Our Work

King County Metro relies on a wide range of data sources to plan, operate, and evaluate transit service. However, these datasets, such as the Seattle Commute Survey, Metro’s rider and nonrider surveys, ORCA Business Intelligence, and LOCUS, all were developed independently and are not currently integrated. In a period of rapidly shifting travel patterns driven by hybrid work and changing nonwork trip behavior, the lack of coordination across datasets limits Metro’s ability to make timely, data-driven decisions. 

Metro leadership and technical teams identified that inconsistent data structures, overlapping survey scopes, and an absence of unified analysis frameworks result in lost opportunities to improve service. With travel behavior evolving faster than traditional planning cycles, Metro needs a clear strategy for how existing data can better support decision-making. This project emerged from ongoing conversations between King County Metro and the Mobility Innovation Center on how to modernize the agency’s approach to data integration and use. 

This project evaluates King County Metro’s key transportation datasets and develops a roadmap for how they can be integrated, streamlined, and applied more effectively. The research team will inventory and catalog all relevant data sources, identify gaps and redundancies, and analyze how data can be combined to better understand both commute and noncommute travel patterns. The project also includes workshops, case studies codeveloped with Metro subject matter experts, and a guidebook to help Metro staff make consistent and strategic use of available tools. 

The project introduces a holistic, multi-dataset framework for transit service planning to move beyond siloed surveys and single purpose tools. Innovative elements include: 

• • A cross dataset integration strategy that identifies how Metro can combine traditional survey data with emerging data platforms like ORCA BI and LOCUS. 

• • Case studies showing real-world applications of integrated data to address service design and operational questions. 

• • A cost/benefit analysis to help Metro prioritize future data investments. 

• • A practical guidebook enabling Metro staff to apply the integrated approach long after the project concludes. 

Together, these innovations aim to provide Metro with a sustainable, scalable model for data informed decision-making. 

This project will help: 

• • Improve service planning accuracy by aligning multiple data sources. 

• • Better understand changing travel patterns, including hybrid work and emerging noncommute behavior. 

• • Increase internal capacity to interpret data consistently across departments. 

• • Enhance the value of existing datasets, reducing duplication and unnecessary data collection costs. 

• • Build a stronger foundation for future data modernization and analytics investments. 

The final outcomes, including a workshop, guidebook, and comprehensive recommendations, will support Metro in delivering more responsive and equitable transit services across the region. 

This work is supported by King County Metro transit 

• • Civil and Environmental Engineering 
  • Urban Design and Planning 

• • Bart Treece, Director, Mobility Innovation Center, University of Washington