Also from SDOT: RapidRide-related work starts next week

Metro‘s route restructuring isn’t the only side effect of RapidRide coming to West Seattle this fall. As Metro and SDOT have been warning for many months, lots of road work is on the way too to facilitate it, and that work starts in a big way next week. Here’s the announcement just sent out:

In partnership with King County Metro, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is making transit improvements in West Seattle to prepare for Metro’s RapidRide C-Line. Construction is scheduled to begin the week of February 13, 2012 and to be complete in May 2012, weather permitting.

The West Seattle C-Line will be Seattle’s first RapidRide line, and will employ a host of tools to speed up buses and increase capacity. Key features will include:

· The installation of a Business Access and Transit (BAT) lane to allow buses to bypass traffic congestion

· Signal queue jumps to give buses a head start at intersections

· Curb bulbs to help buses stop in lane, rather than pulling over to pick up passengers

· Real time bus arrival information at all stations to inform passengers when the next bus is coming

· Increased distances between stops for faster, smoother rides

· Off-board ORCA card readers to allow faster boarding through all doors for faster loading times

· Hybrid, low-flow buses with wireless internet, and three doors for faster loading times

· Short headway (time between buses). The C-Line will have 10 minute headways at peak hours, 15 minutes at all other times between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m., and 30 minute headways from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Construction for this project will occur on Fauntleroy Way SW, California Avenue SW, SW Alaska Street, 35th Avenue SW and SW Avalon Way. Phase One of the project will include bus zone work at the following sites in the northbound direction starting next week:

· Fauntleroy Way SW & SW Rose Street

· Fauntleroy Way SW & SW Webster Street

· Fauntleroy Way SW & SW Myrtle Street

During construction, traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction leading up to and through the work zone. Loading and parking restrictions will be in place in work zones and pedestrian detours will be provided when construction impacts sidewalks and bus zone areas. Work areas will be active from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. during weekdays, with occasional night and weekend work.

For more information on this project please contact Paul Elliott of SDOT at (206) 684-5321 or paul.elliott@seattle.gov. You may sign up for regular project updates on SDOTs project website which also features up to date information: www.seattle.gov/transportation/tpci_west_seattle.htm

For information on changes to bus service during construction, please look for Rider Alert notices at bus stops, visit Metro online at www.kingcounty.gov/metro, or call (206) 553-3000.

Funding for the project comes from the Federal Transit Administration, as well as from the “Bridging the Gap” transportation levy approved by Seattle voters in November 2006.

Jack February 7, 2012 (7:39 pm)

I can’t believe that the bus is just going to stop in the middle of the street. That means that once you are behind a bus, you are stuck there the entire time.
Ridiculous.

Rick February 7, 2012 (9:19 pm)

Yeah, that wireless internet is essential for all bus riders. Especially the ones that don’t have computers. Spend the money elsewhere?

Tuesday February 8, 2012 (12:23 am)

I guess that’s why they call it Rapid Ride and not rapid drive… the madness continues. And as far as wireless internet is concerned, I think the governor has made it very clear that every person in Washington has the “right” to check Facebook whenever they want. Taxpayers be damned!

metrognome February 8, 2012 (1:21 am)

what the press release doesn’t say is that the stops on Fauntleroy other than the three mentioned above and the ferry terminal will be closed when RR starts in Sept. as they are not served by other routes.
don’t like the curb bulbs either …

Ken February 8, 2012 (6:17 am)

Why did my comment not show up? Now it says it is a duplicate if I try to post again?

Peter on the Bus February 8, 2012 (7:37 am)

Metro has busses stopping at curb bulbs on Capitol Hill, which has much more traffic than West Seattle. I don’t believe they cause any more of a backup than when a bus has to exit then reenter traffic.

Olsen February 8, 2012 (9:13 am)

Gosh folks! All everyone does is complain in this city. Take a look at the rest of the world! Mass public transportation saves time, money, and the environment! Try it! Get out of your cars and maybe you will actually like the Rapid Ride of West Seattle? It is working great in Bellevue and Federal Way. And I drive behind those buses regularly with limited impact. No different than a nice big truck, slow driver, cyclist, or regular bus. Really? People are trying to make things better and all you have to do is judge. How about look for the positives? Great work Seattle and Metro! Thanks for trying to help move people from and in West Seattle. We appreciate your efforts even if the only people who comment are those who would never be happy no matter what you did! Cheers

newbie February 8, 2012 (9:18 am)

This is great news!! I’m so excited to have this access in West Seattle. All of the improvements they mention seem spot on to the issues that keep many people from using the buses on a regular basis. Also, having wireless available on the bus is very exciting, there’s nothing better than a productive commute! Well done SDOT.

CE February 8, 2012 (9:39 am)

I would have preferred light rail! Bus from WS to Bellevue is still 1.5 hours on a good day. I’m all for public transportation, but it has to work as a holistic system – not ad hoc. I have little faith the city actually wants us to grow our use of Public Transportation that much b/c they shortsightedly see more tax $ from their currently planning structure. The city does not really want affordable, accommodating options for families in apartments or houses to live car free. Reliance on property taxes, gas taxes, etc drive shortsighted decision making. It seems like we would all have to pony up for different tax structure. That is too scary & difficult for anyone in public office to undertake or citizens to agree to.

Jack February 8, 2012 (10:25 am)

Peter: I have to respectfully disagree.

I get stuck behind the buses on Dexter with the curb bulbs.

Here is how it used to work:

Bus pulled over to bus stop, traffic behind bus
continued on.
Bus pulled out, traffic slowed when bus pulled out.

Here is how it works now:

bus stops at curb bulb, traffic is stopped entire time bus is stopped.
bus pulls out, traffic resumes.

I don’t see how that improves traffic flow. I am sure (or at least hope) there is an expert somewhere that has done some analysis that shows this improves traffic, but intuitively from behind the wheel it sure doesn’t seem like it.

Neo-Realist February 8, 2012 (10:48 am)

What CE said — Here in WS, outside of Downtown, you have to pretty much drive everywhere else in the city to get to those places in a timely fashion, and right of way light rail interconnected to a broader transportation system would do that for us.

BAT lanes to jump traffic queues??? This I gotta see. Maybe one from the WSB to 99?

If somebody gets in an accident on the bridge, will the Rapid Ride bus sprout wings and fly over the traffic?

Ben February 8, 2012 (10:58 am)

as i stand to benefit directly from Rapid Ride C, i should be happy about it, but it highlights just far short our city is falling in building light rail/streetcar options.
.
i continue to firmly believe that we need mass transit to, from and within west seattle that is separate(d) from vehicular traffic. half-way measures like Rapid Ride are not a solution.

Bruce Nourish February 8, 2012 (11:30 am)

The new Dexter is fantastic. The bus no longer has to wait for cars to yield (which virtually none do) and bike riders can ride straight through. I wish they’d do it on all the similar arterials throughout the city.

newbie February 8, 2012 (12:13 pm)

Ben and CE: West Seattle voted down light rail from what I remember and so we have RapidRide. Give the people what they want?!?!?

Peter on Fauntleroy February 8, 2012 (1:35 pm)

Newbie factcheck: ST2 passed overwhelmingly, with 60.5% approval in King County. No light rail is currently being built to West Seattle because ST2 did not include light rail to West Seattle. Also, Rapid Ride is a Metro project, light rail is a Sound Transit project.

metrognome February 8, 2012 (2:37 pm)

factcheck2: citizens voted down a couple of efforts to create a light rail system in the late 60’s and early 70’s as part of the Forward Thrust bond measures for parks, etc. Only part that had organized opposition … let by automobile interest groups.
WS is a deadend as far as any ‘rail’ system: expensive to get rail here due to the Duwamish, no way to get out of WS to the south to connect to anything and no concentrated trip generator (i.e. major employer or destination.) Demand is scattered and dispersed over a very wide area which is better served by buses.
Face it folks, you chose to live on a peninsula with 3 lanes in and 3 lanes out; just be glad the freighter captain rammed the bridge long enough ago that you have a nice, fairly new bridge to complain about being stuck on.

Mickymse February 8, 2012 (4:44 pm)

If folks stopped to let buses back into traffic — WHICH IS THE LAW — then there would be no need to make them stop in traffic. You might also remember that the average bus is taking 16 cars off the road in front of you…

Sorry, comment time is over.