Followup: Campaigning for transportation $ in the Legislature

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(Photo courtesy ‘Keep King County Moving’ Coalition)
Following up on our Monday report about transportation-funding proposals approved by the House Transportation Committee, two notes:

First – as promised, the “Keep King County Moving” coalition of political and organizational leaders hit the road for Olympia this morning to urge approval of the package. Among them were two West Seattleites seen in the photo above – County Executive Dow Constantine and County Councilmember Joe McDermott.

Second – a little more information on part of the proposal that sparked some discussion among WSB commenters following our Monday story. It would include funding to “split” Metro RapidRide Lines C and D – which currently are really one line going between West Seattle and Ballard. We asked the King County Department of Transportation if any more details were available, and spokesperson Rochelle Ogershok replied today:

This is a proposal for capital improvements. It calls for $15 million to split the RapidRide C and D lines to improve reliability and provide additional direct service to growing job centers in the South Lake Union and SODO neighborhoods.

The approach under consideration would have the C Line running between West Seattle and South Lake Union. The D Line would operate between Ballard and SODO. There is no specific routing sketched out at this point – that is something we would want to work with businesses and the city on if this legislation passes. Also, this proposal does not include added service hours or bus terminal/transit center space in South Lake Union that would be required to support these changes so this concept would need to be part of a broader legislative package that includes sufficient operating revenues.

Again, the bills are HB 1954 and HB 1955. 34th District State Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon says the next move is up to the Rules Committee.

West Seattle Hipster April 23, 2013 (5:40 pm)

Instead of wasting taxpayer money on an agency that is unable to manage money, spend the dollars on bringing light rail to West Seattle.

Jim Clark April 23, 2013 (6:01 pm)

so let another agency (sound transit) who is just about as bad as KC metro at managing money spend the money. How bout we reform both of them before flushing more money down the toilet

NickN April 23, 2013 (8:15 pm)

Well, first they asked for extra taxes for Metro and when they got them, they tried to cut out the 22 bus service. After people protested that climbing a few hundred feet uphill wasn’t useful, they left the 22 on, but limited its route to West Seattle. So when I try to go to Seattle Center, rather than one bus, I now have to change buses to the C.

Now they want more taxes so they can split the C and D lines so I’ll have to transfer twice to go to Seattle Center. Of course, they’re still trying to cut the 22 line, since fewer people seem to take it.

I wish they’d leave a quarter of the C/D buses as shared routes, so those of us who say, want to go around the city don’t need an extra hour of transfer time each way. But I doubt they are smart enough to do that. They’re too busy trying to figure how to block more traffic by spending all the new money on more Bus Bulbs.

jiggers April 23, 2013 (8:53 pm)

Who cares if they’re West Seattleites! Delete time..I asked this question to a bus driver about the two lines that basically run the same route several months ago. He just smirked at me. I like the idea of a bus going to South Lake Union from the Junction, but doesn’t the #50 already service the SODO area now? It sounds more like eliminating what’s been put in place. That would mean only one bus, the C-Line, would be servicing the already overcrowded route, and the D-Line would be gone from West Seattle all together? lordy!

Eric1 April 23, 2013 (10:08 pm)

My position is pretty simple:
.
It is really hard to support an entity that rarely listens to its constituients, makes foolish decisions, and fails to deliver even the most basic services.

dsa April 24, 2013 (12:31 am)

Thanks Joe and Dow, removing the D Line from WS will solve our transportation problem for a mere 15 million dollars. I hope your opponents remember that in the next campaign.

dsa April 24, 2013 (1:08 am)

Taking the C line ridership out of the concurrent routing could invalidate any traffic study done to justify channelization. The riders would still be there, but with the buses gone they would likely be assumed to be in single occupant vehicles. As such some of the transit prioritizations may no longer be justified due to congestion in the reduced general purpose lane(s).

West Seattle since 1979 April 24, 2013 (6:26 am)

Jiggers, SODO is “south of downtown”, not South Lake Union.

Thomas April 24, 2013 (7:52 am)

Jiggers, it sounds more like the two routes would create an X. It is currently possible for a rider to take the C to the 50 to [kind of] get to SODO. And a rider of the D can already get to SODO by transferring into the tunnel via the light rail.

george April 24, 2013 (10:38 am)

This is why I don’t take the bus any more. Mission Accomplished?

Kathy April 24, 2013 (11:47 am)

Will miss having a one-seat ride from West Seattle to Seattle Center and the playhouses, ballet, opera, Queen Anne District, Ballard and the Burke-Gilman Trail. We had it on the 56, then it was the C line, now it looks like “no mo”. The more transfers you have to make, the more you need frequent (5-10 minute) service around the clock. Hopefully the 15 million can provide this.

miws April 24, 2013 (4:05 pm)

Unless I’m just not seeing it in the article, it doesn’t look like Metro, at this time, is saying that the C-Line will no longer be serving Seattle Center West.

I know this is pure speculation, but if Metro is saying that SOLU will be served by C-Line, it’s quite possible that it would continue to serve Seattle Center West, and then hang a right onto Mercer.

Mike

WSB April 24, 2013 (4:31 pm)

Rochelle from KCDOT stressed that there is no route roughed out yet – just the concept that the C Line would go to South Lake U, and the D line would go to SODO … TR

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