The signs and stops have been changing for several months, but this weekend the big day arrives: the long-heralded RapidRide F-Line begins running on Saturday.

The line, which will replace Route 140, runs from The Landing to the Burien Transit Center with stops in downtown Renton, the Renton Park and Ride, on Oakesdale Avenue Southcenter Boulevard in Tukwila, the Tukwila Sounder Station and the Link Tukwila International Boulevard Station.

RapidRide buses leave every 10 minutes during the commute hours and every 15 minutes during off-peak times.

In total, there are about 26 stations and stops along the F Line, spaced an average of 2,250 feet apart.

“This is wonderful,” said Renton councilwoman and Transportation Committee Chair Marcie Palmer. “It’s a much, much needed east-west corridor.”

Palmer also thanked former King County Councilwoman Julia Patterson for going to bat for the F Line.

Originally, the route was planned to end at Grady Way, Palmer said, but additional work by the city’s representatives, including Palmer on the Puget Sound Regional Council, persuaded Metro to extend the route through downtown’s transit center and up to the Boeing Plant and the Landing.

Palmer said her hope is that the route will have a “positive effect” on downtown by giving Boeing employees an easy, reliable way to head downtown for lunch. She also called the route and “important connector” because of new connections it brings to the Sounder and Light Rail stations.

“I’m just thrilled we hung in there,” she said. “I am very excited about it.”

Along with the new RapidRide route, additional changes have been made in Renton’s Metro routes.

First, Routes 140 and 110 will be discontinued. Route 155 was converted to DART service this past September and Route 909 will be rerouted to operate further east on Northeast Seventh Street.