bus & paratransit conference & international bus roadeo / bus rapid ...

Greetings
As host of the 2009 APTA Bus & Paratransit
Conference & International Bus Roadeo/Bus Rapid
Transit Conference, we would like to extend a warm
welcome to Seattle and the Pacific Northwest.
APTA has put together a great conference program that highlights
the best of what is happening in our industry. We hope you will
take advantage of the many educational sessions that are offered
and that you find the learning experience to be worthwhile. We at
King County Metro would like to personally invite you to visit with
our staff on the technical tours so that we can share information
and learn from each other. We also look forward to seeing some of
the world’s best transit operators and bus mechanics compete in
APTA’s International Bus Roadeo on May 3.
Along with attending the roadeo and conference activities, we hope
that you find time to relax, enjoy your stay, and explore all that the
surrounding Puget Sound area has to offer. Seattle is a beautiful
city surrounded by snowcapped mountains and sparkling blue
water. The region’s moderate climate encourages many year round
outdoor activities such as sailing, whale watching, and hiking. Near
the Elliott Bay waterfront in downtown Seattle is Pike Place Market,
the nation’s oldest continually operating farmer’s market, which is a
maze of booths offering everything from fresh fruit to fine art. A few
blocks south of Pike Place Market is Pioneer Square, the city’s oldest
district, which features sidewalk cafes, art galleries, restaurants
and parks. On the north end of downtown is the Seattle Center, a
74-acre complex built for the 1962 World’s Fair that is the site of
Seattle’s most famous landmark, the Space Needle.
Of course, we hope that you will also explore our Metro bus
system. King County has an abundant and complex transit
environment. Along with Metro’s electric trolleys and hybrid
articulated buses, we are proud to operate the City of Seattle’s
Lake Union Streetcar and we will soon be operating Sound
Transit’s Link light rail system. When you’re out enjoying the sights,
be sure to check out the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel, which
will feature joint bus-light rail operations starting this July.
We at King County Metro are pleased to be your host and we
look forward to seeing you.
Sincerely,
Kevin Desmond
General Manager
King County Metro Transit