Beefing up bus service: Toplines from today’s announcement

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We’re in Sodo, where County Executive Ron Sims and West Seattle’s County Councilmember Dow Constantine have just finished a media briefing about plans to beef up bus service once the Alaskan Way Viaduct‘s major construction work kicks in (starting with the South End project beginning next spring). We’ll have full details a bit later; toplines include: this is being paid for by $32 million in state money to “mitigate the construction impacts” – and the routes listed as “candidates for service enhancement” include West Seattle’s 21, 22, 37, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, and 116. (White Center-area routes are listed in this report on partner site White Center Now.) More to come. ADDED 1:33 PM: Here’s the official news release from the county website. Pursuing electronic copies of the collateral (including a countywide map of potentially affected routes) that was handed out at the media event.

12 Replies to "Beefing up bus service: Toplines from today's announcement"

  • Michael September 2, 2008 (1:06 pm)

    Some of the routes listed on your White Center page are also West Seattle routes – nice way to get the extra page hits though.

  • 4thGenWestSider September 2, 2008 (1:11 pm)

    I think we have stumbled on to something. Being a lifetime Democrat, I’d have to say that the best way to get Dow Constantine to do something is to tell him a camera or news crew will be there!

  • E September 2, 2008 (1:28 pm)

    I can’t wait until we have more bus service on the route 21. It’s about time. My bus is always standing room only and has been for years. Since the gas price increase, sometimes we can’t even pack everyone on the bus.

  • WSB September 2, 2008 (1:30 pm)

    Michael – that’s how the handout at the news conference broke it out – the ones listed here are listed on the handout as West Seattle routes, the ones I posted at WCN are listed as White Center/Burien. If there are inaccuracies, please let me know which ones so I can correct. I’ll link the electronic versions when I find them on the KC website and/or get them from CM Constantine’s staff.

  • wdr September 2, 2008 (2:00 pm)

    Big deal! The route 54 is the only West Seattle

    route that is losing ridership–why enhance it??

    The remaining routes that have increased rider-

    ship dramatically are only candidates–meaning

    zippo service increases. What about the Water

    Taxi?? This announcement is typical of our

    clueless leaders.

  • smitten September 2, 2008 (2:16 pm)

    dc is so handsome.

  • WSB September 2, 2008 (2:16 pm)

    We’re still working on the detailed report. These are the POTENTIAL routes – each will be evaluated as construction kicks in and continues, to see where the additional capacity is needed. Also, other means of transportation will be included in more announcements ahead regarding construction mitigation.

  • wdr September 2, 2008 (3:30 pm)

    Additional capacity is needed NOW. The 56 is standing room only by the time it reaches Admiral.
    The 21 as above. Alki has been abandonded since
    I 695. What gives leaders??

  • cleat September 2, 2008 (4:18 pm)

    I concur more bus service is needed now.. oddly schedule AM and PM trips on the 37, with no service mid day has caused some homeowners to have to sell, if they don’t drive and have no way to get out for appointments, shopping etc…. And the 37 along with the others is getting to the standing room stage more frequently now too!

  • Sue September 2, 2008 (7:09 pm)

    wdr, why do you say the 54 is losing ridership – did you read that statistic somewhere, or is this your personal experience with it? I take the 54X daily for work, and the 54X in the off hours, and find it to be more crowded than it was a year ago.

  • JH September 2, 2008 (10:10 pm)

    Dow, you look as good as you did in grade school! Guess who??!!!! (not to be confused with “Smitten” above)

  • DW September 3, 2008 (10:47 am)

    Does anyone know if there is any possibility of Sound Transit expanding or adding Express service to the 560? My company is moving to downtown bellevue this winter. I notice that the 560 will go door to door for me, but it will take 90 minutes. There does not seem to be an express version of the bus. Has anyone heard if there are plans for express or expansion?

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