South Seattle's Bus Route 106 Increases Weekend Service Amid Fare Hike

Starting Aug. 30, Southeast Seattle's bus route 106 — which runs from Renton to Chinatown-International District along South Martin Luther King Jr. Way — added 30 more trips per day to its weekend schedule, amid bus fare increases.

Prior to this, the bus was scheduled every 30 minutes on weekends. During the weekdays, this route operates every 10 to 15 minutes most of the day. Now, buses will be arriving at least every 15 minutes from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends to match the weekday schedule.

"The 106 is becoming one of the workforce routes in South Seattle," said Al Sanders, a spokesperson from King County Metro. "A lot of people depend on it to get basically from Renton all the way to downtown Seattle."

Though bus route 7 — which runs from Rainier Beach to downtown Seattle on South Rainier Avenue — is the most frequently used route in South Seattle, the usage of the 106 route has been increasing. Since 2020, the average weekday ridership for bus route 106 has grown each year between 5% to 29%, Sanders said.

As of spring 2025, Route 106 serves more than 5,000 riders on an average weekday and over 3,500 riders on weekends. Roughly half of the average weekday ridership occurs during "peak hours," which are from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The additional weekend Route 106 trips are funded by the Seattle Transit Measure, which is a 0.15% sales tax in Seattle, generating $50 million annually to fund transit service improvements throughout King County Metro.

Some of the improvements include increased bus frequency and programs for low-income residents and students. This six-year measure was approved by voters in 2020 and will generate funding until early 2027.

Nelson Vu is an international student from Vietnam studying at Seattle Central College. He uses public transportation almost every day, including the 106 bus route to get to and from the Othello Link station from his house.

Vu noted that during the week, the buses come more regularly than on the weekends and said he's glad to hear they will be coming more frequently on weekends.

Vu said compared to other U.S. cities he's visited, like Dallas or Los Angeles, Seattle has the best public transportation system because of the combination of light rail and buses.

"In Dallas, it takes forever for buses to come," Vu said.

Starting on Sept. 1, adult bus fares will increase by $0.25 to align with Sound Transit's fare of $3.00 for the Link light rail and Express bus services. Free and reduced bus fares for riders with disabilities, low-income, seniors, and youth will not change.