Home › Forums › Open Discussion › BUS-CHANGES Q/A – **BOTH SETS OF ANSWERS ADDED**
- This topic is empty.
-
AuthorPosts
-
September 25, 2012 at 4:58 pm #604990
WSBKeymasterAs mentioned in the news section:
We’ve arranged with Metro for a Q/A about the bus changes and/or RapidRide launch this Saturday.
You provide the Q – they’ll provide the A. This is not “live” BUT we are collecting questions for three hours only – please post yours here, if you have one.
Caveat, this is not a “why in the world did you …” philosophical or political Q/A. This is for questions about the schedule, logistics, or other practical “how do I/how can I” points. We are doing it publicly – questions posted today, answers as we get them back from Metro – in hopes that each question/answer might be of use beyond the one person who took time to post it.
So – if you have a question, please post it in this thread before 1 pm today (Tuesday 9/25/12) – thanks! – TR
September 25, 2012 at 5:02 pm #772132
Barry2012ParticipantHi All,
My question is: I got notice on my phone that the 54E bus stop I use on Fauntleroy will be switching to rapid ride on the 29th. Does that mean that we should be using the Rapid Ride bus shelters from here on out? or will the same stops be used still?
September 25, 2012 at 5:10 pm #772133
HydrangeaMemberWhere, specifically, will the new Route 50 stop on Delridge/Genesee? Any maps I’ve seen haven’t shown where the stops are.
September 25, 2012 at 5:32 pm #772134
krParticipantOur bus was the 54x which is now supposed to be replaced by the 116. Are the route maps up to date for this route? From what I have read, the mitigation for the removal of the 54x was to add 2 trips to the 116 during the morning commute, but none for the commute home.
The 54x picked up significant numbers of riders between California and Alaska, often 8-10 at our stop alone. The 116/118/119 buses have always been the single coach buses. Are theses runs going to get bigger busses? Are you going to be monitoring loads and making adjustments in the next few months or do we have to wait for the next service change for adjustments to be made?
The 116 is often so incredibly slow, due to trains and stadium traffic, that you see 1-2 people on a bus when it leaves downtown. What is being done to speed up busses coming home that have to go through Sodo?
September 25, 2012 at 5:36 pm #772135
transplantellaParticipantCould they please clarify these changes? The routing/schedule intention is not clear.
Route 116, 118, 119
In the morning, Route 116 will be revised to begin at either the Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal to connect with arriving ferries or at 45th Ave SW & SW Brace Point Drive if there is no ferry connection. In the afternoon, it will serve the bus stop on Fauntleroy Way SW at the ferry terminal and then continue to 45th Ave SW & SW Brace Point Drive. Also, one northbound morning trip to downtown Seattle and two southbound afternoon trips to Fauntleroy will be added.
Routes 116, 118 and 119 will be revised to serve all stops on Fauntleroy Way SW between the Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal and Fauntleroy Way SW & SW Morgan St. Also, southbound service will operate via the new 1st Ave S on-ramp to the West Seattle Bridge.
Route 120
Route 120 will operate via SW Barton Pl, 26th Ave W and SW Roxbury St serving Westwood Village. It will no longer operate on Delridge Way SW between SW Barton St and SW Roxbury St.
September 25, 2012 at 5:40 pm #772136
BethLMemberThe Rapid Ride 28th and Roxbury stop is listed as northbound only stop. If I want that stop coming from downtown, can I stay on the same bus when it arrives at Westwood Village, or will there be a break there with another northbound bus scheduled to depart sooner?
September 25, 2012 at 5:46 pm #772137
JohnMMemberWhen will we see new schedules? With all the changes, I’m sure schedules will change.
September 25, 2012 at 5:47 pm #772138
wescatleMemberWhen riding the C-Line bus do I need to change busses to continue on the D-Line?
September 25, 2012 at 5:49 pm #772139
Alki citizenParticipantAs Metro has severely cut service on route #37 — with the last downtown bus leaving Alki at 7:32 AM (we are losing the 7:47, 8:12 and 8:51 buses that were always quite full) — our options are to walk many blocks to catch a limited morning run of #56 or catch the new #50 to the SODO station on Landers. With the required SODO transfer connection, what is the new total time to commute to the downtown Pike Street area?
September 25, 2012 at 5:51 pm #772140
charlestownMemberCurrently, the 56X schedule lists the 5:30 p.m. route as taking 27 minutes to get from 3rd/Pike to Calif/Admiral. According to the new schedule, a 5:34 p.m. 56X from 3rd/Pike to Calif/Admiral now will only take 12 minutes. What gives?? How could anyone possibly believe the bus route will be 15 entire minutes shorter with essentially no change to the route? Particularly given the added time suck of paying as you board downtown during rush hour? I’d love to hear how those numbers were made up.
September 25, 2012 at 5:51 pm #772141
JohnMMemberAlso, I’m not clear on the inbound routing of the 125 once it gets downtown. Does it head to 3rd, turn right and and head back to WS? Or does it go to Pike before heading back down 3rd? (makes a difference one gets off!)
September 25, 2012 at 6:07 pm #772142
Gordon MandtMemberHi,
The new changes on the 21 route create some big issues. After the last 21 express, there is no night service to south Arbor Heights. The closest stop I see is Westwood Shopping Center. The 21 was a great way to see a Mariner game and get dropped off. It would be easier to drive increasing traffic. Why can’t a late route say every hour or 90 minutes be done so the area has bus service?
September 25, 2012 at 6:13 pm #772143
moose2MemberPlease provide the new bus timetables online so we can plan our updated commutes.
September 25, 2012 at 6:14 pm #772144
Laurie97MemberAt least a dozen kids catch the #56 to West Seattle High School every Mon-Fri morning at the 26th Ave SW & SW Spokane St stop. (They go back home the same way.) Is this stop & route being eliminated? Which bus do the kids take as of next week?
If it’s the #50, what is the route & schedule between North Delridge and WSHS (Admiral Way & Walnut Ave SW)? Thank you.
September 25, 2012 at 6:17 pm #772145
moose2MemberI hoped RR would encourage speedy boarding especially with RFA going away downtown. But the following issues will slow boarding:
1. Why no offboard readers at downtown stops (pike/senenca/columbia) – surely the most used stops on the RR routes?
2. Why no display boards at those stops?
3. Why don’t you provide orca readers at all doors to allow boarded via any door?
4. Why are people with paper transfers allowed to board via rear door, but anyone with a transfer on their orca has to go via the front (this rule makes no sense to me)?
September 25, 2012 at 6:20 pm #772146
moose2MemberWhy don’t you publish the RR schedules (currently RR A and B have no schedules).
Not having schedules makes it impossible to plan connections (needed when connecting to/from an infrequent route), and wastes time waiting.
(For example: today I can get to 3rd & Pike about 1 min before a 54/55 and know what time I’ll get to Alaska Jct; with RR I’ll have to get to the stop at least 10-15 mins earlier since the arrival time is unpredictable).
September 25, 2012 at 6:23 pm #772147
HokuMemberThe stop for the 21 and 21X at 35th Ave SW & SW 114th St will turn into a “commute time only” stop for the 21X.
1. What are the travel alternatives for non-commute times in this area? Every alternative I’ve tried on METRO’s Trip Planner indicates the trip is not possible. Given all of the service cuts, it would be helpful if the Trip Planner would include the option of walking 1.5 miles in order to plan a trip.
2. If there is no shuttle or non-commute time service, what can we do to get additional service (as I understand will be provided for the North Beach loop on the north end of the 18 and 18X)?
September 25, 2012 at 6:25 pm #772148
moose2MemberWhy is the connection time from RR C to 128 so long at Alaska Jct?
Today, after 8pm the 54 connects to the 55 shuttle with 5 minute overlap. According to trip planner, the connection is now anywhere from 15 mins to 30 mins. Example: leave 3rd & pike at 8:17pm arrive 8:32; next 128 leaves at 8:58 arrive 9:12. This is a ONE HOUR journey that currently takes 30 mins, with 26 minutes waiting at Alaska Jct.
Overall the changes seem to make my commute much longer than today. Please co-ordinate the RR C to 128 connection to provide a better replacement service for today’s 54/55.
September 25, 2012 at 6:27 pm #772149
moose2MemberWhy do 128 and 50 to Admiral Jct in different bays at Alaska Jct? For people going to Admiral, they can use either bus and so these should use the same bay.
September 25, 2012 at 7:04 pm #772150
SueParticipantI have the same concerns as post #4 (kr) regarding the change from 54X to the 116/118/119. Will the buses be larger for the higher volume presumably waiting for them? Will they run more on time than they do now? One Bus Away usually shows these buses (in the morning) running 20-30 minutes late to the point where it’s anybody’s guess what the real schedule is.
Why are there no new schedules on any of the buses or online when these changes are being made in mere days? This is an extremely major change for many of us in West Seattle with new routes added, routes being taken away or rerouted, and it’s ridiculous that we’re being kept in the dark as to how to plan our trips.
I also notice that downtown at 3rd/Seneca they finally put up the Rapid Ride sign at the station (the West Seattle-bound stop). But I do not see evidence of an ORCA scanner yet, which I thought was going to be at the bus stops so you could scan before getting on Rapid Ride. Is one being put in at that stop? And regardless of whether it is or not, will ORCA scanners be ON the Rapid Ride buses?
And why are riders on the 54X (and I’m sure others) not being told by drivers this week that this bus will no longer exist after Friday? There are a lot of people I talk to at bus stops that have no idea this change is happening, and it would be helpful to have an announcement at some point to let people know just in case they hadn’t heard it elsewhere.
September 25, 2012 at 7:10 pm #772151
donnlmpParticipantI am concerned about the 22. Many kids from the north end of West Seattle need to catch the 22 at the Alaska Junction to get to Chief Sealth Internat’l High School, especially since there is now no school bus service. I believe Metro has cut the 22 from twice an hour to once an hour. This is problematic in the morning when the 8 am is very often late coming from downtown; and in the afternoon, it comes too early at Sealth for the kids to catch the 3 pm bus back to the Alaska Junction, which means they hang around the school or on the street until the 4 pm bus. Is there any way to adjust the schedule a bit at school arrival and departure times?
September 25, 2012 at 7:25 pm #772152
SueParticipantI’m looking at the map on Metro’s website of the boarding locations for 2nd/3rd/4th Avenues downtown. I see the stops listed for the 116/118/119 on the SB side, but there is no notation whatsoever for the NB side. Will these buses be stopping NB at the same stops on 3rd that they always have, or is there a change?
Also, the 116/118/119 were always reversed in terms of paying upon entering/leaving from the rest of the system. Will they now be uniform with everything else (pay as you enter), or will they still be reversed because of the ferry?
September 25, 2012 at 7:33 pm #772153
Jet CityParticipantAre any of the 56X buses, am or pm, being reduced from the bigger, articulated coaches to the shorter single coaches? How many fewer riders do the shorter buses hold?
.
Will the 56X inbound stop at 3rd & Union, as I saw on one of the new online schedules? It doesn’t currently stop there.
September 25, 2012 at 7:34 pm #772154
luckymom30ParticipantSeveral kids who attend Denny and do not qualfy for yellow bus service take the #21 to Arbor Heights from 35th & Thistle, but with the changes in service the #21 will not run only during peaks hours (6-9am & 3-6pm) leaving these kids to walk home or wait for the #22 an hour after schools gets out. During the many dark and cold months we have here I really feel for these kids.
Many of my neighbors rely on the #21, some have handicaps or are elderly and do not qualify for Access bus service so they will be walking all the way to Arbor Heights and in the dark because of these changes. Some people just do not have the ability to walk long distances.
Kids use to be able to catch the #21 after school @ 2:25, but with the changes they will miss the 2:14 bus and be forced to wait for
the 3:14 bus or just walk which isn’t safe.
September 25, 2012 at 8:02 pm #772155
WSBKeymasterThanks to everybody who posted questions! We’ll be working with Metro to get the answers and will post here and in the news section when we have them. Closing this out now as per the plan. – TR
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.