Home › Forums › Open Discussion › No more Metro buses going uphill from First to Third downtown
- This topic has 13 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 6 years, 5 months ago by West Seattle since 1979.
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November 9, 2017 at 11:44 am #900369
West Seattle since 1979ParticipantI realize this isn’t exactly West Seattle, but a lot of us don’t work in West Seattle.
Is anyone else inconvenienced in your Metro bus commute because there’s no longer a bus going from the waterfront or from First Avenue to Third Avenue in Pioneer Square or downtown? There’s a large hill from First to Third, and not everyone can walk it. This is going to be the case for at least three years, until the Center City Connector streetcar is completed.
November 9, 2017 at 6:15 pm #900415
JayDeeParticipantDo you have a link for this? I replied to a survey that said the 56 would stop at Yesler. Real convenient if you work at 6th and Union.
November 9, 2017 at 9:11 pm #900447
KatherineLParticipantI used to be able to get from Pioneer Square to the library taking escalators and elevators in the big buildings along there. It’s been years; I don’t remember the exact route or name of the buildings. I’ll bet you could find out with a little experimentation or asking around. It was common knowledge then.
November 9, 2017 at 9:29 pm #900448
miwsParticipantYes to Katherine’s idea, for weekdays anyway.
Exchange Building at Marion St from 1st to 2nd-Elevator
Kitty-corner to Wells Fargo Building from 2nd to 3rd-Escalator
Kitty-corner to old Seafirst Building (Black Box/Box the Space Needle came in), now Safeco something-or-other building from 3rd to 4th-Escalators
Seattle Central Library, 4th to 5th-Escalators.
Mike
November 10, 2017 at 9:35 am #900492
West Seattle since 1979ParticipantThanks Mike!
Is the Wells Fargo building open past 5 pm, which is when I get off work? I seem to remember trying to do this one day when I had got off work early to go to two banks, one on 2nd & Columbia and one farther downtown where I’d need to take a bus on 3rd to get to it. After finishing at 2nd & Columbia, I went to the Wells Fargo escalator and ended up in the Wells Fargo bank, which was just closing. I think they let me through that time. I also remember there were so many twists and turns of the escalator that I was afraid I was going to get stuck in the building overnight!
Anyway, at least the Exchange Building one would get me to 2nd. Thanks Again!
November 10, 2017 at 9:49 am #900493
West Seattle since 1979ParticipantJayDee, here’s a link to the 56 schedule and map. It appears they go down 3rd, and then turn on Columbia to get to the Viaduct.
http://kingcounty.gov/depts/transportation/metro/schedules-maps/056-057.aspxThe two buses that previously went down 1st were the 62 and the 99. The 62 used to turn on Seneca and go to 3rd. It now goes all the way down 3rd. This happened when the schedules changed at the end of September, and I can’t even find the link to where it was announced. But here’s a link to the map showing it going down 3rd:
http://kingcounty.gov/depts/transportation/metro/schedules-maps/062.aspx#route-mapThe 99 used to go down 1st to Belltown, making a few stops (if someone wanted to get to 3rd you could take it to University and catch the 125). But now it goes mostly on 3rd and only gets to 1st at Lenora. Which works well for people in that area, but not someone who works in Pioneer Square like i do. Here’s the link to their reroute:
http://metro.kingcounty.gov/alerts/pdf/17-099-09R3_Rt99_SJackson-1AvS_Nov5-Mar31.pdfNovember 10, 2017 at 10:05 am #900498
newnativeParticipantThe 56 used to run all day, 7 days a week and it went down 1st Ave through SoDo. I loved taking it from Pike Place on the weekends.
Thanks for the elevator/escalator route, I have cut through the library to help on walks to First Hill.November 10, 2017 at 10:10 am #900499
newnativeParticipantThe 99 still goes down 1st Ave BTW, not 3rd. According to the map, at least. I haven’t taken it in a while because I miss the times or it’s too slow.
November 10, 2017 at 10:27 am #900502
West Seattle since 1979Participantnewnative, they may not have changed the map yet for 99. They just rerouted it off First this week. This is the link to the reroute explanation:
http://metro.kingcounty.gov/alerts/pdf/17-099-09R3_Rt99_SJackson-1AvS_Nov5-Mar31.pdfNovember 10, 2017 at 1:15 pm #900526
miwsParticipantWSs1979, You (and nn) are welcome on the shortcut info.
I’m not sure about the WF Bldg hours. One option, for after hours, on the (perhaps slight) chance they keep the escalators running, would be to get to 3rd would be outside around the bldg. When I was taking this shortcut daily for several months 5 years ago it was in the morning and I’d just cut through the building lobby. I may have known a couple or so decades before that as to whether there was complete access around the outside of the building but no longer recall.
Mike
November 10, 2017 at 2:50 pm #900539
West Seattle since 1979ParticipantThanks Mike!
November 13, 2017 at 6:01 pm #900705
ellipsesParticipantRelatedly, don’t forget that the routes are changing because of One Center City. NO more 56/57 into the CBD. They will go through downtown closer to Yesler/Pioneer Square and then continue up First Hill.
November 14, 2017 at 9:58 am #900895
West Seattle since 1979ParticipantDo you know when they’re going to do this?
November 14, 2017 at 10:03 am #900897
West Seattle since 1979ParticipantI did find a workaround, though I don’t think it’ll last long, in case anyone else is looking for something like this. The 99 was apparently rerouted because of some other project, which has now been postponed. So the 99 is going down First again for now, and I can take it to First and University and catch a 125, and take that to 3rd and Seneca where I can catch a C, 55 or 21 (all the West Seattle buses go there right now).
Originally the 99 was going to keep going down First to Belltown until the March schedule changes. Then last week they switched it to 3rd. So I don’t know exactly why they changed it and then changed it back. I will be very surprised if it continues on First after a couple weeks or so.
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