After a few questions about temporary traffic cameras in downtown White Center, we found out that King County is doing studies for the future conversion of Metro Route 120 into the RapidRide H Line. (Let us know if you see similar installations on this side of the line!) Details – including your next chance for feedback – are in the story we just published on partner site White Center Now.
good ol’ “rapid ride” – the bus with a new name/route number that takes just as long to get where you are going…
And that makes your walk to the bus stop longer by eliminating local stops! The new vehicles are nice, but perhaps unnecessary, and the enhanced stop shelters do little to improve commutes. I’d love to see King County Metro use the money they’re pouring into RapidRide, which is effectively a marketing program, to make substantive improvements to the transit system. How about improved frequency? Additional local and express routes? Expanded street car/light rail service? If we can’t afford a train, let’s invest in improving the bus transit network rather than waste money on aesthetic improvements that make commuters feel like they’re on the train their transit authority couldn’t afford.
So obviously you have no clue what you’re talking about. The 120 in the morning already has headway of 5 mins or less and is full on each bus. The stops are very very close together. As for express routes, many 120 trips start at 15th/roxbury to meet demand from westwood into downtown. Much of the rapidride budget comes from the feds. Metro has absolutely nothing to do with sound transit link light rail other than operating it (drivers are metro employees) metro does not plan or fund the light rail. Rapidride is faster with offboard payment and all door boarding. This is a good plan.
Please educate yourself.
What a total waste of money. I used to ride the number 54 until they changed it to the C Line. There is nothing Rapid about it. They also changed the route so that it now goes to Westwood instead of White Center. This adds about 20 extra minutes to my commute since I have to walk further to get home. Why can’t they just add extra buses instead of changing it to the so called Rapid Ride. Once they do this, it seems they cut out lot bus routes to nearby neighborhoods. The Admiral District and Alki and Arbor Heights are prime examples.
Sorry, comment time is over.
| 4 COMMENTS