If you’ve spotted a red, black, and yellow bus in Bellevue or Redmond this week, it might be one of Metro’s new B Line buses on its maiden voyage. The buses are now “street legal” and are being used to train drivers who will be operating them when the B Line begins service Oct. 1.
I trained in Coach 6023 yesterday. Nice ride, BTW. These coaches are similar to Sound Transit’s newer 9600 coaches but with even more new features and a third door to speed boarding. Drivers are getting excited too. Our “pick” is happening right now and apparently almost all of the Rapid Ride assignments are gone. If you ride on RapidRide B, you’ll likely be driven by some of Metro’s most experienced and seasoned drivers. (Including me, of course 🙂
Why were perfectly good (ornate, residential) bus shelters removed to be replaced by industrial crappy looking RR bus shelters? (NE 8th in Bellevue) Wouldn’t a RR sign been enough? Not only was this a waste of money, but now we have crappy looking bus shelters along what was a nice looking road with ornate shelters and nice fencing and landscaping. who was on this committee?
The shelters that are being replaced on NE 8th Street were installed by the City of Bellevue in 1992. Metro has consulted with the city, which supports removal of these shelters. After they are removed, the concrete wall material is being recycled and the steel structures will be reused on a private development in Anacortes.
Metro is replacing all of the existing shelters at RapidRide B Line stops so it will be very clear to customers that they are RapidRide stops. We held a number of focus groups as part of the design process for RapidRide shelters, with the goals of improving protection from the elements and providing a safe and secure waiting environment. The new shelters improve visibility for riders and drivers. They are also more efficient to maintain, as they can be removed and refurbished off-site. They do not yet have glass or electricity, but when complete they’ll offer both lighting and better weather protection.
I like the new shelters. I see them every day and think they look great.