Metro changes: New Route 50 has a reroute from the get-go

Saturday’s the day for big Metro changes, including the addition of Route 50. But the county has just sent word there’ll be a change from the original plan. North Delridge won’t get westbound service for a few months, it seems:

Beginning Saturday, September 29, Metro Transit will launch the new, much requested east/west bus Route 50 to connect West Seattle with southeast Seattle via North Delridge and SODO.

However, due to delays in the installation of a traffic signal at SW Genesee St and SW Avalon Way – required for Route 50 to make a left turn onto Avalon – westbound Route 50 heading toward Alki, will be temporarily rerouted via SW Spokane St and SW Avalon Way.

Heading toward West Seattle, Route 50 will serve existing bus stops on SW Spokane Street and SW Avalon Way, and will not serve the North Delridge area south of Spokane St.

Routes 120 and 125 from downtown Seattle will continue to serve southbound Delridge Way SW between SW Spokane St and SW Genesee St.

Route 50 heading toward SODO and Columbia City will follow its regular route via SW Genesee St and Delridge Way SW, and will serve its regularly posted stops along that routing.

The new traffic signal is scheduled to be installed by the end of the year.

Additionally, in the Admiral District, Route 50 heading toward SODO and Columbia City will be temporarily rerouted due to a turning radius issue from eastbound SW Admiral Way onto southbound California Av SW. There are no stops affected by this minor reroute.

P.S. There were some Route 50 questions in our reader questions/Metro answers Q/A – here’s the first installment (a few more answers still to come).

ADDED 2:16 PM: Here’s the reroute map.

BWD September 27, 2012 (1:34 pm)

Thank goodness. Now the route as driven will actually match the map in the printed bus schedule. Hopefully this will become permanant and they will not be going up or down Genesee at all. It’s difficult for regular cars to get up the hill even in plain old rain.

Diane September 27, 2012 (1:44 pm)

guess that explains why the 50 route map is not available online; when will they have the new/temp 50 map online?

WSB September 27, 2012 (2:15 pm)

Diane – I have a PDF of the new map and am adding it to the story in a minute. After I published this from an advisory that came in via one e-mail account, it came in as a news release on a different account, with the map attached – TR
- WSB September 27, 2012 (2:17 pm)
  
  https://westseattleblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/RevRt50_withinset.pdf

chas redmond September 27, 2012 (1:52 pm)

BWD – you might have misunderstood – SDOT and Metro will implement the route up Genesee once SDOT installs the light at the intersection of Avalon and Genesee. As shown on the current 50 map, Delridge really isn’t served, and one of the points of this new route is to serve Delridge-Alaska Junction as well as other east-west connections. SDOT is – apparently – slow. This was discussed with Councilman Rasmussen in a walk in the 26th Avenue area this past Summer.

Noelle September 27, 2012 (1:55 pm)

Lame. Get it together, City of Seattle. How much lead time could they possibly need to install a traffic light?

Youngstown neighbor September 27, 2012 (2:20 pm)

Sigh! I was so looking forward to a ride up the hill to Trader Joe’s or QFC or Bartell’s or Anywhere! Guess I’ll wait some more . . .

Bruce Nourish September 27, 2012 (2:43 pm)

What’s the fix for the turning radius issue?

Sybil September 27, 2012 (2:48 pm)

Oh bummer! I am with Youngstown neighbor. Was so excited about being able to access most of the rest of the WS from North Delridge with this new route. Hopefully that light goes up sooooooon.

Diane September 27, 2012 (3:00 pm)

thank you

Carraig na Splinkeen September 27, 2012 (3:33 pm)

I don’t think the reality of not having direct non-peak service to/from downtown and Alki anymore has sunk in…having to transfer on what was an already overly long bus trip mid-day is a severe time penalty that I, and I assume others, cannot afford to pay. And just in time for the water taxi to go on winter schedule. Ouch!

MARY September 27, 2012 (3:54 pm)

So until the traffic light revision business is worked out, the #50, westbound, can be picked up near the Chelan Cafe and also at the 26th and Spokane stop? Thanks for the thorough news coverage, WSB!

West Seattleite September 27, 2012 (4:25 pm)

Change is so tough. I am conservative. I don’t want a darn thing to change. Forever.

Mightymoh September 27, 2012 (5:54 pm)

I’m still trying to figure out where in SoDo the 50 stops (besides the stop on the Busway). Bad enough that Trip Planner didn’t seem to know it exists until now. I guess I’ll ride it and see.

Moose2 September 27, 2012 (8:41 pm)

Mightymoh, I hear you! The planning for the 50 seems a little bit rough, what with the map having so many errors.

I can’t figure out where the stops will be in Sodo either. One of the original ideas for the 50 was to provide a 56 replacement where people take rail to Sodo station and transfer, but there is no for north/westbound buses at busway & Lander (unless they’ve built one recently). I guess we’ll have to try the bus to find out where it stops.

-Moose2

JEM September 27, 2012 (11:33 pm)

I think I saw a sign for the 50 at 1st & Lander

Mike Dady September 28, 2012 (8:19 am)

The application to fund the traffic light for Avalon and Genesee was submitted to SDOT/DON in 2011. It was approved by DOT/DON and the Delridge District Council. The price tag was projected at $65k. The surveyors did their work months ago. It is appalling that it has not been installed in time for Metro to begin its long sought service along Genesee both East and WEST bound for residents of North Delridge.

Kathy September 28, 2012 (8:36 am)

Let’s send a bunch of letters to SDOT and ask them to please hurry up with that signal project at SW Avalon Way and SW Genesee Street. And while they’re at it, give the 50 bus a signal override so that it doesn’t have to come to a dead stop and start up again at the top of that steep hill. I sent my letter already.

WSB September 28, 2012 (8:52 am)

FWIW when last we checked on the Avalon/Genesee light, the timetable was “done by Thanksgiving.”
.
https://westseattleblog.com/2012/07/followup-design-work-starting-soon-for-avalongenesee-signal
.
TR

Baymo September 28, 2012 (9:22 am)

I agree with the commenter about losing access to Alki. It’s really shortsighted by Metro. They have killed the number 37 service to almost nothing. Then in a number of months they will announce that ridership is down – a predictable result of reducing the service. This will give them the ability to get rid of it altogether.

JEM September 28, 2012 (10:06 am)

Sorry, saw a sign for the 50 at 1st & Hanford; Lander doesn’t have any new signage yet. But I assume it would stop there.

Mightymoh September 28, 2012 (11:38 am)

Thanks, JEM. I’m trying to transfer to a southbound bus on 4th and am trying to figure out how much time I have to transfer (because I don’t trust Trip Planner’s walking-time estimates). Trip Planner has me transfer at a stop at “Busway and Spokane Street” but I was thinking Lander would be a better option (especially with all the construction).

nicholas September 29, 2012 (8:32 am)

it would be nice if the trip planner/SOMETHING included the estimated times for these reroute stops. it’s sort of difficult to plan a trip on a route you’ve never ridden using a reroute off a schedule that you have yet to experience.
i am sort of just guessing as to when the 50 MIGHT show up at the west bound reroute stops…

Kathy September 30, 2012 (5:45 pm)

I just took the 50 from Alki to Home Depot in SODO (3:10pm, Sunday). The driver did not turn right on Genesee as promised. She said the turn is too sharp for the bus they have to fix the sidewalk so the bus can make the turn. (However, the driver was able to make the right turn from Admiral Way to California and did not use the re-route around the Admiral Twin Theater block). To make matters worse, the bus went straight to the freeway from Avalon and did not stop on Spokane St at 26th or Chelan Street. I was counting on this route to get to North Delridge for an appointment this week. I have reported this to Metro, hopefully this is just a temporary glitch.

Livin' in WS since '91 October 1, 2012 (9:34 am)

My critique: missed the RR @ 35th & Barton, noticed the ORCA card reader was not working; caught the 560 to the junction, watched as the RR bus pulled away as we pulled up; waited over 15 minutes for the RR, only to see it fill up to SRO before we departed — I’ve seen too many people thrown to the bus floor over the years, so I got off rather than stand; waited another close to 10 minutes for the next RR (found out later I should have taken the new rt. 50 to SODO and transferred to a downtown route); once on board the RR, the wifi only worked for about six blocks, then cut out…I’ll be taking the 21X the remainder of the week and watching to see if this Rapid Ride gets RAPID.

Mickymse October 1, 2012 (11:28 am)

I just saw a Route 50 turn and drive down Genesee while waiting for the 120 this morning. Please make sure to report drivers not following the reroute.

WSB October 1, 2012 (11:44 am)

We saw one make the turn last night too, around 7:30-8 pm.

BWD October 1, 2012 (1:45 pm)

I don’t understand why there is an posted eastbound 50 bus shelter on SW Avalon PAST where they would turn right on to Genesee if they were supposed to do so. If there is a turn on Genesee than there will be a lot of upset people (me included) waiting at that stop.