garage Upgrades

12 6 27 6 39 9
2. South Annex Base

6 6 6 6 9
Relocation of Training Base

12 18 12 6 12 9
4. Interim Base to Permanent Use**

KEY  # = Duration in Months

Plan and Prep Land Procurement Contract Development and Procurement Design Construction Float

* Estimated project timeline developed in fall 2018 by consultant team.

** Timeline based on assumed conversion to office space.

O P E R AT I O N A L C A PAC I T Y G R O W T H R E P O R T 17
 New Base
Construction of a new permanent base, likely in South King County, will require siting, land acquisition,
design, and construction. Metro plans to build a new base that is integrated with the surrounding
community and built to high environmental standards.
It will be home to a battery-electric bus fleet that will be quiet and emission free. Construction and
operation of the base will also bring economic and job opportunities to the area.

1 New Base
• Add new 250-bus base
• Cost: $480M*

New Base Considerations

• The site will be located for
efficient access to existing and
future routes, likely in South King
County.
• Construction will be timed to
provide spare capacity while
Metro retrofits existing bases
for battery-electric buses. (New
capacity: 250 buses during or
after 2030)
• Because design and construction
for a new base are projected to
occur between 2024 and 2030,
Metro has time to evaluate
available delivery methods to
determine which method would
Travel Time Minutes provide the best balance of
schedule, project cost, and project
Assessment Map 3,000 4,200 >4,200
control goals.
A new base could provide space
Travel Time Assessment: This map shows the estimated for the displaced Safety & Training
travel time in minutes from every route end point included facility and historic fleet storage
in the analysis to the center of each grid cell for different from South Campus.
locations throughout South King County. The analysis
focused on METRO CONNECTS 2040 routes that had start
and end points south of Lake Washington. It estimated the
bus demand for each route based on headways and run
times and summarized the individual travel times associated
with every route end point.

* Project cost assumes all-electric bus base and includes land acquisition costs.
Cost estimates prepared in fall 2018 by consultant team.

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Figure 7. Operational Growth Strategy: New Base

Travel Time
Assessment Map Area

Potential
South King County
Location for
New Base

Estimated Project Timeline* 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031

South King County Operational Capacity Growth Efforts

12 48** 6 18 6 48 12
1. New Base

KEY  # = Duration in Months

Plan and Prep Land Procurement Contract Development and Procurement Design Construction Float

* Estimated project timeline developed in fall 2018 by consultant team.

** The land procurement phase is longer than customary because of the potential complexity of procuring a large parcel. It may require relocation
of existing functions, seeking multiple parcels from different sellers and community engagement. It also includes alternatives analysis.

O P E R AT I O N A L C A PAC I T Y G R O W T H R E P O R T 19
 Key Considerations for Delivering Projects on Time
A key goal of the recommended strategy is to increase Metro’s operational capacity as quickly as possible.
Below are suggestions by the consultant team for delivering the projects on time, as well as the steps
Metro is taking to implement these suggestions.
• Using a traditional Design-Bid-Build is likely to be the most expedient approach for the near-term
projects, up to and including 2025. The Design-Bid-Build process is familiar and widely used at Metro,
and would likely be the most expedient method to use for near-term projects. Future projects may be
candidates for alternative project delivery methods, as mentioned below.
Metro’s next steps: Metro is moving forward using the traditional Design-Bid-Build approach for the
construction of the Interim Base at South Campus. The project is underway, and it is anticipated to be
completed in the fourth quarter of 2020. Metro is in the process of analyzing various project delivery
methods for the South Annex Base Project, which is scheduled to be completed by 2025. A decision on
which delivery method is best for the schedule and the specifics of this project should come by the end
of 2019.
• Pursue opportunities to accelerate the contract development and procurement processes. Metro should
strive to keep the contracting process as short as possible, ideally about three to four months from
request for proposal to contract execution. This may involve engaging Metro’s procurement subject
matter experts or King County Procurement early in the process to discuss contracting options available
to best execute the project contracts in the shortest timeframe.
Metro’s next steps: In March 2019, Metro will launch a two-year pilot project with King County
Procurement to incorporate dedicated procurement resources to Metro. The pilot will look to streamline
communication, incorporate procurement expertise early in the planning strategy, and identify
procurement priorities among Metro’s various contracts.
• Establish one large design and engineering contract for all the improvements at South Campus. One
contract could cover multiple interrelated projects, avoiding the need to develop and procure multiple
contracts and minimizing breaks between planning and design phases. This approach could also
maintain continuity between projects and allow for flexible workflow prioritization through completion
of design. The construction would likely need to be covered by a separate contract. Metro would need
to consult with King County Procurement as early as possible to develop such an approach.
Metro’s next steps: Metro is currently drafting a scope for a joint planning/design consultant for the
South Campus and will engage King County Procurement to consider this approach. We intend to
establish more comprehensive planning/design contracts for major programs going forward.
• Develop a strategy for evaluating and implementing alternative project delivery methods. Metro
traditionally uses a Design-Bid-Build approach to project delivery. Other project delivery methods
are available, such as Design-Build, General Contractor and Construction Manager, and Progressive
Design-Build. They each have different advantages and disadvantages. Metro may want to develop a
framework to evaluate which delivery methods would be appropriate and most expedient for which
future projects.
Metro’s next steps: Metro is analyzing alternative project delivery methods and is developing a
framework to identify the appropriate project delivery method for projects within the Operational
Capacity Growth Program. We are including experience with alternative delivery methods in criteria
for new hires within the program to help further our internal understanding, as well as engaging
consultants to assist in development of criteria to evaluate the effectiveness of alternative delivery on
specific projects.

20 K I N G C O U N T Y M E T R O FAC I L I T I E S M A S T E R P L A N N I N G P R O G R A M
• Identify equipment and materials that have long lead times, and purchase early to avoid lengthy
construction delivery schedules. This could include some steel elements, maintenance equipment, and
electrical equipment, such as charging stations.
Metro’s next steps: For the Interim Base at South Campus, Metro has taken steps to order long lead
items in advance to accelerate project completion and bring the base online as soon as possible. Metro
will continue to consider this strategy for projects that are on a tight timeline. When Metro purchases
items directly, it allows us to plan purchases earlier because we do not have to wait for a contractor to
be awarded but we own the risk if the item does not work properly. Metro will also work to incorporate
contract language that identifies items that may be beneficial to buy early.
• Ensure adequate agency staffing to support a growing capital program. The Operational Capacity Growth
strategy entails a bigger capital program than Metro has undertaken in recent years. It is critical to ensure
there are sufficient staff with the appropriate training and qualifications to support delivery of large-scale
capital development. Metro may want to consider using consultant resources to supplement staff.
Metro’s next steps: Metro is in the process of reorganizing and increasing its staff. We also plan to
engage a consultant group on a work order contract to augment our staffing and skillsets in the areas
where additional expertise or effort may be required.
• Pursue multiple strategies for acquiring land. To reduce the risks associated with purchasing property
in a highly competitive market, Metro should pursue numerous strategies for identifying and
acquiring land.
Metro’s next steps: Metro is employing numerous strategies for identifying and acquiring land. In order
to reduce the risks associated with purchasing property in a highly competitive market, Metro contracts
with local brokers to provide insight into the current and speculative market for sales and leasing of
suitable property. Lists of potential properties are vetted on an ongoing basis as they become available.
Metro also monitors surplus real property notifications from King County and other public agencies
for property suitable for base capacity growth. Metro also periodically works with other King County
departments and other agencies such as City of Seattle, Sound Transit, and Port of Seattle to discuss
opportunities for co-locating compatible functions or to lease/acquire property.

Factors to Consider in Base Development and Operations

Land Availability and Costs
The acquisition of property for a new or expanded base is a challenge. Land parcels must have adequate
space, meet applicable zoning requirements, and have reasonable mitigation requirements. Expansion
opportunities at Metro’s existing facilities are limited by existing zoning and adjacent properties.
Metro continually monitors opportunities to acquire suitable property. We track markets for property to
buy or lease, and monitor surplus real property notifications from King County and other agencies.
Although public agencies have the right to condemn property, Metro limits the use of this tool as much
as possible, preferring to find available land from willing sellers. If condemnation is necessary, it can be a
lengthy process and should be accounted for in project schedules.
The location, topography and amount of developable land are important considerations in land acquisitions.
Larger, flat parcels are more readily available in outlying areas of King County, and are extremely scarce in
urban areas. As industrial land is diminishing throughout the county, co-location with other King County
departments or other agencies with similar property needs should be considered for cost efficiency.
With a decreasing supply of suitable land, Metro may also consider innovative opportunities for expansion,
such as building vertically on existing bases. This type of construction can have an impact on existing
operations, so the system must have enough capacity to support disruption during construction. Another
potential innovation is co-development with other functions such as housing.
As development increases the cost and availability of property in King County, it is critical that Metro
pursue needed property as soon as possible.

O P E R AT I O N A L C A PAC I T Y G R O W T H R E P O R T 21
 Permitting and Environmental Requirements
The process for obtaining environmental permits and approvals for a new bus base depends on a variety
of factors, including the size and complexity of the project, land use and natural resource limitations,
the use of federal or state funds, and the involvement of agencies with jurisdiction over the project.
The development of project alternatives should consider all factors that will influence implementation
schedules. Once the scope of the project has been clearly defined, an environmental strategy can be
developed that accounts for permitting requirements, such as public and agency review, the presence of
environmentally-sensitive areas, design documents, and mitigation needs.

Base Operations and Functionality

Metro has a combination of centralized functions and decentralized or distributed functions. The
Component Supply Center provides centralized functions, such as major body repair and component
fabrication for the entire system. Distributed activities at each base include inspections, light repairs,
and ongoing maintenance. This approach has been developed over time as an efficient way to minimize
duplication of certain services while ensuring that each base can function effectively. As Metro expands,
existing and new bases would need to provide for similar operating and maintenance activities.
The size of Metro’s existing bases ranges from eight to 30 acres. The size requirement of a bus base is
dependent on the number of buses, types and sizes of buses, mix of other vehicles, maintenance facilities,
driver support areas, and other functions on the property. Industry review and experience have shown that
operational challenges arise when a bus base exceeds 250 to 275 vehicles. Some of the challenges are:
• Increased time for fueling, washing, and cleaning
• High demand on inspection lanes
• Long queues of buses waiting to check in when they return to base
• Traffic impacts on surrounding roadways
• Longer distances for operators to get to and from their assigned vehicles
This report assumes continuing the current approach to centralized facilities for functions already
centralized. The size of the new base is intended for a capacity of 250–275 buses.
This strategy also includes relocating certain flexible functions at South and Central campuses to create
more space for buses. A flexible function is one that is not essential to daily bus operations and could be
located somewhere other than a bus base. Options include finding space at existing Metro or other King
County facilities, leasing facilities, or acquiring property. Permanent locations will require further study.
Some functions could be included in new facilities.

22 K I N G C O U N T Y M E T R O FAC I L I T I E S M A S T E R P L A N N I N G P R O G R A M
SECTION 4:

Developing the Strategy, Schedule and

Cost Estimates
The Operational Capacity Growth strategy was developed by Metro with the assistance of a team
of consultants that included transit industry experts in base design and construction, program
implementation, and project delivery.
A three-step process was used to develop the strategy, which included identifying the capacity need, identifying
opportunities to increase capacity and developing and refining specific projects, schedule and cost estimates.

Step 1: Identify Operational Capacity Needs

Metro estimated the operational capacity demand for the METRO CONNECTS 2040 service network.
Buses are ideally operated out of a location that is close to the start or end of service or along a route. This
helps keep operating costs down by minimizing the amount of time buses need to be driven while out of
service, otherwise known as “deadheading.”
This analysis considered:
• The number of buses needed for each METRO CONNECTS route based on headways and run times.
• The travel times between the projected route’s start and end points to Metro’s bases.

Findings
• Increased service demands will require the equivalent capacity of two to three additional bases across
the county.
• From the perspective of minimizing deadheads, South King County has the greatest demand for base
capacity expansion.
• Many routes have multiple options for efficient base assignment with little impact to operational costs. A
bus can be dispatched from a base near its end point, a base near its start point, or somewhere along
its route with little impact to operational cost.
• Central and South Campuses offer the most flexibility for fleet assignment in that there are a lot of
routes that either start, end, or pass by them.
• There is future demand for more capacity at North Base and East Campus due to the overall growth in
the system envisioned for 2040. Metro should consider this when planning for future base capacity.
More information about the demand analysis can be found in Appendix A.

Step 2: Identify Opportunities to Increase Operational Capacity

In comparing the operational capacity demand with the existing capacity, it is clear that Metro must increase
operational capacity to meet future demand. As of November 2018, Metro’s system was about 13 percent
above optimal capacity, with individual bases ranging from 5 percent to over 20 percent above capacity. (See
Table 4). In this step, Metro considered four different approaches to increase base capacity.

Approaches to Increase Operational Capacity

• Optimize capacity of existing facilities. Increase capacity through efficiencies such as modifying facilities,
modifying or improving operational practices, or creating additional space by relocating flexible
functions to other locations. A flexible function is one that is not essential to maintaining daily bus
operations and could potentially be located somewhere other than a bus base.

O P E R AT I O N A L C A PAC I T Y G R O W T H R E P O R T 23
 • Expand facilities or build new facilities. Increase capacity by expanding existing bus bases, building new
facilities, or purchasing property to build new bases.
• Lease facilities or property. Use long- or short-term leases of temporary facilities to help offset
capacity demand. This can help with ongoing capacity concerns or alleviate temporary crowding when
improvements are made to current bases.
• Address demand through contracting or partnerships. Industry review and peer interviews found that
some transit agencies contract with partner services for functions such as maintenance and service
operation which can help alleviate agency capacity issues.

Findings
Based on review of the different approaches, the most promising option would be to optimize existing
facilities and pursue expansion and leasing. Metro ruled out contracting at this time since contracting
would be challenging or not possible under Metro’s existing labor contracts. It may be difficult to find
organizations or partners who could offer the needed services.

Evaluating the Approaches

Metro’s findings were based on a multi-step review of its facilities and properties to determine which areas
offered optimization or expansion opportunities. The following factors were considered in the review.
• Optimization. Consideration of opportunities to improve the use or efficiency of a facility or property.
• Suitability for construction and operation of a base. Factors to consider include accessibility, code
requirements, zoning, environmental impacts, easements, size, and configuration.
• Availability. Factors include whether Metro owns the property, who owns the property if it’s not Metro,
how many owners are involved, whether there are tenants who would need to be relocated, and the
property cost and market availability.
• Network efficiency. Factors to consider include locations that minimize deadhead hours and provide
good access to major highways and arterials.
• Economies of scale. There are measurable benefits such as opportunities for cost efficiencies and shared
resources when bus bases are located near each other. Proximity to other Metro facilities and properties
was considered.
• Community integration. Expanded and new facilities are ideally located in areas that are zoned for
industrial use and are supported by the local community. Factors considered include surrounding land
use, development patterns, and neighborhood characteristics.

Optimization Opportunities (See Table 2 for details.)

Central Campus and South Campus were identified as offering the best opportunities to create more space
to park and maintain buses.
• Central Campus. Current optimization efforts at Central Campus include the demolition of the old
Operations Building, demolition of an aging warehouse, the relocation of non-core functions to other
sites, and the implementation of yard efficiencies. These improvements have added parking capacity for
about 60 buses. Further optimization can be achieved by increasing the maintenance capacity of Central
Base to support the increased parking capacity.
• South Campus. Review of the South Campus determined that the South Annex property could be re-
purposed to support the construction of a new base. The site is a suitable size and location, and the flexible
functions currently located on South Annex could be relocated to other locations. A primary benefit of this
approach is that it uses land Metro already owns, which can expedite the construction of a new base.
• North Base and East Campus were determined to have limited optimization opportunities at this time.
Neither base houses flexible functions that could be relocated. Looking forward, expansion planning
will include exploration of opportunities for innovative solutions, including building vertically and
co‑development with other uses such as housing.

24 K I N G C O U N T Y M E T R O FAC I L I T I E S M A S T E R P L A N N I N G P R O G R A M
Table 2. Optimization Opportunities

Flexible Function Observations Findings

Central Campus
Revenue • Built in 1990; has ample service life left as a facility. Not recommended for relocation.
Processing Center • Cash payments may become limited as fares It would be inefficient to demolish and rebuild RPC
(RPC) transition to cashless. because of the potential for limited future need for cash
• Hardened facility due to cash handling; could
The RPC counts and handling. It would be difficult to lease a suitable facility
be difficult to find suitable space to lease for
processes fares. for this purpose; thus, RPC should remain until the
relocation. future of cash fares is clearer.
Non-Revenue • Built in 1990; has ample service life left as a Not recommended for relocation.
Vehicle (NRV) facility. The NRV building occupies a triangular space of the
Building • NRV building occupies a triangular portion of Central Campus yard that would be inefficient to convert
central yard.
This building includes to bus parking, potentially offering limited returns in
• NRV function is critical to Metro operation and
maintenance bays for bus parking for the sizable expense of demolition and
would have to be relocated.
NRV and office space reconstruction of the facility.
• NRV function is multi-bay maintenance facility;
for central facilities
it may be difficult to find suitable space to lease
and security.
for relocation.
Body Repair • Built in 1990; has ample service life left as Recommended for potential temporary relocation
(within Central a facility. Part of the Central Base Vehicle with permanent future location in the Central
Base Vehicle Maintenance Building. Campus
Maintenance • Function can be relocated (as per Vehicle Body Repair Bays within Central Base offer prime
Building) Maintenance leadership). Major Works to CSC opportunity to create additional vehicle maintenance space
body shop and minor work distributed across
This space provides at Central Campus while permitting relocation of the work
multiple bays.
body repair services to alternate, existing facilities. Relocation is best provided
• Conversion would create four additional vehicle
to Metro buses. on a temporary basis, as there is need for a long-term body
maintenance bays adjacent to existing vehicle shop solution in the Central Business District. This future
maintenance functions, creating efficiencies. facility could serve an expanded need as the fleet increases.
Ryerson Base • No flexible or nonessential functions on the base. Limited opportunity for further optimization
South Campus
Component • Built In 1979; has limited expected service life Potential future action. Not recommended at this
Supply Center remaining. time.
(CSC) • CSC function is critical to Metro operation CSC is an ideal target for rebuilding as it is nearing
and would have to be relocated prior to
This space provides the end of its service life; however, with the current
decommissioning building.
rebuild services evolutions in bus technology and the difference in
• CSC function is multi-bay maintenance facility
for Metro bus component rebuild needs between diesel and electric
with specialized shops. May be difficult to find
components (such as vehicles, it is an inopportune time to complete a
suitable space to lease for relocation.
engines and battery redesign/rebuild. Metro needs to better understand
• CSC functions are likely to evolve with
packs). electric bus technology to define the needs of a future
deployment of electric buses, driving different facility and thus recommends delaying any relocation,
facility needs than present; however, those redesign or rebuild of CSC until more is known about
needs are not currently definable. long-term maintenance needs of electric buses.
South Annex • Built in 1978; site of Safety and Training Building, Recommend relocating functions from South
yard space storage, and a bus training pad. Annex to clear space for permanent base
• Includes offices for Safety, Training, and Fleet construction.
Engineering staff. Safety and Training and Fleet Engineering have
• Includes classrooms and fleet engineering outgrown their space. The Safety and Training Building is
training bay. near the end of its useful life and these are functions for
• Includes yard space for storage and a training which it is feasible to find leased property to support.
loop for bus operators.
• Site of Design & Construction Building B Stored items in the yard can be relocated without
modular office. impeding daily operations.
East Campus No flexible or nonessential functions on the base. Will continue to explore optimization and innovative
approaches such as co-development and building vertically.
North Base No flexible or nonessential functions on the base. Will continue to explore optimization and innovative
approaches such as co-development and building vertically.

O P E R AT I O N A L C A PAC I T Y G R O W T H R E P O R T 25
 Expansion Opportunities (See Table 3 for details.)
South Campus and Central Campus also offer the best opportunities for expansion on the timeline
needed. South King County is the most promising location for a new base.
• Central Campus. The Central Campus offers opportunities to expand on both property Metro already
owns, and on adjacent property Metro could acquire. With the clearing of the old warehouse on Sixth
Avenue, there is available land that could be used for base support functions. The land use surrounding
Central Campus is currently consistent with the construction and operation of a bus base. As noted in
Step 1 of this analysis, the Central Campus was identified as an efficient base location with the flexibility to
support near- and long-term service. There are also economies of scale in growing an existing campus.
• South Campus. South Campus offers expansion opportunities because Metro owns property that could
be built upon, land use is consistent with construction and operation of a bus base, and there are
economies of scale in constructing nearby facilities that Metro already owns and leases. There may also
be opportunities to purchase or lease additional land in the area to support additional growth.
• A New Base. As noted, Metro needs capacity beyond what it can achieve by optimizing or expanding
its existing properties. Given the base capacity demand and prospective land availability in South King
County, it is logical for Metro to pursue property acquisition in that area.
• Leased Property. Metro is also pursuing opportunities to lease property to support operational capacity
growth. Leased properties can be used for a range of purposes from parking coaches and non-revenue
vehicles and providing office or training space for functions that are displaced as part of this strategy.
Similar to searching for leased property, Metro also explored opportunities to use surplus property
from Metro and other King County departments. As the strategy was being developed, there were no
properties that met the immediate needs for operational capacity growth. However, Metro will continue to
monitor surplus properties as part of its overall land acquisition strategy.

26 K I N G C O U N T Y M E T R O FAC I L I T I E S M A S T E R P L A N N I N G P R O G R A M
Metro reviewed opportunities for physical expansion, such as expanding existing bus bases, building new
facilities or using leased property, the results of which are below.

Table 3. Review of Expansion Approaches

Facility Location Expand on Adjacent Property Build New in New Location

NORTH BASE • A neighborhood agreement limits the bus • There may be an opportunity to buy property in
parking to 225 buses. the north service area; however, there is a limited
• Unlikely to be able to expand on adjacent number of large parcels. The cost of real estate in
property, because of surrounding residential north Seattle, Shoreline is moderately high for King
area and neighborhood agreement. County.
• Metro could explore other opportunities for future
expansion in North King County to support long-
term system growth.

EAST CAMPUS • Metro does not own any adjacent parcels. • There may be opportunities to buy property on
• The surrounding areas are transitioning the Eastside; however, there is a limited number
Bellevue Base
from light industrial to commercial and of large parcels. The cost of real estate in Bellevue,
East Base transit-oriented developments, largely due Redmond, Issaquah, and other eastside communities
to the implementation of Sound Transit’s is high for King County.
East Link rail extension. • Metro could explore opportunities for future
• A third-party agreement in the Spring expansion on the Eastside to support long-term
District limits the availability of land Metro system growth.
could purchase.
• The cost of real estate in Bellevue is high for
King County.

CENTRAL CAMPUS • Metro owns property and facilities adjacent • Metro will continue exploring opportunities for
to the Central Campus. expansion at Central Campus.
Central Base
• With the clearing of the lot per the Atlantic/ • Metro will continue to watch for the sale of
Ryerson Base Central/Ryerson Master Plan, there is neighboring parcels for strategic acquisition. It
Atlantic Base available land that could be used for base is difficult to predict when parcels will become
functions such as a paint and body shop. available for purchase.
This would facilitate the conversion of the
maintenance bays at Central Base.

SOUTH CAMPUS • The recently purchased Group Health • The area of South Base as well as property further
property and Metro’s South Annex provide south offer strategic locations to support efficient
South Base South
opportunities for constructing new base bus operations as well as potential to support other
Annex
facilities. Metro already owns both sites. flexible functions.
Component Supply • Metro continues to scan the area for available
Center (CSC) property.

NEW BASE Based on analysis of the envisioned 2040 • Initial property review suggests there may be
service network, a new location in South King suitable property for purchase.
South King County
County offers operational benefits. • Building a new base will provide long-term
expansion and allow for battery-electric bus
infrastructure to be implemented on a new site.

O P E R AT I O N A L C A PAC I T Y G R O W T H R E P O R T 27
 Step 3: Identify Specific Projects, Cost and Schedule
During this step, Metro defined more detailed project concepts with consideration of the findings of Step
2 and developed a projected schedule and costs. The Operational Capacity Growth strategy is projected
to be implemented between now and 2040, as shown in Figure 8, to achieve stable operations at its bus
bases with sufficient capacity to enable system growth and the transition to a zero-emission fleet. The
development of the proposed projects, cost and schedule built upon a process which involved:
• A workshop to brainstorm ideas with Metro employees from across the agency and transit industry experts.
• Peer agency interviews and industry review.
• Input from subject matter experts from across all disciplines of the transit industry.
• Information gathering, including tours of five of Metro’s facilities: North Base, East Campus, Central
Campus, and South Campus.

Project Schedule and Cost Estimates

The Operational Capacity Growth strategy includes a project schedule and cost estimates that were
developed by the consultant team in fall 2018 with input from Metro staff.

Project Schedule
The schedule assumes a shorter contract development and procurement time for construction packages
than Metro has typically achieved on past projects. The schedule and cost estimates are based on a
traditional design-bid-build approach. Some projects might be implemented faster or for less money with
an alternative delivery method, depending on the timing and type of project.
The schedule provides some contingency for delays in project flow, shown as “float” time. The addition
of float time is intended to address the inevitable unexpected expenditure of time on complex capital
programs involving multiple projects. Common schedule issues include unforeseen below-grade
conditions, lengthy contract development and procurement, material availability, unexpected city
development or public involvement requirements and necessary utility extension work.

Cost Estimates
The estimates are considered rough order-of-magnitude costs based on the project team’s knowledge of
transit maintenance facilities, assumed site locations, past King County projects, and an understanding of
Metro’s operations, contract development and the procurement process, and program cost assumptions.
Building and site costs are based on square foot numbers established by using national databases and
experience with bids and estimates from similar construction, building types, and amenities. The cost
estimates prepared for this report include costs for green building elements based on current policies.
Detailed information on cost estimates can be found in Appendix E.
These high-level cost estimates do not fully reflect the specific conditions that may apply to these projects.
Vehicle-operating and maintenance facilities are unique projects that vary from facility to facility even
within the same transit agency. Facilities have similarities in operations, types of spaces, and equipment,
but the designs can vary based upon factors such as:
• Building sites
• Types of anticipated fleet
• Site access
• Utility requirements
• Timeline
• Phasing
• Delivery method used to construct
• Bidding climates

28 K I N G C O U N T Y M E T R O FAC I L I T I E S M A S T E R P L A N N I N G P R O G R A M
Peer Agency Interviews and Metro Facility Planning Workshop
Peer Agency Interviews
Metro conducted an industry review of best practices
focused on maintenance facilities, transit asset management,
fleet planning and maintenance, fleet electrification and
technology. Metro interviewed key personnel from four peer
transit agencies. The agencies selected were:
• San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency
• Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
• Denver Regional Transportation District
• Toronto Transit Commission

We learned from the peer agencies that they are:

• Evaluating which electric bus technology to • Embracing procurement methods other than the
embrace and whether to charge at base, in- traditional design-bid-build.
route, and at layovers. • Benefiting from enhanced parts storage and
• Waiting for electric technology to evolve management with automated part retrieval
before investing. All agencies cited the need systems.
for advanced charging infrastructure to control • Using different strategies for incorporating
power draw with a larger electric fleet. green building features into maintenance
• Relying on more private contracts than Metro. facilities.

Facility Planning Workshop

Metro held a Base Planning Workshop with Metro staff to generate ideas for improving the operational
capacity growth strategy. The workshops included subject matter experts with national expertise in areas
such as base operations design, base electrification, program delivery, program implementation, service
delivery, long-range planning, building design and fleet composition. The workshop was an opportunity
for staff from across the agency to brainstorm with each other and transit industry experts.

Key findings from the Base Planning Workshop include:

• Need to accommodate fleet changes while • Consolidate common uses of the parts
maintaining legacy vehicles. warehouse, body shops, and training.
• Adding an interim facility provides flexible space • Evolve zero-emission electric bus technologies
for incoming battery-electric bus fleet while and infrastructure needs.
bases are modernized. • Develop a standardized staffing approach for
• Align capital program timelines with fleet facilities.
delivery timelines. • Select appropriate project delivery methods that
• Develop clear program objectives and work with the agency staffing.
establish standards early for design, fleet, and • Develop a robust asset management plan that
maintenance practices. identifies when fleet is beyond its service life.
• Align facilities with fleet requirements, which • Move towards a fully electronic part ordering,
includes reducing the complexity of the fleet storage, and tracking process; consider the
mix. It is difficult to maintain numerous types of benefit of automated part retrieval systems.
buses in current facilities.
• Develop a future-proofing policy to evaluate
• Allow for flexibility in facility design to include what adds value and what may have a
room for growth and shared staff needs. diminishing value.
• Expand on partnerships.

O P E R AT I O N A L C A PAC I T Y G R O W T H R E P O R T 29
 The variations among facilities can make it challenging to develop standard cost estimates. Using a direct
comparison of total construction costs from one base to another can be deceiving because of factors
affecting size, schedule, and cost. These factors can include when the facility was constructed, funding
sources, and cost-estimate assumptions for construction, financing, engineering, and other soft costs.
As these projects become further defined, updates to the cost estimates are recommended. Cost estimates
for conceptual projects typically carry higher contingency values than projects that have further progressed
in design. This is because concept projects lack design detail to cover specific quantity and materials, and
less is known about site conditions. As design progresses, contingency values are typically reduced, and
cost estimates change from a general square foot cost to more detailed estimates.
Battery-electric buses need electric infrastructure for charging, which will require significant retrofitting
or design work at Metro’s existing facilities. This will need to be considered in more detail as the industry
advances in the technology and infrastructure to support base electrification.
The battery-electric bus field is rapidly developing and changing with many traditional and nontraditional
bus companies involved in the development of battery technologies for heavy vehicles. As technology
continues to change, Metro will need to frequently reassess how it supports bus electrification. Flexibility
in the use of space at Metro facilities will be needed to adapt to future innovation.
With the recommended expansion and modification projects, Metro will achieve stable operations at its
bus bases with sufficient capacity in the system to enable system growth and the transition to a zero-
emission fleet by 2030. Metro will likely need to consider additional expansion to efficiently support the
envisioned growth for 2040.

30 K I N G C O U N T Y M E T R O FAC I L I T I E S M A S T E R P L A N N I N G P R O G R A M
 Figure 8. Operational Capacity Growth Strategy
2250

2000

1750

1500

1250

1000

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035 2036 2037 2038 2039 2040

2030: New Base (South King County) adds capacity

for 250 buses

2025: South Annex Base adds capacity for 250 buses;

Anticipated closure of Interim– Base, removing capacity for 125 buses;
Net gain of 125 buses

2023: Central Campus expansion adds capacity for 90 buses and additional maintenance*

2020: Interim Base adds capacity for 125 buses

2018: Central Campus optimization adds parking capacity for 60 buses

KEY: Efficient Operations New Capacity Constrained Operations Unstable Capacity

Current Fleet Plan Metro Connects Plan**

NOTES:
State of Good Repair affects capacity. Capacity reflects State of Good Repair and electrification efforts at all bases.
*The Central Campus Expansion is targeted for 2023, but it is dependent upon land availability and cost. Additionally, Sound Transit’s ST3 West Seattle-
Ballard Light Rail Extension is likely to impact the area and could impact property availability and project timing.
**The METRO CONNECTS fleet projection is based on projected service hours and assumes Metro’s standard fleet reserve ratio of 20 percent.

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