Metro reveals final proposals for September bus-service changes

| Transportation | West Seattle news

After two drafts, Metro says it is done with the final proposal for changing bus service this fall in connection with the launch of RapidRide C Line service in West Seattle. What we’re publishing here is their official news release; we’ll be reviewing the actual proposal (see the links on the right side of this page) in the hours ahead to look for more details:

In recent months, we’ve heard from nearly 10,000 transit customers about our proposals to restructure bus service to be more productive and meet the needs of more people. That public input has helped shape the final September 2012 plan being submitted to the Metropolitan King County Council next week. This plan is aimed at being equitable, fair, and balanced regionally using the limited resources available.

Most of the final recommendations support the launch of the RapidRide C and D lines that will connect downtown Seattle to Ballard and West Seattle starting on Sept. 29. For that reason, the changes primarily affect service in Seattle and adjacent communities. Some of the revisions, such as the recommended changes to the routes 10, 11, 12, 123, and 125 will also improve the flow of buses through downtown Seattle, which will produce significant efficiencies for Metro’s overall system.

Not all of the changes originally proposed for this September will be part of the final plan. Some are being postponed for now, but could happen in the future. Several ideas needed further review and analysis.

The following list highlights changes that have been made to the original proposals:

1. Postponing all routing changes to the 2 (north and south parts), 4 (north and south parts), 13, 14 (south part), 16, 24, 27, and 33;

2. Considering small changes to frequency and spans of service for routes 14 (north and south parts), 24, 27, and 124 to better align service with ridership during the evening hours;

3. Providing service to 32nd Ave NW and North Beach via a new Route 61;

4. Retaining weekday and Saturday service on Route 125;

5. Providing service to Nickerson Street on Queen Anne by revising Route 2 Express to provide peak service from Nickerson Street to downtown Seattle, and retaining Route 17 during weekday peak periods to provide service from downtown Seattle to the Ballard business district (northbound in the morning and southbound in the afternoon, with trips timed to meet Sounder Commuter Rail trips to/from Tacoma);

6. Retaining service to the VA hospital on Beacon Hill with the new Route 50 and proposed Route 60;

7. Revising new Route 50 to serve Alaska Junction and the North Delridge neighborhood; and

8. Revising Route 156 to maintain service on S 216th Street and 8th Avenue S between 200th and Des Moines Memorial Drive S.

To learn more about the final plan, visit: metro.kingcounty.gov/have-a-say/projects/restructuring-system.html [links on right side of page].

People will have an opportunity to comment on the final September transit service plan at a scheduled public hearing of the King County Council’s Transportation, Economy and Environment Committee on Monday, April 16, from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm at Sound Transit’s Board Room at Union Station (401 S. Jackson Street, Seattle). Members of the public are welcome to attend the meeting and to testify concerning the recommended service changes. There will be an open house at 6:00 pm, presentation at 6:30 pm, and opportunity to provide public testimony at 7:00 pm.

To request a language interpreter or accommodations for persons with disabilities, please contact Paul Carlson, Council staff, at (206) 296-1673 by April 9. You may also submit comments to the King County Council email address for this topic at testimony@kingcounty.gov .

Harry Reems April 2, 2012 (5:12 pm)

Although I am greatly concerned how the proposed changes will impact West Seattle, I am wholly in favor of the elimination of the Ride Free Zone, which will occur in September. In order for Metro to build on becoming self sustaining, it needs to charge everyone for using the service.

carlton April 2, 2012 (5:49 pm)

i am also in favor of getting rid of the free ride, why should anyone get to ride for free huh?

JayDee April 2, 2012 (5:58 pm)

I tried to find out more by clicking the haveasay link, but all the news is old, or a copy of what was in the release. Clicking on the Metro Matters blog just leads to the release and a do-loop back to haveasay.

Thanks for playing…

WSB April 2, 2012 (6:07 pm)

Figures. I’ll find the link. Sorry. It’s been a crazy late afternoon and I just wanted to get the news release out fast in hopes people could at least browse for themselves if they wanted … provided apparently that they could find it!!! – TR
WSB April 2, 2012 (6:10 pm)

Update:
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Maybe this wasn’t up when you looked, but on the right side of this page:
http://metro.kingcounty.gov/have-a-say/projects/restructuring-system.html
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are the separate docs- summary of proposed changes, etc.
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It’s labeled clearly as what’s being recommended to the county council.
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I will add this to the story so nobody else has to wander around … TR

JayDee April 2, 2012 (6:36 pm)

Well, that is what I was looking for. It appears 50 is no longer routed down Admiral, but now runs down California and out through Genessee to Delridge to the West Seattle Bridge to 1st. That route makes more sense than the old one. I just wish they’d make links clearer “Map of Routes Recommended to County Council South of Downtown” rather than trying to figure it out. It may have been up, but obvious? Not.
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Thanks TR.

Nick April 2, 2012 (7:54 pm)

Nothing about the 37?

mightymo April 2, 2012 (7:57 pm)

I’m pretty disappointed because the 40 was perfect for me: It started from Admiral and went all the way to Georgetown, where I work. Now there’s no way to do that route without transferring downtown or in White Center (or Westwood Village I suppose). That’s status quo for me. I went to one of the meetings and really pushed my excitement about that route but I guess it didn’t make an impact.
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Not a single bus is using the 4th Ave. S offramp from the Spokane St. Viaduct? Why not? (I realize there’s no way to mirror the route the other way but a bus could go down Spokane and get on at 1st eventually.) At least the 50 could be another way to bypass downtown (even if it means transferring in SoDo).

Rachael April 2, 2012 (7:58 pm)

That at least looks better than the wholesale elimination of service to the Admiral District they originally planned.

keefN April 2, 2012 (8:00 pm)

anyone who’s attending the meetings, please hold Metro to their commitments for the RapidRide service levels for this new one from W.Seattle to downtown. As part of my commute I use the B line between Bellevue and Redmond. Since introduction, they haven’t successfully come remotely close to the every 10 minutes promise during commute hours. More like 15-30 mins. Last Friday – 25 minutes. They have ignored my complaints to answer why their can’t meet the promises for rough timings. We have right now excellent services with the 21, 54, 55 combined, let’s hope this doesn’t detract into what I witness on the Eastside now…..

JEM April 2, 2012 (8:35 pm)

Well, now it appears that the 21X will keep the current route on 100th, which they had proposed changing. So at least Arbor Heights won’t be screwed all day long

Bill April 2, 2012 (9:06 pm)

I was hoping that there would be bus service from West Seattle Junction to the VA Hospital on Beacon Hill (Route 50). It’s still going to be an hour and a half ride via downtown and w/transferring. It makes it none too easy for vets needing efficient and timely service for medical care. Why couldn’t the #50 make a 5 minute loop through the south side of the VA? The #128 does essentially the same thing on its route to serve SSCC.

DW April 2, 2012 (10:44 pm)

I think the new Rapid Ride would work well if we let metro dedicate all its resources toward BRT that was designed to get commuters downtown. Instead, we have people who gripe at all the community forums about their own route and Metro restores part of that service. As a result, the bus system is spread too thin and we have routes like the 50 and the 37 which do not serve the majority of commuters and are therefore useless. The needs of the many should outweigh the needs of the few in this case

JoB April 3, 2012 (4:45 am)

I m not happy about the loss of the free ride zone.

Rick April 3, 2012 (7:12 am)

I’ll second that, Bill. As a veteran myself I applauded the original proposal to route the 50 to the VA Medical Center but alas…..By the way DW, useless? You’re welcome.

mightymo April 3, 2012 (7:17 am)

Rapid Ride would work well if they gave it an exclusive lane on the bridge and the viaduct, but it won’t get the latter so it’ll be subject to the typical delays we have now. No amount of cutting other routes to beef up the number of Rapid Ride C buses running will avoid the realities of the transportation arteries.

Sue April 3, 2012 (10:27 am)

I find it interesting that Metro said (elsewhere) that when they eliminate the 54X in favor of Rapid Ride C, they would increase service on the Vashon buses (116/118/119) which run along Fauntleroy. The summary of proposed changes now say that the 116 has no recommended changes to its schedule right now, and 118/119 do not appear on this list at all. Don’t know if that’s an oversight, or if they don’t intend to increase service afterall, which would be a problem as the 54X bus is usually quite full at the times I take it, and there’s not enough overflow room in the short Vashon buses currently on the schedule. Plus it says in the summary about the 54X “Discontinue; provide alternate service on RapidRide C Line, and routes 116 and 120.” Uh, I don’t believe the 120 goes anywhere near the 54X. The 54? Yes. Not the 54 Express.

And DW, no route is useless for the people who use it. I could say the 120 is useless because I no longer live on Delridge, so I don’t need it anymore; but that doesn’t make it useless.

What *is* useless is Metro thinking Rapid Ride will be rapid when they don’t have any dedicated transit lanes for it on the bridge/viaduct. The whole thing is a joke and waste of money.

Laconique April 3, 2012 (1:53 pm)

So glad about the free ride zone going away. My guess is that the only people disappointed about this are people who don’t have to commute through the hell that is 3rd and Pike.

Mickymse April 3, 2012 (3:48 pm)

I believe the 50 will still make the loop into the VA parking lot… and the 37 will have 8 peak-only runs, four in the morning and four in the evening.

mightymo April 3, 2012 (7:25 pm)

Re: the Free Ride Zone, I’m not looking forward to the long lines to get on buses during rush hour. I anticipate a lot more standing at the front of a bus with empty seats in the back because people refuse to sit there; when I can get on through the back door, I can take those seats gladly.