West Seattle transit: RapidRide work; Route 120 meeting Tuesday

Two transit-related notes:

RAPIDRIDE WORK: Work continues along West Seattle’s future RapidRide route – the bus service that starts this fall – and we just noticed while in The Junction that, though the crew has moved off the Twilight/Edie’s/Rose Nails side of SW Alaska west of California, they are now cutting up the concrete on the other side of that stretch, by KeyBank, and that is closing the north entrance to the alley. The parking lot there is still open, but your best bet for getting to it is from 44th SW.

ROUTE 120 MEETING ON TUESDAY: One more advance reminder, tomorrow is your chance to get more information, and get questions answered, about the big changes ahead for Route 120 through eastern West Seattle. Metro’s having a meeting/open house 5:30-7:30 pm tomorrow (Tuesday, April 24) at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW). We first brought you word of this during a briefing at the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council meeting last month (WSB coverage here). Even if you can’t be there tomorrow night, you can take an online survey – deadline is this April – find it on the right side of this Metro webpage (which has more info about the Route 120 changes – not just the buses, but also Delridge “rechannelization” related to the changes).

chas redmond April 23, 2012 (4:04 pm)

Might question the Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance to see if there was any coordination with the Sunday West Seattle Farmers Market because, that is the entrance most of the vendors use to get into the Market area. I’m betting, of course, that SDOT hasn’t done a lick of coordination and that this coming Sunday’s Market will be one big cluster…., kinda like it was the week when the WS bridge was closed and no one notified the market folks or the vendors.

Gatewood Guy April 23, 2012 (7:44 pm)

Fair question Chas. We will be lucky if it is only torn up for a week. They started the work at California/Findlay over two months ago and it still isn’t finished.

CB April 24, 2012 (8:16 am)

Was there something wrong with the old bus stop? This “rapid ride” looks like nothing more than a boondoggle and a waste of money.

Rumbles April 24, 2012 (8:52 am)

But no money to empty trash cans over the weekend on Alki. (I know, I know, I’m sure it’s a special grant…)

WSB April 24, 2012 (9:02 am)

Well, buses are a county service, Alki is a city park. – TR

CB April 24, 2012 (10:15 am)

Government is always crying poor, yet there’s plenty of money for superfluous new bus stops. There’s a murder crisis in Seattle but no money for law enforcement.

boy April 24, 2012 (1:35 pm)

It is hard to belive that metro is hurting for money when you see these new bus stops going in. They are cutting bus service all over town to save money. but building these bus stops is a funny way to show it. It is criminal.

LAP April 24, 2012 (5:40 pm)

I am looking forward to the RRC Line; however, I am dismayed by the mess created throughout West Seattle for the building of the new stops and stations. The concept is great….build out the curb so that the bus does not have to pull out of traffic and then fight to get back in – and having 3 doors open for boarding/disembarking will be convenient, once riders get used to the idea. But……they have not coordinated the demo crews and pouring/finishing crews at all. 35th and Avalon Northbound has been out of commission completely for nearly 6 weeks and now they are going to start messing with the Southbound stop. I have not appreciated losing the bus shelter during the wind and rain of the late winter/early spring, and boarding the bus through the mud and yuck at the temporary stop is inconvenient – to put it mildly. I emailed SDOT / Metro on Friday asking for an update on completion times….no response received yet. I am running out of patience.

west Seattle since 1979 April 24, 2012 (11:01 pm)

LAP, plus the sidewalk is closed where the stop is being worked on. So if we’re walking to the stop from the north, we have to cross 35th at Snoqualmie, where it’s actually hard to cross because you can’t see vehicles coming over the hill.

LAP April 25, 2012 (6:06 pm)

WS Since 1979….agreed. Dangerous mess. And the parking today for us “make-shift Park -n- Riders” was gone by 6 am! The whole stop/station building project is a mess. I did see today that some concrete was poured on Alaska and Fauntleroy, near the new Les Schwab tire store. Maybe….just maybe…they are working their way to 35th! Dare we hope??? Still no reply from SDOT. :-(

BR April 26, 2012 (3:47 pm)

Will this really be “rapid” or just frequent? The main thing slowing the 54X, and all other busses that travel the WSB and 99N, are the interrupted “bus only” lanes. Is WSDOT going to create a “bus only” lane for the entire length of the WSB and 99N? If not, this won’t be a truly rapid ride.

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