Link Connections – how public feedback shaped our proposal

We heard from nearly 8,000 people in March about two alternatives for how bus service might integrate with Link light rail after it begins operating to Capitol Hill and UW at Husky Stadium in early 2016. View a full summary of what we heard. Thank you to those who took the time to share their input. Watch a video that captures our public meeting process last March.

Based on this feedback, we have created a final proposal. Below are topics we heard during our previous community engagement phase and how the new proposal took each into consideration.

WHAT WE HEARD PEOPLE WANT – IN GENERAL

Frequent, all-day service

• The proposed network provides improved frequency on 14 routes: 8, 10, 11, 12, 16, 44, 48, 49, 65, 67, 70, 73, 75 and 372X

Reliable Service

Our proposal:

• Replaces complicated and unreliable all-day bus service between northeast Seattle and downtown Seattle with frequent connections to Link light rail at UW Station
• Provides frequent connections to Link light rail at Capitol Hill station
• Splits Route 8 into two routes (8 and 38).  Each route would be operated independently (no through-routing)
• Splits Route 48 into two routes (45 and 48).  Each route would be operated independently (no through-routing)
• Operates Route 67 independently (no through routing)
• Routes 31 and 32 would be through-routed with a single route (75) instead of two routes (65 and 75)

Better east-west connections

Our proposal provides:

• A new connection between Sand Point, View Ridge, Ravenna, Roosevelt, Wallingford and Fremont (revised Route 16)
• Continuous service on Madison Street between Madison Park and downtown Seattle (revised Route 11)
• Improved frequency on Routes 8, 10, 11, 12, 44, 65 and 75

WHAT WE HEARD PEOPLE WANT – ON CAPITOL HILL

Convenient all-day connections to Capitol Hill Station

In our proposal:

• Routes 8 and 12 would provide frequent east-west service on John/Thomas/Olive
• Routes 9, 49 and the First Hill Streetcar would provide frequent north-south service on Broadway

Direct connection between Madison Park, Madison Valley and Downtown Seattle

In Alternative 1, the combination of three routes serving the Madison corridor (8, 38 and 49) was confusing

In our proposal:

• The revised Route 11 would provide continuous service on Madison Street between Madison Park and Downtown Seattle
• The revised Route 11 would be the only route operating in the Madison corridor

Frequent service in the Pike/Pine corridor

In our proposal:

• Routes 10, 12, 47 and 49 would all serve the Pike/Pine corridor and would provide service every 10 minutes or better

Connection between the top of Capitol Hill and the University District

Connection to downtown Seattle from the northeast quadrant of Capitol Hill

Service on 19^th Avenue E

Our proposal provides:

• Improved frequency on Routes 8 and 48
• Frequent connection to Capitol Hill Station on Routes 8 and 12
• Improved frequency on Routes 8, 11 and 48
• A revised Route 12 that would serve 19th Avenue E between E Galer Street and E Thomas Street, then travel down E John Street past the Link light rail station, to the Pike/Pine corridor into downtown Seattle’s Central Business District

WHAT WE HEARD PEOPLE WANT – IN NORTH SEATTLE

Convenient all-day connections to UW station

• The proposed network provides service every 8 minutes or better between the heart of the U District and UW Station on five all-day routes (44, 45, 48, 67 and 271)
• Routes 65 and 941 would serve stops on Montlake Boulevard NE adjacent to UW Station
• Routes 44, 45, 48, 65, 67 and 271 would serve stops on NE Pacific Street
• Routes 31, 32, 65, 73, 75 and 372X would serve stops on NE Pacific Street
• Metro is working with the Seattle Department of Transportation and other partners to establish bus stop locations near the new light rail stations that will allow connections to be made as conveniently as possible.
• Routes 44, 45 and 67 will terminate near UW Station, which will help outbound trips depart on time and connections between bus and rail occur more reliably.

Connection between Wedgwood, Laurelhurst and UW Station

• In the proposed network Routes 65 and DART 941 would serve stops on Montlake Boulevard NE adjacent to UW Station

All-day service on the Roosevelt/11^th couplet in the U District

• In the proposed network Revised Route 73 would operate on the couplet between NE 65^th Street and NE Campus Parkway

All-day service on 15^th Avenue NE in Pinehurst and Maple Leaf

• In the proposed network the revised Route 73 would serve 15^th Avenue E Between NE 145^th and NE 65^th streets; it would operate on the Roosevelt/11^th couplet between NE 65^th Street and NE Campus Parkway

Connection to the north end of the U District from Eastlake corridor

• No changes are proposed for Route 70 in the proposed network

WHAT WE HEARD PEOPLE WANT – ON THE EASTSIDE

All-day service between Kirkland and Downtown Seattle

• No changes are proposed for Route 255 in the proposed network

Direct peak period service from the I-405 corridor to downtown Seattle

• No changes are proposed for Routes 252, 257 and 311 in the proposed network

Half-hourly service between Issaquah and Eastgate

• No changes are proposed for Route 271 in the proposed network

You can check out the full details of the proposal on our project website, then tell us what you think. Complete an online survey or come to an outreach event. We’ll be accepting public comments through May 31.