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August 19, 2008 at 7:17 pm #587811
condodwellerMemberI have recently heard discussion of Rapid Ride coming to West Seattle. Has the route been determined as yet? Will it be Fauntleroy or Alaska Street?
I understand the main benefit will be a quicker pay process and a third door, but the conveyance will travel at 25 miles per hour. I do not understand why that would qualify for the title of rapid, and sounds like it would impede traffic flow.
Also, who are making the final decision as to the route, will the residents near the route have a say?
August 19, 2008 at 7:30 pm #634641
WSBKeymasterAlaska has been chosen for the route.
Metro made the decision but there were multiple public hearings and open houses (covered and previewed here at WSB) earlier this year.
Certainly lots of debate about whether it will TRULY be “rapid.”
You can browse our coverage from this list of WSB search results:
http://www.google.com/search?q=rapidride&sitesearch=westseattleblog.com
— TR (WSB editor)
August 19, 2008 at 9:29 pm #634642
elevatedconcernMemberI for one attended all of the public hearings for Rapid Ride and no one from King County Metro bothered to respond to my numerous questions and requests to remain informed about the selection process or decision of the route. Not one reply. There is nothing rapid about single lane traffic down Alaska to another single lane on Avalon to a stop light to get onto the bridge. Fauntleroy was built as an arterial and Rapid Ride could have utilized that intended purpose, multiple lanes, straight ahead, directly onto the bridge and then to downtown. What we are getting is an expensive Rapid Ride to the Junction, that’s where it stops.
August 19, 2008 at 11:23 pm #634643
condodwellerMemberHas anyone monitored the number of emergency vehicles that travel SW Alaska Street? Some days there are as many as 20 police, aid, ambulance and fire trucks going through the intersection of 35th Ave. SW and SW Alaska. Many are near misses with traffic as it is, putting slower and more frequent public transportation along the stretch from Fauntleroy to 35th will not make things better.
Even though there are responses along Fauntleroy also, not near the volume as with the 35th route, and there are more lanes for travel.
August 20, 2008 at 5:12 am #634644
JulieMember“Rapid” it won’t be, but one very good thing about it will be a shorter time between buses–10 to 15 minutes during the day. That will help.
I doubt it will avoid impeding traffic flow.
August 20, 2008 at 9:27 am #634645
JanSParticipantwell, it doesn’t have an impact on us up here in the north end…I don’t even pay attention to what’s going on with it, & find it interesting that it’s so controversial. I also find the name – Rapid Ride – kind of humorous, since it seems that it won’t be faster than any other bus service out there…
August 20, 2008 at 5:08 pm #634646
WSMomParticipantI’m excited that “Rapid Ride” stops will have real time bus info posted electronically and that the bus will be on a 15 minute schedule. I just took the bus downtown to do govt. business this morning. Getting down there was easy, but figuring out where to catch the bus to get back to W. Seattle proved a bit confusing. I’d love to see more “bus info” kiosk’s downtown and at the RapidRide locations
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