Translate
Climate action
Transportation is the largest contributor of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Washington State. As the largest public transportation provider in the Puget Sound region, Metro plays a key role in reducing the number of car trips and advancing countywide goals to reduce GHG emissions by 80% by 2050, compared to 2007.
In 2022, the FTA named Metro the most equitable agency in tackling climate change. Climate change threatens the health of our community, our environment, and our economy. At Metro, we are working to equitably reduce climate pollution in terms of both the services we provide and how we operate.
Transit as a climate solution
Investments in frequent and reliable service, supported by appropriate land use, are one of the most cost-effective ways to significantly reduce GHG emissions. Metro helps reduce GHG emissions by improving mobility options, reducing vehicle miles traveled, and facilitating more efficient land use that can help reduce pollution, improve public health, and enhance our quality of life.
Metro’s service guidelines emphasize equity, productivity, and land use in identifying areas for increased transit service, and our Transit-Oriented Communities Program creates sustainable communities that reduce the need to drive and increase access to affordable housing. Investments in high frequency and high-capacity transit service—coupled with land use density and implementation of equitable vehicle usage pricing—offer the greatest potential for emissions reductions in support of the goals outlined in the King County Strategic Climate Action Plan.
Sustainable operations
King County’s Strategic Climate Action Plan sets a goal to reduce GHG emissions from County operations by 80% by 2030, compared to 2007. King County Metro plays an important role in meeting that goal as we are responsible for almost half of emissions from County operations, mostly due to fuel and energy use for our vehicle fleet and associated transit facilities.
Metro is actively transitioning towards a 100% zero-emissions fleet by 2035. The "trackless trolleys," which are fueled by electricity have been in operation for over 80 years, are a major component of our zero-emission fleet. We retired our last diesel bus in 2020 and are expanding our fleet of battery-electric buses to go with our electric trolleys and our current diesel-electric hybrid vehicles.
Moving forward, we’ve committed to purchasing only zero-emission buses, enhancing the electric trolley fleet, investing in battery electric buses, piloting hydrogen fuel cell buses, and upgrading infrastructure and software technology to support operations. We are also working to transition our non-bus fleet to zero emissions, including Access paratransit, rideshare, demand response and water taxi, furthering our commitment to reducing air and noise pollution in support of a healthier King County.
Metro is working to reduce total energy use and transition to low-carbon buildings by eliminating fossil fuels used to operate our facilities. Current activities include:
- Conducting energy audits of our bus bases with implementation of recommended, cost-effective, energy efficiency measures.
- Developing a fossil-fuel elimination plan to chart our path to achieving an 80% fossil fuel reduction by 2050, compared to 2014.
- Replacing aging fossil-fuel HVAC systems with high efficiency electric systems.
- Designing the new South Annex Base to achieve third-party green building certifications and offset all building energy use with clean solar power produced on-site. Learn more about the South Campus Bus Base expansion project to support Metro’s transition to a zero-emission bus fleet.
All capital projects at Metro are subject to King County’s Green Building Ordinance which requires projects strive for Platinum certification from LEED or the King County Sustainable Infrastructure Scorecard. Metro has attained LEED certification for all buildings constructed since 2007. In 2024, the RapidRide H Line earned the Envision Platinum award for comprehensive equity and sustainability improvements. Metro’s new South Annex Base, currently in design to support the expansion of our zero-emissions fleet, is working to achieve Living Building Challenge Core + Energy Petal certification.
Metro is committed to fostering green career paths by training current employees and recruiting community members who are most impacted by climate change and economic and social inequities. This initiative supports Metro’s transition to a zero-emission fleet and the expansion of Link light rail. In 2024, 44 Transit Facilities Specialists graduated from the Green Custodian Health Program, developed in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council. Offered in English, Tagalog, and Tigrinya, the training provided a deep understanding of health and environmental impacts associated with custodial services, and covered the basics of climate change withtraining in energy and water use, green clean chemical cleaning, health and safety, and waste management.
Preparing for climate change impacts
In 2022, Metro completed a study to assess climate risks that could affect our assets, operations, and service. The most significant areas of impact for Metro are:
- High temperature and air quality impacts on Metro riders, outdoor workers, and our electrical infrastructure.
- River and surface flooding impacts on bases and other assets that can damage Metro infrastructure and disrupt or delay service.
- Coastal flooding and sea level rise impacts on bases and other assets, particularly for service operations south of downtown Seattle in the Duwamish River basin.
Metro is working to incorporate these findings into our facility and asset design process and operations. By planning for climate change impacts and implementing adaptation strategies now, we can continue to provide reliable services and contribute to healthy, sustainable communities for all of us.
Publications
King County Strategic Climate Action Plan
County goals, strategies, and priority actions to reduce GHG emissions and prepare for the impacts of climate change.
Metro's Long Game
Metro’s blueprint to leverage the power of public transit to create a mobility system that advances equity by serving underserved communities, providing new economic opportunities in those neighborhoods, and combating climate change.
Feasibility of Achieving a Carbon-Neutral or Zero-Emission Fleet (2017)
A report detailing how Metro Transit can transition to a completely zero-emission bus fleet as early as 2034.