Claudia Balducci

Yesterday, the King County Council established a one-year moratorium on detention‑facility permits to protect and support immigrant residents and communities.

A photo of King County Roads staff with King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci and King County Council Chair Sarah Perry learning about the damages to the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Road.

A photo of the Baring Bridge, which was damaged in the December 2025 floods. Learn more about the bridge replacement here: https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/local-services/transit-transportation-roads/roads-and-bridges/projects-and-programs/baring-bridge

Roads and bridges are vital to King County.

Join our 2/25 KC Transportation District meeting to learn about the issues and funding solutions for roads, bridges, and public transit in King County. Read my latest update here >>> content.govdelivery.com/accounts/WAK...

Get ready — I‑90 light rail connects our region on March 28!

An image of the first of two tables showing trip cancellations by route in 2024.

An image of the second of two tables showing trip cancellations by route in 2024.

The routes with the most cancellations (212, 311, 21X, 218, 257, 111) were all peak‑only commuter routes to Downtown Seattle — the toughest times of day to operate.

Here’s hoping this trend toward better reliability continues. And if it doesn’t, we now have the tools to track it. 4/4

A table that shows annual trip cancellations in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. Metro delivered 98.89% of scheduled trips in 2024 — about 11,375 of the 11,500 weekday trips — up from 96% in 2023.

Today at the Council’s Transportation Committee, we got an update on how Metro is doing.

Good news: Metro delivered 98.89% of scheduled trips in 2024 — about 11,375 of the 11,500 weekday trips. That’s up from 96% in 2023. 3/4

A photo of the Route 5 operating in bad weather

A ghost bus is a trip that never leaves the base. Riders are left standing in the rain or the dark, wondering where their bus went. This new reporting asks Metro to be more transparent, improve real‑time rider info, and use cancellation data to guide future service planning. 2/4

An image of a spooky, just for fun ghost bus, not the real life trip cancellation kind that Councilmember Balducci’s legislation is working to track.

Ever waited for a bus that never showed up? Those are “ghost buses” — unplanned trip cancellations — and thanks to legislation Councilmember Balducci sponsored in 2025, King County Metro now has to report on them. We now have the initial results of that first reporting. 1/4

As the District 6 councilmember on the King County Council, I need to know what’s important to you. Please consider taking a short survey to share your priorities and your ideas about how we can work together to make King County a safe, welcoming place for all.

bit.ly/D6-survey-26

The King County Council celebrated Korean American Day, marking 123 years of history and contributions since Korean immigrants arrived in 1903. With over 45,000 Korean Americans in the county, their cultural, civic, and economic influence is significant.

I’m proud to honor this rich heritage.

Now hiring: King County Metro recruiting part-time transit operators as bus service increases King County Metro launched a new hiring push today as the agency seeks part-time transit operators to provide bus service and support increasing service levels. The job posting is available online …

King County Metro is seeking part-time bus drivers as transit services expand. Discover more >>>

The King County Council honored Dwight Dively this week for his years of service to the county, bringing a nationally-respected reputation for fiscal leadership, budget reform, and long-term financial planning. As he heads to the City of Seattle for his next chapter, we wish him the very best ahead.

A group photo at Mercer Island Station.

This final segment completes a generational investment and reflects years of bold action and vision. We’re working to confirm a spring opening date and will share it as soon as it’s set. Stay tuned!!! 6/6 🎉🥳🎈

A photo of people receiving a safety briefing prior to boarding light rail at Mercer Island Station.

After several weeks of simulated service we’ll open across the lake, bringing Judkins Park and Mercer Island stations online and tripling the 2 Line from ~10 miles to over 30 miles. 5/6

A photo of King County Metro Interim General Manager Ernest Kandilige, Vice Chair Claudia Balducci, and Federal Transit Administration Region 10 Regional Administrator Susan Fletcher riding light rail across the I-90 floating bridge.

✅ Riders in the central part of the system can expect 4‑minute headways at peak times, improving frequency and convenience.

✅ This will deliver a major, lasting increase in capacity and reliability for travel between Seattle and Snohomish County. 4/6

A map showing the open and almost-open segments of the 2 Line.

Next month Sound Transit will begin simulated service across the bridge. During this phase they'll run trains as if in regular service to validate operations and systems.

✅ During simulated service ST intends to welcome passengers on trains between International District/Chinatown and Lynnwood. 3/6

Sound Transit Vice Chair Balducci about to cross the I-90 floating bridge on a light rail vehicle!

Vice Chair Balducci rode the bridge just before the holidays with partners from WSDOT, Metro, Sound Transit, and the Federal Transit Administration. The ride was smooth and truly exciting. 2/6

A picture of a two car light rail train crossing the I-90 bridge in the daytime and it's raining.

Today at the @sound-transit.bsky.social System Expansion Committee, Board Vice Chair Claudia Balducci announced the Crosslake Connection — the 2 Line across Lake Washington and the I‑90 floating bridge — has entered pre‑revenue operations. Test trains are running daily. 1/6

Today, this longtime Seattle-area resident and Jeopardy! legend visited the King County Council to receive a proclamation honoring honoring his service to the community.

Who is Ken Jennings

Large police presence in downtown Bellevue There is a large police presence at the Bellevue Transit Center Friday afternoon.

ST Express bus service is being diverted at the Bellevue Transit Center (BTC) due to an officer-involved shooting at the facility. Because of the closure, all routes serving BTC have been rerouted to two bays on the west end at 108th Ave NE. komonews.com/news/local/b...

Congratulations to Councilmember Rhonda Lewis!

Yesterday she officially took office as the first Black woman to serve on the King County Council. With her appointment, the Council now celebrates its first‑ever majority of women in history. www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...

The very best part of my job - delivering things that make people happy and their lives easier. Congrats to the team @sound-transit.bsky.social whose creativity and hard work got the Federal Way extension open ahead of schedule!

That we will get to Redmond!

All four were considered, public/local preference went in different directions. What bakes my noodle is why “Downtown Redmond” was considered brief and easy to remember while “Redmond Downtown” wasn’t. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

In the downtown transit tunnel, feeling confident. 😊🚉

With film creators, old friends and new at the Harbor Island Studios holiday market this weekend - a reminder that the people whose passion creates our local stories on film have to hustle just to make ends meet - another reason having a full-service, affordable local studio is so important.

What’s Next for Harbor Island Studios? On Monday, members of the Washington film community sent out an emergency call to action. King County was about to finalize the biennial budget, they said, and the County Council planned to withdraw f...

Good overview of our recent success keeping Harbor Island Studios open, and the work needed to secure its future.

www.thestranger.com/news/2025/11...

Great news! We passed an amendment to the county budget to give Harbor Island Studios a six month reprieve! We still have our work cut out for us to find a permanent solution and sustain this critical part of the local film industry. Stay tuned, and join us as we fight to save Harbor Island!

It is up for a vote this afternoon with the passage of King County's two year budget.

This is about more than just a building—it’s about preserving opportunity, creativity, and the future of our local film industry. 3/3

Her proposal ensures that the value of Harbor Island Studios to the region’s creative economy is fully assessed, while also providing short term funding to sustain operations. The amendment reflects a commitment to protecting spaces that nurture local talent and strengthen our cultural identity. 2/3

Since the end of the pandemic Harbor Island Studios has been a hub for creativity, supporting local film and media production in King County. When recent budget changes threatened to close its doors, Councilmember Claudia Balducci stepped forward with an amendment to keep the studios alive. 1/3