King County Metro is seeking feedback from riders and community members regarding proposed changes and improvements to bus routes 10, 11, 12, and 47 in the Madison Street area, which includes Capitol Hill, Central District, First Hill, and Madison Valley. These changes are aimed at better connecting transit riders to important destinations and preparing for the future RapidRide G Line service, which is expected to begin in late 2024.
The Madison Street Area-Bus Service Change Project is being developed in partnership with the Seattle Department of Transportation and has several goals, including improving mobility for priority populations such as Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), low-and-no income people, immigrants, refugees, limited-English speaking populations, and people with disabilities. The project also aims to equitably inform, engage, and empower communities and major employers, improve bus service to better meet the needs of riders and communities, and redesign service around the new RapidRide G Line service.
Once the changes are completed, riders can expect faster, more frequent service with the RapidRide G Line operating every six minutes on weekdays and Saturdays, reduced duplication of service, and improved connections for riders along Madison Street to important destinations such as First Hill Hospitals and other public transportation options such as the Seattle streetcar, Metro buses, Washington State Ferries, and water taxis.
The Madison Street Area-Bus Service Change Project is at 50% of construction and is one of 80 projects in the country to receive funding from a one-time $2.5 million grant program funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) under the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021.
To help Metro make decisions on route changes, riders and community members are encouraged to take a survey at Madisonstreetproject.com and share their thoughts. The survey will be open through May 8th. Community feedback gathered during this first phase of engagement, along with equity analyses and service design best practices, will be analyzed, summarized, and reviewed by the project team to determine which bus network changes will move forward into the final round of engagement later this year.
The Madison Street Area-Bus Service Change Project is an important step towards improving transit in the Seattle area and creating a more equitable and efficient transportation system for all.
