(WSB photo of RapidRide bus in The Triangle shortly after C Line debut last fall)
Tomorrow is “service change” day for Metro – one of several each year. When we published the West Seattle changes earlier this week, commenters wondered what Metro meant by saying “the RapidRide C and D Line schedules will be adjusted.” Metro spokesperson Jeff Switzer promised to find out – and here’s the followup information he has just shared:
RapidRide C and D lines: A new southbound weekday trip to Westwood Village leaving Bay 3 at the Alaska Junction at 5:12 a.m. will be added. Also, in an effort to balance passenger loads, the RapidRide C and D line schedules will be adjusted during the morning peak period.
What does this mean?
1) We’re adding an early morning trip to help connect with service to the airport.
2) The other changes are to actual trip times northbound from West Seattle to downtown. The net number of trips is identical (except for the partial added early morning trip), while having more buses run during the period where ridership data showed more need.
This has the effect of allowing 11 trips instead of 10 between 7:45 a.m. and 9:45 a.m. (when passenger loads were higher) and 12 trips instead of 13 between 4:59 a.m. and 6:59 a.m. (when passenger loads were lower).
Another way of looking at it, after June 8, C Line weekday buses to downtown Seattle are scheduled:
· about every 8-12 minutes from 5:30-9:24 a.m.
· about every 15 minutes starting at 9:24 a.m. (15-minute service previously started at 8:39 a.m.)
Updated schedules will be posted online later Friday, and riders can view the adjusted trip times to be ready for Monday. Though the RapidRide C/D line service is interconnected, D Line morning trips are staying roughly the same as they were since February.
Since launching, we continue to closely monitor operations and watch for opportunities to better serve passengers within our budget.
We appreciate everyone’s continued support and ridership, and ask for patience as riders and drivers transition to the adjusted trip schedule.
Reminder that Sound Transit also makes its periodic service changes tomorrow – including a major change to Route 560.
| 21 COMMENTS