Also happening tonight: Find out more about RapidRide

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In addition to the Seattle City Light tree-trimming meeting mentioned earlier, there’s another major event in West Seattle tonight — the second “open house” about the forthcoming RapidRide bus service, to replace route 54 in 2011. Though it’s three years out, several key decisions are being made now — with your input — including the route it will follow through and near The Junction, where its “terminals” (more than just bus stops, as shown above) will be, and where it will end (Morgan Junction? Fauntleroy? Westwood Village?) — and you can tell Metro what you think, as well as voice other opinions and ask questions, when you drop by the “open house” at the West Seattle Senior Center tonight, any time between 5:30 and 8:30. (Detailed WSB coverage of the RapidRide presentation at the last JuNO meeting is here; our brief writeup of last week’s RapidRide open house in Fauntleroy is here. If you miss tonight, you have two more chances — an “information table” at the Senior Center noon-3 pm tomorrow, and a meeting at the Southwest Library on Feb. 19th. You can also have a say by completing an online questionnaire here; deadline is this Friday.)

14 Replies to "Also happening tonight: Find out more about RapidRide"

  • Tonya January 29, 2008 (3:02 pm)

    I’m happy for those that ride 54 but WTF…!! I ride the 37, which is the most anemic route in all of Metro. Half the time they don’t even bother showing up on Monday mornings. It’s pathetic!.

    Grrr

  • credmond January 29, 2008 (3:17 pm)

    Tonya,

    Metro is also taking other comments not necessarily related to the RapidRide. Others have also mentioned that the 37 needs help. Actually, when you think about it, ALL of West Seattle needs a complete transit review with more loops and longer times for the buses. The 22, for instance, quits even before the last downtown worker gets off work, little use it is then in getting them home.

  • credmond January 29, 2008 (3:19 pm)

    that’s weird – that last sentence above sounds like Yoda-speak. Didn’t know I had a Jedi-like impediment.

  • David January 29, 2008 (3:35 pm)

    Er…am I completely missing something? So it’ll take the city of Seattle 3 to 4 years to replace one bus line with an express bus. Are you f**king kidding? It’s just a bus, like we’ve had for 40 years. Except it’s an “express” (makes less stops) and they’ll add a few more to the route so they can come by ever 10-30 minutes. Er…so what? And that will take 3 to 4 YEARS to come up with? SERIOUSLY?

    Don’t we already have morning/afternoon express buses? Is there some magic lane on Fauntleroy and the West Seattle bridge (before the existing little 5 block ‘bus only lane’) that I’m not aware of? Won’t this new ‘rapid’ bus sit in the same dead stopped traffic coming up and down the 2 lanes of the West Seattle bridge? Bus or not…when the traffic is snarled, there’s no magic way to phase through it. A seperate train/subway/monorail track could go below/above, but cars/buses just sit in the same traffic we’ve always had.

    I get they want to have the little traffic light ‘triggers’ that the police and medical folks have that can trip the lights green (and backup traffic on the crossing roads). Maybe THAT’s the technology that will take 4 years (sigh)

  • David January 29, 2008 (3:41 pm)

    Instead of the defunct monorail (which would have been running by the time this ‘rapid bus’ comes to West Seattle)…can’t we just do a tiny tiny extension of the light rail we ALREADY HAVE into West Seattle?

    Considering the viaduct is coming down soon, they should drop the light rail tunnel under Capital Hill , which is already HEAVILY served by buses direct to downtown/UW which won’t be impacted by the viaduct closing…and instead extend the light rail to West Seattle which will actually NEED mass transit with the viaduct route to downtown gone.

    Crazy talk…naw…lets just spend 4 years to replace one bus route with another in West Seattle…and dig a light rail tunnel to Capital Hill which is only 7 minutes from downtown by any of 5 buses already.

  • Ron Burgundy January 29, 2008 (3:42 pm)

    Once again, can’t they just make new signs designating express bus stops along the same routes? Having an express bus stop every block and a half is rediculous. Just space the express bus stops out to every 1/2 mile to mile. Our society as a whole needs a little exercise.

  • Jen January 29, 2008 (3:42 pm)

    David – do you currently ride the bus?

  • elevated concern January 29, 2008 (4:00 pm)

    I attended the open house last week. I filled out the questionaire about my preference for the alignment to be on Fauntleroy. I looked at all of the picture boards but found that the last picture board, they “finished” product had already selected the route. I asked several DOT representatives and one of them actually said it was accurate and that was the route. He did not realize why they were having the open house and asking for comments so I encouraged him to read their handout. Hopefully my request to have the final picture board reflect that “we” have a choice of the route has been corrected for tonight’s open house.

  • Jan January 29, 2008 (5:18 pm)

    ec…doesn’t exactly instill confidence in the system, does it?

  • David January 29, 2008 (5:43 pm)

    Jen,

    Yes I do ride the bus (37 & 56) and really enjoy them. My bitch isn’t with buses, which I like just fine, it’s the idea that it will take 3-4 YEARS just to replace an existing bus line with a new express bus line, going through the same traffic choke points by and large.

    I’m just wishing we could have had a ‘real’ transit (not dependent on traffic conditions) system into West Seattle before the viaduct comes down and Admiral and Fauntleroy back up for miles. But that’s not going to happen. Granted I’d rather sit on a bus for the 2 hour commute to downtown then in a car, but still…

  • Rockyraccoon January 29, 2008 (10:15 pm)

    David is right. It is just absurd how long it takes to make anything happen around here. How can we ever hope to make progress with our transportation needs when every little improvement happens….so….slowly. We are so far behind now that only expedited fixes will have any real effect.

  • Kayleigh January 30, 2008 (5:02 am)

    I like the plans. Buses come more often = good. Fewer stops = good. Traffic light controls = good. Better lighting and security = good. Either way, Fauntleroy or California, is fine with me.

    Part of why things take so long to happen in Seattle is because everybody has an opinion and we’re all a bunch of activists. ;-)

  • Al January 30, 2008 (9:13 am)

    The RapidRide route, according to Metro will not be stopping as often as the 54. In fact, there will only be ONE stop between the Alaska and Morgan Junction. Then, if you don’t want to walk from there, you’ll have to wait for the 22 or the 128 to go further up/down California. They are reducing stops and service along California. We can only hope that the 22/128 route will be altered to come more often BEFORE RR is in place. And, if RR takes Fauntleroy, it’s questionable where the stop will be heading West – which could cause problems transferring to the 21.

  • Tonya January 31, 2008 (12:11 pm)

    “Part of why things take so long to happen in Seattle is because everybody has an opinion and we’re all a bunch of activists”

    Um, so is Chicago and California and they manage to get things moving..
    Granted I am new here but what party is currently in charge here? Are they elected?

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