We posted back in March that it looked like RapidRide, the new express bus service coming to Ballard in 2012, will run along 15th Ave. instead of the other option, 24th Ave. Today we received the final recommendation from the RapidRide advisory committee. “Nearly all panel members support or could live with RapidRide located on the 15th Avenue NW corridor,” it reads, adding that a survey of Ballard residents came up with the same conclusion.
As expected, RapidRide to run on 15th Ave.
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I'm all for more rapid transit. However, I have to ask why it takes 3 years to get a new bus route operating. I am sure there are reasons (excuses). Let's get with it people — this type of thing should be happening in MONTHS and not YEARS.
I hope this means street and sidewalk improvements along the 15th Avenue NW from Market to 85th Street…
I'd be interested in hearing what will happen to existing routes, now… some of us use those routes for places between here and downtown, not just rapidride straight to downtown….
will the 18 bus still run on 24th AVE then? if not, what about all of us that take that bus?
Yes it will. You will need to transfer at the Ballard Bridge.
Beyond the Ballard Bridge the 18 and 15 routes are identical to Downtown, both expresses and regular. I do believe some vary as they continue south, some to West Seattle and I am not sure of how that will be handled.
What kind of improvements do you want to see and how will the new route make the current sidewalks obsolete?
Three year – metro is a county program so any project has to deal with county wide competing interests. Rapid ride is a phased in project. I believe that Ballard is on the third phase hence the third year.
Yes sidewalk and street changes are happening along various areas (15th from Market to at least 85th) of the route as part of this implementation which also adds to the time it takes.
There are stops along much of the route just not as many as now.
It was my understanding that with the current revenue deficit, we don't know when/if money for RapidRide will be available.
I suspect that one of the drivers for choosing 15th Ave NW is that it eliminates the last multi-lane in each direction N/S arterial west of Aurora. (Greenwood is only multi-lane above 87th or so.) BRT means 15th will go to one general purpose lane in each direction. This could have been done on 24th without reducing the number of general purpose lanes.
15th will stay 2 general purpose lanes in each direction. They are pondering changes to the parking zones from 65th to 87th.
2012? Forget it, we buying a new car.
“t was my understanding that with the current revenue deficit, we don't know when/if money for RapidRide will be available.”
Typical Seattle. You vote to get taxed for something and when 'poof' the money vanishes you all stand around confused.
That's the best thing about a community, someone knows the answer to someone else's question…you know transit. ;-)
To clarify, the rapid ride will replace the 15 local and the 15X . The new rapid ride will follow the route of the existing 15 local. There will be less stops south of market along 15th and fewer in lower queen anne as well. In addition, the rapid ride will pass through downtown along 3rd avenue instead of 1st.
The 18 local and 18X will no longer service lower queen anne. If you want to get to lower queen anne and you board an 18 north of market, you will have to change buses at Leary.
For those who currently ride the 15x, the travel time will be a bit longer than the current. When I attended the whittier meeting, I pointed out to the metro reps that the new route would be longer than the 15X because all buses would now route through LQA. The rep just quoted some study by SDOT that said they could be the same. So I asked him ” if two buses leave market at the same time, and one stops 10 times to pick up passengers, and the other doesnt stop, which bus will arrive downtown at the same time?” He repeated the same line about the study and walked away.
“For those who currently ride the 15x, the travel time will be a bit longer than the current”
You sh***ing me?
Now I'm really glad we're getting that 2nd car.
Metro has concluded that the most important thing to the public is that they dont have to wait for a bus. That people can just walk out to the curb at any time and catch a bus. Even if it takes a little longer.
I pointed out to the metro reps that this change would have a negative impact on those who only ride the bus once a day to get downtown to work. His response was essentially that metro was not interested in increasing ridership of morning commuters. They are more inteersted in increasing ridership during the day.
Metro funding is… goofy. Seattle gets 20% of the available service money, and when cuts hit, Seattle gets 60% of the cuts. It's in the charter that created Metro. Don't like it… and you have plenty of company, start talking to those who can change it… which I believe would be the King County Council.
It sure would be nice if the existing parking laws from 65th to 87th were actually enforced. Northbound is a tow-away zone from 4-6pm, yet there are cars parked there every day during those hours, without so much as a ticket on the windshield.
I wish they'd court these daytime commuters during the day, and leave my commute fast. I fail to grasp why we can't have both: a fast commuter route and a frequently occuring daytime route.
can you say monorail?
damn….It already passes by full!, sometimes twice .-(
“The 18 local and 18X will no longer service lower queen anne. If you want to get to lower queen anne and you board an 18 north of market, you will have to change buses at Leary.”
GREAT! That is certainly inconvenient. And by “Leary”, do they mean the scuzzy bus stop by the bridge entrance? Waiting in a filty spot to transfer (to what will likely be very full bus) will cause me to get back in my own car and drive.
I had heard that before, here — that 18 passengers would have to transfer to the D at Ballard Bridge. But I put that exact question to someone from Metro at the event at Adams Elementary a couple months ago, and she said that the 18 will continue its current route — no need to transfer.
I'm not saying you're wrong, but I hope you are! :)
Ah, I see the answer down below — the 18 will still run downtown, but it won't go through QA any more.
Well, as long as the rapid ride STOPS at leary that's fine.. Currently the 15 express does not stop there, so if I take the 18 or 18express home to ballard and get off at leary I miss the 15 express that's usualy 5 minutes behind my 18.
And this is better why? That stop on Leary is a horrible place to wait for a bus and I have no problem getting to either Queen Anne or Downtown right now.
Fixing the sidewalks on 15th would be the only bright spot.
I think you can transfer south of leary as well. There should be stops along 15th in interbay served by both the 18 and rapid ride. Metro has not made the decisions on where they will be. You just have to transfer before mercer cause the rapid ride will turn there.
Just wanted to say “thanks snoopy” for all the helpful info you've posted here!
It's better because it eliminates duplicating a route.
Eliminating the duplication of the routes is definitely better from an efficiency stand point. The 15 and 18 probably spend 50% of their routes serving the same stops. But, eliminating the express option for those of us that ride the 15X is no improvement to the service.
Agreed. Efficiency however is a good thing and just MAYBE if the system is more efficient we can eventually have buses come more often which would be an improvement in service.
Money honey.
Well, if it takes longer to get downtown, I'll drive. It's that simple. I don't take the bus as a public service. If it's faster , I'll take it. Otherwise I drive.
Metro is run by idiots.
I hope that have someone that pushes the old, fat, and slow along. No to mention all the idiots that ask drivers questions about how to get around… just let the buses run. Bus drivers aren't librarians.
It's dumb that bikes can go inside… 2 bike on the front? Another brilliant idea…
Funding issues. It takes a long time to get enough money to buy new buses/build new shelters/do community outreach when you’re relying on a .1% sales tax fund that’s also going to lots of other things.
If metro got all this money in one lump sum, it would be there a long time ago.