Description
Many King County bus stops lack cover from the weather. During heat waves, this can create additional challenges for riders with underlying health conditions or limited mobility. The County will expand its efforts to increase rider protection from extreme weather to include tree plantings near bus stops in low tree canopy cover areas. Since 2021, King County’s Bus Stop Improvements program has been constructing at least 10 percent of new weather-related improvements in areas that experience extreme heat. The program will expand on this action by introducing tree planting at bus stops in areas with low tree canopy cover. The County will coordinate closely with local jurisdictions to ensure that new trees comply with local right-of-way requirements and that the trees will be adequately supported during the establishment period. To start, the program will plant new trees within at least one bus stop each calendar year with the goal of expanding as barriers to this work are identified and addressed.