Something to say about September Metro changes? Tell County Councilmembers tonight

(Click to see entire map, full size, via Metro’s site; click here for the “peak” version)
After six months and two previous drafts, Metro‘s final recommendations for September route changes – mostly affecting West Seattle and vicinity because the RapidRide launch is the catalyst – has gone to the County Council. And tonight, two weeks after that final proposal was made public, you can tell councilmembers what you think of it. The council’s Transportation, Economy, and Environment Committee – with West Seattle’s Councilmember Joe McDermott among its members – has a public hearing tonight on Metro’s September plan. It’s NOT in the council’s usual meeting place, though – they will meet at 6:30 pm in the Sound Transit board room at Union Station, 401 S. Jackson St. (map), after a 6 pm open house. (If you haven’t seen it yet, here’s the county’s summary of West Seattle changes. If you want to flash back to October for a refresher on what was in the first draft, here’s our original story.)

West Seattle since 1979 April 16, 2012 (8:57 am)

I wonder if that would be the wrong place to complain about how long they’re taking to replace the shelters they took out 2 months ago (in the rainy season!) and still haven’t replaced with Rapid Ride shelters.

Not to mention not being able to get to the temporary bus stop at 36th and Snoqualmie (and I’m sure this is the case at other stops too) because the sidewalk at the original stop at 35th and Avalon is completely blocked off. You have to go up 35th on the other side of the street to Snoqualmie and cross a busy 35th Avenue, where you can’t see what’s coming over the hill, without a light or signal. Or else go up to Alaska and cross there.

Not a big problem in light of all the bad things that are going on in the world, but still annoying and unnessesary if they’d left the old stops and shelters alone until they were ready to replace them.

boy April 16, 2012 (9:41 am)

The fact that they took out the old shelters and are putting in new ones just shows that the system can’t be that broke. Why did they tear up a perfectly good shelter and put a newer one in that does the same thing? Did anyone say “Hey would’nt just make sense and save money to just put a new sign on the exsiting bus stop.” This just shows that the city is all about recycling on your part but we want only new toys.

WSB April 16, 2012 (9:57 am)

Metro is a county service, not a city service.

Mark April 16, 2012 (9:46 am)

Right now, the 54/55 become the 5 in downtown and continue on northward to Seattle Center, the Zoo, etc. Will this continue with the RapidRide “C” line, or will people be required to transfer to another bus?

pie April 16, 2012 (9:51 am)

I’m just so happy they are getting rid of the 51 route. I’ve never seen more than 3 people on that bus in the 6 years it’s been going by my house. Such a waste of money!

carlton April 16, 2012 (10:02 am)

they know what they are doing. they said that they are making less stops down california avenue once they rid the 54 route. i like walking four more blocks to the nearest stop in the cold and rain.

WSB April 16, 2012 (10:22 am)

RapidRide will make fewer stops, yes. That’s why the shelters/signage are different.

kenyon April 16, 2012 (10:57 am)

So the 560 from SeaTac is really going away? I was hoping it was a bad dream.

WSB April 16, 2012 (11:07 am)

They had warned about further reductions in connection with last year’s cuts: https://wsb.blackfin.biz/2011/05/west-seattle-buses-sound-transit-560-service-cuts-kick-in-soon

DRW April 16, 2012 (11:06 am)

Rapid waste of money. Could we just get the 560 to airport to run like it used to? That would be helpful.

DRW April 16, 2012 (11:25 am)

Oh I know. Instead of dropping how much for the new Rapid Ride stops? It would be nice to have more 560 service! It could just start at the triangle. No need to start in the International Dist. Reducing the 560 is the great more money for less service story. Instead of Rapid Ride couldnt we just call it Express?!

boy April 16, 2012 (11:25 am)

It is sad that the 21 will not keep the same route. It is hard to belive that taking 2 miles off it’s route will make that much of a difference. Oh every penny counts when you need the money for new shelters.

old timer April 16, 2012 (12:59 pm)

Rapid Ride comes from Metro.
The 560 comes from Sound Transit.
They are two completely different bureaucracies.
They probably don’t even acknowledge each other’s existence, let alone work together.
Everyone wants the ST560 but there are not enough people who actually pay to get on it.
Yes, it’s the best route from West Seattle to the Airport.
There are not enough people using it.
Now, you can lug your baggage on a bus to town, transfer it and yourself to a light rail train,
which will take you to the airport parking garage.
The Port of Seattle, yet another tax eating entity, has a vested interest in that parking garage, which is why the light real was not allowed to go the front of the terminal.
Best option, stay home!

Steve M April 16, 2012 (1:04 pm)

Looking forward to having WS service to DT every 10-15 minutes. Agreed that the new shelters are a silly waste of money (and ugly too, and they seem less effective as a shelter). And why IS it taking them so long to replace them?

My real concern though is that the #22 runs only once/hour. So everyone that lives south of Morgan between 35th & Fauntleroy either has to drive to Morgan to catch the “C”, drive, or walk up to 35th and catch a 21 or down to Fauntleroy and catch the C. If I lived south of Morgan I’d be furious. Heck, I’m furious for those folks.

Jiggers April 16, 2012 (2:52 pm)

Don’t forget to mention that once you have got off light rail by the parking garage at the airpoRt, it is about a two mile walk to your terminal. No joke! And the 22 stops running at 6pm.

128 to seacrest April 16, 2012 (3:11 pm)

128 should replace the 773 and 775 by terminating at Seacrest, making the loop around alki/admiral, and being timed to the water taxi during its scheduled runs.

I’ve offered this feedback before to Metro through many fora, I hope to make tonight’s meeting to offer it yet again but expect nothing to come of it.

The water taxi would be a lot more useful if it were accessible to everyone on the 128’s route, especially during viaduct disruptions.

SeattlePublicTransitisaJoke April 16, 2012 (4:16 pm)

If I’m reading this right, basically if you live north of Alaska and West of California you now have to take a minimum of two buses (or a bus and a water taxi) downtown. They’re eliminating the 56? The 50 takes you to Beacon hill and Seward park? Sorry that’s not a standard commute and one that I’ll never use. And with the 37 going away the waterfront from Alki to Lincoln Park has no service and the Alki residents who work downtown have no direct to downtown service. Get ready for a lot more cars on the West Seattle Bridge from the North and West of West Seattle.

LE April 16, 2012 (4:40 pm)

I can’t get to tonight’s meeting.

I appreciate that Metro is emphasizing crowded routes that carry the most people, and axing less-utilized routes, but it seems to me that there should be some standard of minimum service for the entire urban area.. Something like where anyone can get from any one location to any other, with no more than a mile of walking and no more than a 200 foot climb, and get where they need to be in, say, under 4 hours at night, and under 3 hours in the day? I don’t know what the minimum standard would be, but there are rather large areas with no service at all. and that doesn’t seem right. Maybe the areas with no service could have smaller shuttles?
.
Really, at some point it seems fundamentally unfair to not have any service at all.

JonF April 16, 2012 (5:02 pm)

“If I’m reading this right, basically if you live north of Alaska and West of California you now have to take a minimum of two buses (or a bus and a water taxi) downtown. They’re eliminating the 56? ”

if you can make it to the 56X route, that isn’t changed.

JonF April 16, 2012 (5:05 pm)

“I’m just so happy they are getting rid of the 51 route. I’ve never seen more than 3 people on that bus in the 6 years it’s been going by my house. Such a waste of money!”

hey watch it – 3 of us use it for 2 blocks in the morning to avoid the long arduous walk down to 35th/Avalon.

joking aside, when I moved in to Belvidere neighborhood (where the 51 now runs), they ran a 37 (full size) bus both ways up and down that road. Insanity. It’s a tiny road, not the same as 35th south of Fauntleroy.

yes will be good to have the 51 gone.

Sunny@206 April 16, 2012 (5:15 pm)

Don’t forget about the new traffic bulb that metro is putting in at 26th and Barton, taking it to 1 lane at the intersection.

Busless in West Seattle April 16, 2012 (6:00 pm)

Yes. The 51 has to go. I could use my two-seat MG Midget on that route and never be at capacity.

Eric April 16, 2012 (6:42 pm)

So if the 21 never makes it to Arbor Heights anymore, what will it be called?

Busless in West Seattle April 16, 2012 (8:12 pm)

One improvement that we can look forward to is the elimination of the Downtown Seattle Ride Free Zone. It will be very nice to have some of the trashy riff raff removed from the buses. We pay fares. The trashy riff raff can do the same, or walk. This will be a huge improvement.

Noelle April 16, 2012 (10:05 pm)

I am sad about the Art in the bus shelters. The bus stops at the ferry dock had art made at the Fauntleroy Fall Festival a few years ago. The kids did a really Good Job on those panels and its a shame to see it go.

Kathy April 16, 2012 (10:35 pm)

Mark, the Rapid Ride C line that is replacing the 54 route will change into the Rapid Ride D line downtown. This route will go past Key Arena, to lower Queen Anne, then down Mercer to Elliott, to Ballard and Crown Hill. You would have to transfer to ride to the Zoo. I testified tonight in favor of the new route 50. It will help me get across town without going downtown. It also gives Alki a one ride trip to the Alaska Junction, the C line and the SODO link station for airport trips.

joan bateman April 17, 2012 (3:39 am)

Does anyone know what buses will take you to Safeco Field from West Seattle and back for weekday night games?

Hopefully, we will continue to have service after 7PM at night.

Can’t find places to park and is toooooo expensive to go to the garage.

JPB

Rick April 17, 2012 (7:27 am)

I don’t think Sound Transit ads should be shown in West Seattle.

crayon April 17, 2012 (11:36 am)

For people who work in Sodo, will the #22 still go down 1st or 4th. The pale swimming pool green line on the map seems to end at Alaska and Calif. Will that mean walking to 35th and the mustard yellow line #21? Wait, is that dusty rose line #50 going to pass Lander on the way to Beacon Hill?
I discovered a bright Yellow cab is $18 in the dark of night from Sodo to WS.
Oh well, maybe people who work late will have to be paid green.