Metro says it hasn’t yet made a final decision but more people have told it they support higher frequency of service on other routes over providing buses on Bellevue Ave and Summit Ave north of Olive Way.
In a “progress report” on the process to overhaul area bus lines in anticipation of the opening of the RapidRide G line in 2024, Metro says “a slim majority” of the some 1,600 people who responded to its survey preferred more frequent service over adding extended routes to serve Bellevue and Summit.
Metro has already decided on other changes including Route 10 and Route 12 with a proposal for the lines to be “reoriented” to operate along E Pine instead of E John and Madison, until they turn north on 15th Ave and 19th Ave. Metro is also going ahead with a plan to move Route 11 off Pine.
Metro says 53% of its respondents preferred Option A with “higher frequency on revised routes 10, 11, 12 and 49. “Like today, no service would operate on Summit and Bellevue Ave north of Olive Way,” Metro says.
But lots of people also support Option B which would “add new bus service to Bellevue Ave and Summit Ave north of Olive Way by extending some Route 3 trips.”
“To make this possible, buses would be less frequent on revised routes 10, 11, 12 and Route 49 compared to Option A,” Metro says.
Under the RapidRide G planning, Metro has been making the case to permanently axe Route 47 serving the area around Bellevue Ave. CHS reported here on the 47’s pandemic era suspension as Metro made cutbacks across its service areas due to changes in staffing and demand. Metro has said killing the 47 off will allow it “to focus service investments on routes along Broadway” despite leaving “no local bus along Bellevue Ave and Summit Ave, north of Olive Way where there are high-density residential populations.”
CHS reported here this summer on the survey process as Metro prepares for changes around the new RapidRide route is says are needed to “reduce repetition of transit service along the East Madison St corridor,” and “support street/roadway changes created through the RapidRide G Line Project,” while optimizing its services in the area.
Metro says the RapidRide G Line is currently planned to open in fall 2024. CHS reported on the last year of the expensive, involved, and hopefully fruitful construction process here.
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Metro, Sound Transit, and SDOT are all screwing over the voters that consistently support MORE transit. We didn’t support light rail thinking local bus routes would be cut when it opened. We were promised light rail would be more frequent and reliable, but it’s currently less frequent than pre-2016 bus service, and hardly reliable, and much less convenient.
We didn’t support the Seattle Transit Benefit District so that we could have our local routes cut even further. Metro says RapidRide G will be more frequent, but we’ve been told that before.
We want MORE transit, not whatever this terrible bargain is.
Having the 10 go back to using Pine makes it far more useful.
Not for the people who live near John and Olive Way.
The 8, 11, and 43 would still service John/Olive Way. The 10 would still provide for a “walk downhill” route to John.
The entire Pine/Pike area has went unserviced since the rerouting of the 10.
That goes both ways. That “walk downhill” is a walk uphill as well.
It feels like this corner of Capitol Hill has been abandoned by the city. Bellevue Place Park is home to a massive drug operation disguised as a tent city, theft and property destruction is rampant, and we’ve gone without public transportation for 4 years now. I’m tired of cleaning up human poop and the detritus of stolen packages. I can’t recall the last time I saw any kind of police presence on Bellevue or Summit. What gives?
Sadly, I totally agree. We have been forgotten by the city, and the fact that there has been no transit for so long is unacceptable. I was hoping to age in place, but without transit closer than 5-6 blocks away, it’s not looking like it’s gonna happen. This was a nice neighborhood when I came here 35 years ago. Bellevue Place park is festering. I wish I could answer your question “what gives?“ If you find out, let me know.
I agree that the city has created a transportation dead zone, in a very densely populated area with many hills.I still miss the 25 route.
Really any less frequent service is due to the more frequent service that they are reserving for the Rapid Ride. The survey didn’t give an option for less on the Rapid Ride.
As someone who lives on Summit and Roy with no car… please get this corrected. We need something down this way.
I remember setting my watch to the 14. When it ran the Summit/Bellevue route. When the 14 became the 47, transit service in that area became bad. I moved a few blocks but still miss that route.