Metro Transit’s new RapidRide “A” Line will debut this Saturday, Oct. 2, and when it does, according to a breathlessly-worded press release:

“…thousands of passengers in South King County will be riding on smart new buses that will come so often there will be no need for a schedule.”

On Friday (Oct. 1st), King County Executive Dow Constantine, along with local leaders and transportation officials, got a preview of the new “A” Line that will run along Pacific Highway South/International Boulevard. The line, which will operate between the Tukwila Link station and Federal Way Transit Center, will be the first of six RapidRide lines scheduled for introduction in the coming years offering frequent and more convenient service for thousands of Metro customers.

“Metro’s first RapidRide line will combine the best features Metro has to offer customers,” Constantine said. “In addition to shorter travel times and 10- to 15-minute service much of the day, the ride will be better, too. RapidRide will be operated with a new fleet of environmentally-friendly hybrid buses, offer new technology features and free Wi-Fi service during the trip. It will mark a new generation of Metro bus service we can all look forward to.”

These improvements are expected to cut travel times by one-third along the busy 11-mile line serving the cities of Federal Way, Des Moines, Kent, SeaTac, and Tukwila. The “A” Line will offer twice as much service as the current Route 174 and will conveniently connect with Link light rail stations to offer passengers even more travel options to downtown Seattle.

Additional amenities will include:

• Larger well-lit shelters offering more protection from the wind and rain.
• Stop-request signals at stations so riders can alert bus drivers when they are waiting for a bus at night.
• More benches and bike racks at stations.
• More green lights and other improvements to keep buses moving.
• Free Wi-Fi service on all RapidRide coaches allowing passengers to go online during their trip.
• New automated stop announcements and electronic signage on RapidRide buses that will display upcoming stops, landmarks, transfer opportunities and other customer service messages.

These improved features will allow Metro to deliver on the promise of offering more frequent, all-day bus rapid transit service as part of Metro’s “Transit Now” program. The line is expected to draw more than 2.5 million riders annually within the next five years, a 50-percent increase over current ridership.

The RapidRide “A” Line also promises to be a good investment. Despite a steep decline in Metro’s operating revenues, the service has already attracted millions of dollars in federal grants due to its potential to efficiently serve thousands of riders in some of the county’s most densely populated areas.

The system has so far received $61.6 million in federal and state grants, with an additional $20 million included in President Obama’s 2010 budget. Combined, these grants are expected to cover nearly 40 percent of the capital cost of putting RapidRide on the road.

While the “A” Line officially debuts Saturday, additional amenities will be coming later this fall. That’s when riders will begin seeing real-time bus information signs phased in at 24 RapidRide stations. The service will begin shortly after the start of regular RapidRide service once Metro has calibrated data that allows the system to function.

And later this year riders all across the county will benefit from new on-board technology introduced on regular Metro buses. Automated stop announcements and electronic signage should be standard on all 1,400 Metro buses within about 18 months.

Customers interested in learning more about RapidRide can explore the “A” Line for free on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 2 and 3. Metro street teams will also be on hand at selected locations along the line to talk with riders and answer questions.

PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Brunk

by Ralph Nichols

The scheduled June 30 closure of the aging South Park Bridge means big changes are looming for motorists – and Metro bus riders – who regularly cross over it.

Among those most affected will be commuters, including riders on Metro routes 60, 131 and 134, who travel between Burien or Des Moines and the Boeing facilities in Georgetown or downtown Seattle.

Jack Lattemann, from the Metro Transit Division of the King County Department of Transportation, updated the Burien City Council on May 24 about Metro’s plans for rerouting bus schedules to accommodate traffic disruptions caused by the permanent bridge closure.

Lattemann, a senior transportation planner, said the South Park Bridge is “at the end of its useful life,” and must be closed by King County, which owns and operates the draw span, “to protect public safety.”

The bridge will close to all traffic, including bicycles and pedestrians, on Wednesday, June 30, at 7 p.m.

Traffic will be rerouted on SR-509 and Highway 99 over the 1st Ave. S. Bridge, and on Tukwila International Blvd./E. Marginal Way S.

He said the county transportation department will monitor the impact of additional traffic on SR-509 and the 1st Ave. S. Bridge. The primary concern, however, is not higher traffic volumes but the impact the bridge closure could have on emergency response times.

King County lacks funding at this time to pay for an estimated $130 million replacement for the bridge, including demolition of the current structure, which carries about 20,000 vehicles a day on 14th Ave. S./16th Ave. S. across the Duwamish Waterway.

Even if the money were available now, Lattemann said building a new span would take about three and a half years. A study determined it is impractical to build a temporary bridge until funding becomes available.

Built in 1931, the South Park Bridge is an important freight corridor for manufacturing and industrial centers in Seattle, and a regional connector to Sea-Tac International Airport, Boeing Field and the Port of Seattle.

It also provides a convenient commuter route for many residents of Burien, Des Moines, Boulevard Park and White Center.

Compounding structural problems, which imperil public safety, are unreliable mechanical and electrical systems that open and close the bridge, Lattemann told the council.

The faulty systems frequently cause delays in draw span operations, resulting in delays for both vehicles on the street and marine traffic – and should be bridge not be able to operate south of the bridge.

A current update by county transportation department notes that concrete in the bridge support structure, which has withstood three major earthquakes, “is undergoing a self-destructive process that cannot be reversed or repaired. The heavily cracked piers are not stable and shift on their foundations.”

Lattemann said in selecting alternative routes for the affected bus service, Metro Transit considered maintaining neighborhood coverage, minimizing travel time for riders, and minimizing increases in operating costs.

Here are some route info maps as created by King County’s DOT – click on images to view larger versions:

For more information, click here to download a summary doc (as a PDF file), which includes maps and other details.

Story by Ralph Nichols
Photos & Video by

With Sound Transit’s Link light rail trains running at last between Tukwila and downtown Seattle, it was time to experience this new commuter option. So with my girlfriend, I boarded a train for a round trip from the South 154th Street station late on a busy Seafair Saturday afternoon.

With lots happening downtown, we weren’t surprised to find the station’s main parking lot full. (Tukwila has Link’s only free park-and-ride lot, like those at several Metro bus stops around King County, although there is private paid parking near the Beacon Hill station.) But there were a number of empty spaces at the overflow parking lot across the street.

Five minutes after parking, we bought our tickets – $5 per person for the round trip – and one minute later boarded a train that had just come in. With trains running from Tukwila every 10 minutes at that hour, this gave us 9 minutes to look around on the inside before our journey north.

Each $4 million electric-powered car, with electricity from overhead wires, is 95 feet long – three times longer than one of Metro’s articulated buses. Each car can seat 74 passengers and accommodate a total of 200 riders with standing room only, and each train consists of two cars. The trains travel at a maximum speed of 55 mph on the elevated track near Tukwila and at 35 mph on the ground.

The train doors closed – rather quickly it seemed – at 5:50 p.m. Soon it pulled out of the station, right on time. Less than half a mile down the track, we agreed the ride was not as smooth as expected; still, the vibration isn’t bad at all. And the train moves along at a steady clip without delays for vehicles when streets intersect with the tracks.

Station stops took far less time than I expected. Passengers got on and off with ease and without delay, and we moved right along. Here is how our station stops went:

5:59 p.m. – Arrived at the Rainier Beach station.

6:00 – Depart.

6:02 – Othello station.

6:03 – Depart.

6:06 – Columbia City station.

6:07 – Depart.

6.10 – Mount Baker station.

6:10 – Depart … and head into the tunnel under Beacon Hill.

6:12 – Beacon Hill (tunnel) station.

6:13 – Depart … and back into daylight.

6:15 – SODO station.

6:15 – Depart.

6:17 – Stadium station.

6:18 – Depart … and enter the downtown bus tunnel.

6:20 – International District/Chinatown station.

6:21 – Depart.

6:23 – Pioneer Square station.

6:23 – Depart.

6:24 – University Street station.

6:25 – Depart.

6:26 – Westlake station, the end of the line.

Twenty-six minutes from Tukwila to midtown Seattle via the Rainier Valley. Not bad.

When we left Tukwila, there were about 12 riders in our car including us. Picking up more riders at most stations along the route (none at a couple), usually ranging from an additional 6 to 12 at each stop, our car was almost full of seated riders by the time we reached Westlake. No one had to stand. As we stepped off the train, it looked like its other car had carried about the same number.

Getting from the train to street level – at Pine Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues just below Nordstrom – is easy, as is returning to the train, which we did about an hour later. On the return trip, which took the same time, only 16 people were riding in both cars and only 8 beyond the Mount Baker station. It is logical to assume, given the number of cars still in the parking lot when we got back to Tukwila, that southbound ridership was much higher after events wrapped up downtown and people headed home.

Above ground, the view from a train car ranges from interesting, even scenic, along the elevated track north of the Tukwila station to very drab through part of Rainier Valley not far up the line.

A trip on Link light rail is comparable to a ride on Portland’s MAX, although a good stretch of that line parallels Interstate 84 – the major highway into that city – rather than winding through nearby neighborhoods along the way.

Sound Transit has reported that Link light rail carried an average of 12,000 riders per weekday in its first five days of regular paid service, and 16,900 riders on July 25 and 15,100 on July 26 during the first big Seafair weekend, when both the Mariners and Sounders also were in town.

With service on to Sea-Tac International Airport scheduled to begin in December, Sound Transit projects 26,600 one-way trips daily (13,300 round trips) along its 16-mile light-rail route by the end of 2010. The current trip from Tukwila to Seattle is 14 miles.

A footnote about our trip: While the actual travel time from Tukwila to Westlake was a reasonable 26 minutes, it took another 9 minutes to drive from my home and park, then another 14 minutes to get into the station, buy tickets, board a train and wait for it to depart. Riders who take light rail from other stations must walk, ride a bicycle or take a bus to get there since they have no park and ride lots.

Convenience, including time and destination, may be the determining factor for riding light rail for many commuters. I might take light rail from Tukwila to a Mariners game or dinner in the International District, but would not do so from, say, Columbia City due to lack of parking. At the same time, I probably would drive to SODO to shop or the Othello community to go to the park.

Regardless, once you’re moving on a light rail train, it’s a comfortable trip in good time to your stop. Still, at $2.3 billion for this line, it’s one expensive commute for the convenience it affords.

If you haven’t yet ridden Link light rail, here’s a video by Oran Viriyincy:

This section, approaching Tukwila Intl. Blvd., has the steepest grade in the system. You can hear the motors as the train climbs.

So…have YOU ridden Link light rail yet? Please take our poll or Comment below…

Metro’s new Burien Transit Center has six off-street bus bays for more convenient boarding.

The $12.5 million Burien Transit Center features six bus bays for passenger boarding, including one dedicated to paratransit service. All of the boarding areas are now located off-street, enhancing safety for both transit customers and motorists in downtown Burien.

The transit center, located at 209 SW 148th Street (near where Rooty’s used to be), has covered waiting areas with benches and windscreens, as well as etched glass art on its awnings. The adjacent park-and-ride lot has parking for 340 vehicles and includes five charging stations for electric vehicles. The transit center has lighting and 24/7 monitored security. It is served by Metro routes 120, 121, 122, 123, 131, 132, 133, 134, 139, 140, 180, and Sound Transit Express Route 560.

Metro’s project team worked cooperatively with the City of Burien to integrate the transit center into the city’s downtown revitalization plans. The transit center is close to civic amenities, such as Burien Town Square – home of the new city hall, King County Library, and mixed-use retail and residential development.

In addition to the new transit center, Metro is also expanding operating hours in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel (DSTT), consolidating park-and-ride spaces in the Northgate area, and revising some bus routes and schedules to update service.

Starting in July of this year, it’s going to cost $2.50 to take the Sound Transit Link light rail from the new Tukwila station to downtown Seattle.

On Thursday (March 26th), the Sound Transit Board adopted the fare structure for the Link light rail system that will open in July. Light rail fares will be comparable to regional buses under the distance-based system, with a $1.75 base fare plus $.05 per mile, rounded up or down to the nearest quarter.

The $2.50 fee to travel from the airport to downtown will be the same as a bus ride. Youth base fares will start at $1.25 and have a maximum fare of $2.00 and Senior/disabled fares will start at $.75 and have a maximum fare of $1.25 under the adopted structure.

“We’ve said from the start that light rail fares should be in line with local bus services, and today’s decision does just that,” said Sound Transit Board Chair and Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels.

The fare structure supports Sound Transit’s goal of recovering 52 percent of annual operational costs by 2017.

The fares will apply on the whole light rail line, including the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel (DSTT). The Board considered offering free service in the DSTT, which would have required increasing the base fare by $.25, for a maximum fare of $2.75. Sound Transit conducted extensive public outreach on the options, collecting nearly 200 comments via the web, phone and 16 events. Overall, opinions between the two options were virtually split. The majority of comments at 10 meetings in the Rainier Valley and Beacon Hill — areas that are home to many future Link riders — favored the lower base fare achieved by charging for trips in the DSTT.

Link light rail is on schedule to open for passenger service between downtown Seattle and Tukwila in July and to Sea-Tac International Airport by the end of the year. Buses will carry passengers between Tukwila and the airport until the direct airport connection opens in December.

More information about the new fare structure can be found here: www.soundtransit.org/linkfares.

The 360-degree view of the new Tukwila Sound Transit Link Station above is courtesy Francis Zera Photography / zeraphoto.com, created for client PCL Construction.

The Burien Transit Center is taking shape, and is reportedly on target to begin operations on Saturday, May 30th.

The center, located on SW 148th, across from the Safeway complex where Rooty’s Sports Bar used to be, will be the main transit hub for the Burien area.

Here’s a direct quote from Elizabeth Morgan, Project Manager for King County:

The Burien Transit Center construction is going very well.

We are on target to open the new transit center with our June Transit Service Change process and coaches will start using the center on Saturday, May 30, 2009 with the first regular weekday of service out of the new center on Monday, June 1, 2009.

The transit center moves to the off street location off of SW 148th Street. There is one main platform that will serve the majority of service and a smaller platform that will serve ACCESS and some less frequent routes. Customers will now be able to transfer without crossing the street and will utilize our improved waiting environment.

Additionally many coaches will “layover” on site. This will increase schedule reliability and save money.

The new center has improved passenger amenities and security elements.

It also has some etched glass awnings and panels, which you can see in the photo below:

Anyone still remember when this place used to be home to Rooty‘s?

This town has come a long way since the only busing done on this land was for dirty dishes.