Seattle Launches New Rapid Bus Line

Last weekend, King County Metro launched its newest bus rapid transit (BRT) line, the 2.8-mile RapidRide G.

As Ryan Packer explains in The Urbanist, “With 2.8 miles of dedicated bus lanes covering the most congestion-prone areas of the route around Downtown and First Hill, and with many of those bus lanes occupying the center lane of the road to keep motorists out of the way of coaches, the RapidRide G will be as close to a gold-standard bus rapid transit (BRT) line that Seattle has seen to date.”

The line will feature buses with doors on both sides to speed up boarding. “With estimated trip times between 14 and 16 minutes from First Avenue to Madison Valley, the G Line will offer significant time savings over a current bus trip on the corridor, which can take 20 to 30 minutes and require a transfer.”

Passengers using wheelchairs will have access to ‘quick-deploying’ ramps, while people with bikes will be able to bring them onto the bus itself without using exterior racks.

Packer notes that the project, which creates a brand new transit corridor, also included upgrades to sidewalks, streets, traffic signals, and a water main.