If you’re still looking for printed timetables and/or answers to questions about the bus changes that took effect today – including the launch of RapidRide C Line – look for the red-and-yellow bus at Westwood Village, and the balloon-decorated tent next to it. Metro reps will be there till 4. County Councilmember Joe McDermott was there in the early going, right after 11, as was “RapidRide Man”:
For info links related to today’s changes – check our roundup from last night.
are they providing anything new/different at Westwood RR event (besides new bus schedules) than they’ve had at all the other RR tables at festivals? Love RR-man; he’s very nice, and funny; great ‘mascot’
oh, also just remembered; when I met RR-man at Ballard Fest, he said that our RR C-line would be free for the first week; have you heard anything about that?
No. Seems highly unlikely. Especially being concurrent with the end of the ride-free zone.
Another waste of tax payer money. It is things like RapidRide that allows apartment buildings to be built without parking spaces for people who live there. The total destruction of West Seattle as we knew it.
when light rail first opened it was free for a week or so; wonder why he would have told me that RR would be free for 1st week; it was the same idea, helping people learn about this new mode of transport
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well that is disappointing, on top of all the other depressing news about metro
If you get on a bus and find out otherwise – let me know. I don’t know that I can reach a system spokesperson this weekend and honestly, with everything that has bombarded us information-wise, I am CERTAIN they would have made a squig out of it if they were offering free rides for even a day, let alone a week.
Rode the RR this afternoon. Definitely no free rides. People are still paying as they get off coming out of dowtown. Old habits die hard. The Orca card reader is not working in the Junction headed to Westwood. Lights on the new electronic sign were out too. We will see how Monday goes.
thanks; RR-man told me he drives the RR line down south (Federal Way?); maybe that was free first week and he just assumed same would happen here
I just got a $124 ticket this afternoon catching light rail from Pioneer Square to Westlake Mall for not swiping my card. They took a picture of my ID and said that if I get another ticket within a twelve month period, I will be arrested and sent to jail and fined $1,000. Not joking!
coyoteandthecat-
At Westwood today when I asked about perhaps boarding after miss-swiping a card, or dashing on after a child (“special”) who might dash on board ahead of me while I tried to swipe my card, the driver and RR Man both insisted that the security folks would be very lenient, at least for the first month or so, while things were being sorted out and people were getting used to the new system.
Guess that would be in RR Man’s regular area too, and not here, eh?
We waited more than 25 minutes at the junction for the 10-15 minute C today. There were people who got on the bus and sat down to rummage for their pass, card or money and then just got off the buss and never paid. Also there was no metro rider on the bus we took today, though I didn’t see anyone get in the back doors, there was nobody available to stop them. There were people stampeding out the front door though so we had to wait to get on. I like the new buses but I will miss the cushy seats of the old ones.
I just looked at the new schedule for my bus route. Big cut back in service!
OneBusAway updated their Android app today, and it appears to now show the new schedule.
Honestly the new 120 route is dumb stupid and the 11 coming from Broadway does not turn into the 125 like it used to and does not turn left onto 3rd and pike going Southbound kind of stupid has me irrititated to the max.
I wonder how many kids will be late for school (or miss entirely) at Sealth HS now that the 22 has changed….
That’s one place we might stake out, since we have to go there daily anyway. Looking for other suggestions on bus stops to watch tomorrow morning as we cover the first RR commute …
My neighbor just received this email from Metro:
UPDATE:Beginning on Sunday, September 30 until Friday, October 5 from 9:00 PM until 5:00 AM each night, Route 21 Local & Express will be rerouted off of SW 100th St between 35th Av SW & 37th Av SW, due to construction.
During this time, Route 21 Local & Express heading toward Arbor Heights will travel instead via 35th Av SW, SW 102nd St, 37th Av SW and SW 100th St to its regular route.
Heading toward downtown Seattle, Route 21 Local & Express is not affected.
Thank you for riding and for using Metro’s service.
Apparently Metro is unaware that the 21 Local no longer provides bus service to and from Arbor Heights, only the 21 Express provides limited bus service as does the #22.
Another thing, on the Metro website Arbor Heights is referred to as being in Burien, and not in Seattle.
WSB, for RR coverage, try 35th Ave SW and Avalon in the morning and California and Morgan in the late afternoon rush hour.
so I tried out the new Rapid Ride today, from near Alaska junction to Ballard @Market/15th; then 5 min wait at light (wow, traffic is way worse out there) and 15 min walk to Sustainable Ballard Fest, near library.
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“Rapid” Ride, on a Sunday, with no traffic, not so rapid
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Alaska/Fauntleroy “station” reader board was not working; waited 15+ mins for bus; after 15 mins, guy there with me tried his android One Bus Away, which told him 8 mins; so then I tried One Bus Away on my simple cell phone that only does calls; right as the RR was pulling up, OBA said “it will arrive in 7 mins”; so much for real-time on either OBA or the reader board; hope they get both of those up and running correctly soon, especially since RR has no scheduled times
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so I got on RR-C at 3:18pm; packed for a Sunday, aisles filled with standing passengers; apparently there are far fewer seats on the new buses; and you have to get real cozy, seats are very close together
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RR-C becomes RR-D downtown, and landed at 15th/Market about 4:05
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on ride back, less crowded, but similar amount of time
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RR-D left 15th/Market 5:34pm; arrived 3rd/Pike at 6:04pm; quite a bit faster back to WS, got off at Alaska/Fauntleroy at 6:20pm
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glad I don’t have to depend on bus service from Ballard to downtown
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very very curious to see how all this works out tomorrow
Diane, if you live in West Seattle (or Ballard), you can have a free ORCA card loaded with unlimited rides until 8 December which covers rides on Metro, the Water Taxi and Sound Transit. Go to the Metro website, click on “Programs”, “In Motion”, “West Seattle”. Register and then click the box saying you want a free ORCA card. It may take them a few weeks to send it to you since they are getting swamped with requests. Hint=don’t ask for the free tote bag or it might take longer to arrive. Here’s the link: http://www.kingcounty.gov/transportation/kcdot/MetroTransit/InMotion.aspx
Thank Kathy; yes I learned about this program at Delridge Day Fest, put it on my calendar, and signed up first day; received my card/packet of schedules in the mail on 9/29; so in addition to trying out RR, it was my first time using an Orca card; there was a very nice guy/rider at the WS stop who showed me how to use it at the station, because I kept getting error messages
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I’m very excited about opportunity to use Water Taxi for first time in few years (ever since they raised rates, multiple times, and stopped allowing transfers for return trips, it’s way too expensive to ride; cash price is now $8 round trip, for a 12 min ride)
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and it will be nice to have option to hop on light rail downtown, now that free ride zone has been killed
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it will especially be absolute luxury to job hunt and get work downtown without having to worry about 2 hr window for transfer; for those of us without employer provided bus passes, it’s $5 round trip by bus; adds up fast
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InMotion was at the Ballard fest so I also got to pick up my InMotion tote bag, very high quality/nice looking/durable waterproof cloth; thank you InMotion !!!
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