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Week of July 13, 2009
Light rail joins region’s public transportation family
Starting this Saturday, July 18, transportation options in King County expand with the debut of Link light rail service from Tukwila to downtown Seattle. And in September, changes in Metro bus service will provide even greater options for transit customers.
Sound Transit will open the first segment of the 14-mile Central Link line Saturday morning. By the end of this year, the line will extend to SeaTac Airport, and then connect to the University District in 2016.
Click here to see how current Metro bus routes serve light rail stations. |
While many people living in the Rainier Valley, Beacon Hill and Mount Baker areas will be able to walk to their local light rail station, other area residents will be relying on King County Metro Transit buses to make connections.
Metro’s current bus routes offer many ways to transfer to and from light rail. Starting Sept. 19 – at the time of Metro’s fall service change – bus service will be revised to improve the bus-light rail connections even further. And, there are more revisions being planned for next February.
“This two-month period between July and September will be a time for transit customers to familiarize themselves with light rail service and figure out how it fits into their travel needs,” said Metro Senior Service Planner Jack Lattemann. “Then in September, they can expand their options with all the new and revised service Metro will offer.”
Metro staff spent almost two years working with transit riders in Southeast Seattle to design changes to integrate bus and light rail service. The changes will occur in September rather than at the opening of light rail, because it involves a major restructuring of Metro service which is easier done at one of the service changes. Both Metro’s customers and employees are accustomed to changes that occur in February, June and September.
During this interim period, it will be convenient to ride the bus to one of the eight light rail stations or transfer within the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel (DSTT). Many current bus routes stop right at the stations, and others are within a reasonable walking distance.
The online Trip Planner will soon have the light rail service loaded into the database so that customers can tap into all the light rail and bus options for traveling along the Link line.
Here are some of the current bus-rail connections:
DSTT – Light rail will serve four of the five tunnel stations. It does not serve Convention Place Station. There are 19 Metro and Sound Transit bus routes in the tunnel serving north, east and south King County – making the tunnel one of the most convenient locations to transfer from bus to light rail.
The Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel will be one of the most convenient locations to transfer from bus to light rail. |
Stadium & Sodo Stations – These stations are located on the Sodo Bus Way. They are served by many Metro bus routes headed to Tukwila, Federal Way, Kent, and other areas of south King County.
Beacon Hill Station – Located at Beacon Avenue South and South Lander Street, this station is 16 stories underground. At the surface, it is served by Metro routes 36, 38, and 60.
Mount Baker Station – This station is at Martin Luther King, Jr. Way (MLK) and Rainier Avenue South, and it will have a full bus transit center as well as a light rail station. It is currently served by Metro routes 7, 8, 9, 34, 38 and 48.
Columbia City Station – At MLK and South Alaska Street, Metro’s current connections are via routes 39, 42 and 48.
Othello Station – Three Metro routes serve the station at MLK and South Othello Street, the 42, 48 and 106.
Rainier Beach Station – This is the last stop in southeast Seattle, and is at MLK and South Henderson Street. It will be another key transfer point and is currently directly served by Metro routes 36 and 48.
Tukwila International Boulevard Station – This is an elevated station located near the intersection of Tukwila International Boulevard and South 154th Street, just north of State Route 518. Until the light rail connection to the airport opens at the end of 2009, every train will be met by a free shuttle to the airport. There is also Metro service west of the station via Route 174 on Tukwila International Boulevard.
For all the details about Link light rail service – including information about fares, transfers, and hours of operation – visit Sound Transit’s website. And, remember to watch for news about Metro service changes in September.
The opening weekend of Link light rail will create a few changes in bus service in and around the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel (DSTT).
On Friday afternoon around 3 p.m., southbound tunnel bus routes may be diverted to surface streets for a very short time while the Link line is officially dedicated in a ceremony at Westlake Station.
Then on Saturday and Sunday, July 18 and 19, there will be no bus routes in the tunnel because extremely large crowds are expected for the free weekend of light rail service. The buses will be serving all the stops near tunnel entrances that are used when the tunnel is closed, so there will still be good connections between buses and light rail in the downtown core.
It’s another busy week of road construction and a weekend of special events, which means some detours and delays for Metro Transit bus service.
Work continues on the Interstate 90 floating bridge and Second Avenue in downtown Seattle. The westbound I-90 buses will continue detouring around the worst traffic choke points in Eastgate, and some southbound bus stops will be closed on Second Avenue. Also in Seattle, there is construction on Stewart Street, Fourth Avenue South, and First Avenue South that could slow the buses. In West Seattle, there is a big road project that kicks off on Fauntleroy Way this week that could affect bus service.
Fairs, festivals and sporting events will impact bus service this weekend. Huge crowds are expected for the light rail opening and Saturday’s Sounders game against Chelsea. But, also this weekend there is the Bite of Seattle, Seafair Indian Pow Wow Days, International District Seafair Parade, and the Hi-Yu Festival in West Seattle.
See Metro Online for reroute details.
The King County Water Taxi serving Vashon Island/Downtown Seattle will replace the Washington State Ferries’ passenger-only ferry in September. King County staff will host an information booth at the Vashon Strawberry Festival this weekend.
You can also find out more about the transition from the Washington State Ferries to the King County Water Taxi by calling (206) 684-1551, or visiting the King County Ferry District web site.
Also, the Ferry District Board of Supervisors will make final decisions about the fares and sailing schedule at its meeting Monday, July 20 at 1:30 p.m. at the King County Courthouse, 10th floor council chambers, 516 Third Ave., Seattle.
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