Construction open house Sept. 24 counts down start of RapidRide J Line work

Cross posted from the Seattle Department of Transportation

The next RapidRide project is getting ready to break ground! This is your chance to learn more about the RapidRide J line, which will improve transit connections between two vital communities, downtown Seattle to the University District. The J Line, which will upgrade the current Route 70, will run from downtown through South Lake Union and Eastlake, and into the University District.

Built in partnership with the Seattle Department of Transportation, the project will also install protected bike lanes and other proven safety enhancements. The city will also plant over 100 new trees and build critical utility upgrades including a new water main at the same time as Eastlake Avenue East is being repaved.

Construction is scheduled to begin in October and service will begin operation in 2027.

Before work begins, SDOT is hosting a construction-focused online open house where you’ll be able to:

• Learn about the project schedule and what to expect during construction
• Participate in a construction-focused questions and answers session
• Engage with the construction team

Online event details

Tuesday, September 24, 5:30 pm to 7 pm

The online meeting will be held on Microsoft Teams. You can register in advance and receive a link. You can also join directly on the evening of the event even without registering, just click this link.

The meeting will be recorded for those that cannot join and the recording will be shared on the SDOT webpage. SDOT will also share more construction information and participants’ questions and our answers. You can submit construction questions to the project team in advance of the meeting though our project email inbox, RapidRide@Seattle.gov.

Project Overview

The RapidRide J Line project will:

• Improve transit travel time and reliability throughout the route by adding transit lanes and transit signal priority
• Provide a high-quality rider experience with stations that include shelters, lighting, real-time arrival information, and all-door boarding
• Improve access to transit through upgraded curb ramps, sidewalks, and signals
• Improve connections to Link light rail, other bus lines, and Seattle Streetcar
• Install protected bike lanes to improve safety of all travelers
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions with more transit options and fewer cars on the road
• Pave Eastlake Ave E from E from Fuhrman Ave E to Fairview Ave E with at least 12 inches of concrete, creating a roadway that will last more than 50 years
• Partner with Seattle Public Utilities to replace the existing watermain on Eastlake Ave E

The RapidRide J Line project will bring many improvements to the neighborhoods served by the upgraded bus route. These improvements include:

• 15,130 feet of repaired sidewalks
• 2 miles of repaved roadway
• 7 lane-miles of protected bike facilities
• 2 miles of bus priority lanes
• 177 improved crosswalks
• 33 intersections with traffic signal improvements, including 253 new traffic signal devices
• 190 newly planted trees
• 8,900 feet of watermain replacement, in partnership with Seattle Public Utilities