15 Replies to "TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: What's happening Wednesday"

• Chris W November 14, 2012 (7:53 am)

  Twelve people just got left behind by C line at 35th and Avalon.

• Nancy November 14, 2012 (7:55 am)

  Full buses going by. When is this going to improve?

• Kg November 14, 2012 (8:55 am)

  Full c bus at alaska and fauntleroy at 8:51 left people behind

• RS November 14, 2012 (10:10 am)

  Bus was packed like sardines. Yesterday was even worse. People left behind, people getting off because they were claustrophobic. These buses are so full they are dangerous, this has to be illegal…seems like a lawsuit waiting to happen. What is going on. One of the joys of living in W Seattle was the bus system now it is a nightmare. Metro tried to fix something that was not broken….really frustrating. Not to mention the traffic mess created by this. Easy solution Bring back the 54!!

• Lynn November 14, 2012 (10:56 am)

  C line was already mostly full when it arrived at the Junction around 8:45. Standing room only for most of those waiting for it. It was very uncomfortably packed–I would have gotten off but couldn’t get to an exit because they were all blocked by standing passengers. I thought this was supposed to get better?

• CandrewB November 14, 2012 (11:48 am)

  That C Line sure is popular. Way more popular than the 49, 43, 11, 10, and 14 that I see rumble down from Cap Hill every morning as I walk up Pine. Everyone gets a seat on those. They must not be as popular.

• Pam November 14, 2012 (2:26 pm)

  Today i went to catch the c line at California/Fauntleroy going to westwood. i arrived at the stop at 12.21 pm, the sign was not working saying refer to schedual. 2 C line passed heading downtown, the bus came at 12.50 pm, with another C line right behind,i am going to buy a car, and say so long C line.

  • WSB November 14, 2012 (2:40 pm)

    Update in the works re: what’s being done to try to fix the signs. Metro has just responded to us as well as to at least two of the people who have e-mailed to report it – TR

• iggy November 14, 2012 (3:26 pm)

  CandrewB is exactly right. I ride the 2, 4, 8, 10, 11, 12, 43, 49, and 16 on a regular basis. The drivers are polite, helpful, and friendly. Even when it is SRO, the drivers make sure that people who need seats have seats. They answer questions about connections and help people who need extra time getting on and off. Most of the time the buses are on schedule and there are seats.
  Meanwhile on the C line, I’ve found the buses are so big and crowded and passengers so far from the drivers that you can’t communicate. The drivers must be stressed and I’m finding most of them unfriendly and unhelpful. For example, a woman who obviously didn’t speak English well got on at Myrtle. The RR was almost empty. She asked the driver in broken English if this was the bus to downtown. Instead of politely saying yes it is, the driver snarled that she should read the sign at the bus stop (it does say Rapid Ride C to Downtown). But good grief, the woman (who I might add was very polite) was obviously not fluent in English and the sign could be confusing. A bad experience. Even the packed 128, awful as that can be, is more “human” than the C. Bigger and impersonal is obviously not better.

• Jeff Switzer, King County Metro November 14, 2012 (3:48 pm)

  Pam, we’ve heard reports of the RapidRide real-time arrival signs that aren’t working. We’ve fixed some and are are still working on the others. We have more details about the locations, California/Fauntleroy and the ferry terminal, and what our plan is going forward. http://bit.ly/RUArgO

• michael November 14, 2012 (4:03 pm)

  Nothing is going to change til Metro’s new “C” line has a crash and a bunch of the riders get hurt!!!! As I’m sure they’ve talked to the bean counters and figured out what the risk are and how far they can go before anyone is hurt to the point it cones to some kind of a Class Action. Not saying that I want to start one yet I do see one coming if things don’t change as people will get fired for being late to work, people will fail classes at schoole because the “C” line leaves them at the stop and they miss finals, as well as any number of other types of things missed. Like I know if I am late getting to my doctor I get charged for the time I wasted of the doctors and have to make a new apponitment as I will not be able to see the doctor that day. I’m not sure if any of these things happen to others yet I’m sure it does. I found it funny that metro tells me to use trip planner and I do yet it means I now have to take 3 buses to work and it takes me about 45 minutes longers so I’m not seeing any of the stuff they were saying we would get with this new bus line here in West Seattle. I also take a taxi home from QFC or Safeway at Jefferson Sq. as we no longer have bus service to there for anyone who might live south of the jct. If you live north you have buses that still stop there and I find it sad that metro has shown such disrespect to us the riders as they have here.

• erin November 14, 2012 (4:55 pm)

  C line leaving downtown today at 4:35 was harrowing. First, because it was so packed at the last downtown stop, someone who was blind and needed assistance had to board mid-bus (too many people trying to board front into standing room only so they could swipe their Orca pass) which caused her much disorientation. Not to mention, since we could barely move, there was a bit of jockeying trying to find her a seat. Multiple people offered but she couldn’t use her cane because there was no floor space. As soon as we hit the Alaskan Way Viaduct, someone in the bus threw up. Because it was packed this message had to be relayed like a children’s game of telephone up to the bus driver. We all got to learn that she was sick and had just come from the doctor. At least I made it on the bus home. My morning bus couldn’t complete all the stops due to overcrowding.

• cleows November 14, 2012 (5:57 pm)

  RR C from Findlay this am (leaving about 7:40 am) was already SRO

• iggy November 14, 2012 (6:04 pm)

  Erin, Exactly what I was talking about in a previous post. The C buses are so big that it is impossible when they are full to communicate with the driver and for the driver to see what is going on.
  They want us to exit in the rear, but when the bus stops about a foot from the curb, it is very dangerous for older people. It’s a long step down into the gutter and then you have to get up onto the curb before the bus takes off !!! It’s too long and steep to jump onto the curb. We’ve been told to go to the front and have the driver use the kneeler, but sometimes it’s hard to get to the front and then the drivers are rude. (I know, I know, I’m supposed to write down the bus number and report it to Metro…….) As I said it my previous post, it’s the C that is the problem. I have never had trouble even on a SRO bus 4. People on the 4 are so nice as are the drivers.

• East Coast Cynic November 14, 2012 (9:19 pm)

  CandrewB

  As one who lived in Capitol Hill for close to 15 years, I suspect the greater ease of public transportation is a combination of more buses lines running in a short period of time, a smaller population serviced compared to West Seattle, more north bound pathway options–Eastlake to the University Bridge and 23rd Ave/Montlake to the Montlake Bridge as well as numerous other streets to get to those main bridges (all you’ve got in WS is the bridge for escape), and the option of walking or biking downtown, or biking to the University District (More youthful legs in that neighborhood capable of doing such).

Sorry, comment time is over.