Starting Saturday (Feb. 5), King County Metro Transit is updating its bus service, which will result in some changes for Renton-area bus users.

This includes routing and bus stop changes for approximately two dozen bus routes from various areas of the county that pass through downtown Seattle. The downtown changes are designed to keep people moving during the long-term construction along the Seattle waterfront and SODO area.

That’s not the only change coming up in February. Bus riders across Metro’s service area should check winter schedules for the routes they use most often to see what’s new. They can prepare by picking up a new blue timetable and the Special Rider Alert brochure, which is also posted on Metro Online. Or, use the online Trip Planner for some advance research.

Here are the highlights of the February changes for Renton bus riders:

• Route 247 returns to previous routing in the Overlake area on Northeast 31st Street and 152nd Avenue Northeast. Other parts of the current routing will be deleted;

• Route 342 southbound trips from Aurora Village at 6:24 a.m. and 6:49 a.m. will end at the Wilburton Park-and-Ride instead of continuing to Renton, and the northbound trip to Shoreline Park-and-Ride at 4:37 p.m. will originate at the Wilburton Park-and-Ride;

• In downtown Seattle, there are bus routes shifting from First Avenue to Third Avenue; from Third Avenue to Second/Fourth avenues; and new bus stop locations on Third Avenue for several routes. This affects local routes, including 111 and 114; and

• Route 99 will loop to travel north on First Avenue and south on Alaskan Way in Seattle, and buses will no longer be “wrapped” to look like the old waterfront streetcars.

Metro updates its routes and scheduling three times a year to improve service and keep up with the changing needs of transit customers.

Metro Transit’s customer information number is 206-553-3000.