I do usually take the 542 now, and it works well-enough, but it only comes every 30 minutes which is annoying.
It was scheduled to open a few months ago but early this year they found a fault with the rail supports on the bridge that was missed as they were put in during early COVID and didn't have the ability to get them inspected as well as normal. So for the next year you've got Redmond to Bellevue with a missing link across the lake.
On the other side. I think that this month the main line from Northgate to Lynhood is going to open with several more stops so the system is expanding in a couple directions.
Hopefully now that Metro hiring and training is on the upswing Sound Transit will be able to get more bus service hours.