Cross posted from the Seattle Department of Transportation Blog
The Interbay corridor is one of the busiest travel areas in Seattle, connecting downtown Seattle with Ballard and Magnolia along 15th Avenue West and Elliott Avenue West. Currently, an average of 11,353 people ride the bus routes on this corridor each weekday.
Metro service that travels in Interbay – routes 24, 32, 33 and the RapidRide D Line – can
reduce their time stuck in traffic by using bus-only lanes during peak commuting periods. Done in collaboration with the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), the Business Access and Transit (BAT) lanes restrict access to buses to increase reliability for riders. These BAT lanes allow people driving and other vehicles to enter the lane to make right turns at intersections or to turn into driveways.
SDOT is expanding the hours of the BAT lanes to improve traffic flow for transit riders. Riders and people driving can look for new signage along the corridor reflecting this change.
The bus access lane hours on 15th Avenue West and Elliott Avenue West, between West Armour Street and West Mercer Place/West Roy Street in both directions have been extended to 7-9 a.m. and 3-7 p.m. Monday through Friday.
For a route like the RapidRide D line, which carries over 200,000 riders a month, the expanded hours could reduce travel time through this busy transit corridor and make trips in both directions more reliable for riders.
Information received from an SDOT survey of Interbay transit riders played a role in the decision to expand the hours of the BAT lanes. Thank you riders, your voices made a difference!
I ride this bus during peak and off hours. Please make permanent bus lane.
What were the old hours? It’s not clear how much of an increase this is.
The old hours were: 7-9am (southbound only) and 3-7pm (northbound only)
The new hours are: 7-9am and 3-7pm for both directions