Metro Transit bus routes changes proposed for February 2015 will eliminate bus route 271 from the Eastgate Park-and-Ride east to Issaquah. The route currently runs from Issaquah through Bellevue and onto Seattle’s University District.

The route is one of many throughout the Metro system planned to be eliminated or changed as the county works to cut 169,000 hours of Metro Transit service because of a shortage of funds. In all, 16 bus routes countywide are proposed for elimination and 32 others to see reduced service.

If route 271 is cut, the county is suggesting riders use Sound Transit Routes 554, 555, or 556 instead.

The County Council already approved a first round of 151,000 hours of service reductions to take effect Sept. 27. Taken together, the two rounds represent cuts to about 10 percent of Metro’s service, or 320,000 hours of the transit agency’s 3.5 million annual hours. Additional service reductions will be examined as part of King County’s upcoming biennial budget process.

If the February 2015 service change proposal is adopted by the council, and if the Seattle transit initiative is approved by voters there in November, the February service cuts will be postponed until June 2015 to provide time for Seattle and any other party to submit proposals to preserve service. Seattle and others could also contract to restore services slated to be cut Sept. 27.

The list of proposed routes to be deleted, revised or reduced are:

Deleted – 4, 22, 25, 26, 28, 30, 31, 158, 159, 178, 179, 187, 190, 192, 242, and DART 930.

Revised or reduced – 1, 2, 3, 8, 9X, 12, 13, 14, 16, 21, 24, 26X, 27, 28X, 29, 32, 33, 60, 65, 106, 107, 116X, 121, 125, 157, 168, 177, 181, 193X, 197, 271 and DART 901.