Case Study: King County Metro achieves reliable first- and last-mile connections to light rail with Via

King County Metro - Customer Case Study

King County Metro faced the challenge of delivering high‑quality transit in low‑density, difficult‑to‑serve parts of southeast Seattle and Tukwila, providing reliable first‑ and last‑mile connections to Sound Transit Link light rail stations. To meet this need Metro partnered with Via to deploy the “Via to Transit” TNC service tailored to connect riders to five transit hubs and serve populations with limited banking, smartphone access, or mobility needs.

Via implemented a configurable, transit‑integrated on‑demand service that links with the regional ORCA payment system, supports wheelchair‑accessible vehicles, and requires trips to begin or end at light rail stations. Since launching in April 2019, Via’s service has averaged about 900 rides per weekday (over 115,000 rides to date), achieved average waits of 7–8 minutes, logged 12.6k signups, and is on track for 250k annual riders—demonstrating measurable increases in access and seamless integration with the broader transit network.

King County Metro

John Marchione

King County Metro