RapidRide is coming to south Seattle in 2032!
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It will be the first RapidRide line to operate in south Seattle, bringing frequent service to one of the busiest bus corridors in King County while connecting transit to the Link light rail 1 line in the Rainier Valley. The RapidRide R Line will upgrade the current Route 7 serving neighborhoods from Downtown Seattle, Chinatown-International District (including Little Saigon), Mount Baker, Columbia City, Hillman City, Brighton, Dunlap, Rainier Valley and Rainier Beach.
Project overview
Route 7 is one of the Metro’s busiest routes, serving over 11,000 people every day. Scheduled to begin service in 2032, the RapidRide R Line aims to improve transit travel time, reliability and rider experience through the following upgrades to the route:
- Upgraded transit stations and shelters
- Enhanced lighting and passenger amenities
- Bus-only lanes
- Signal upgrades to reduce delays
- Safer pedestrian access to transit
Planning resumes for RapidRide R Line
Metro is moving forward with the RapidRide R Line after design work was paused due to funding challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. While the project was on hold, the corridor continued to grow and change. The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) completed street, sidewalk, and intersection improvements, and new housing and businesses were built along the route.
To prepare the project to move forward, Metro reviewed these changes and is updating the RapidRide R Line design to reflect current conditions. This work helps build on recent investments, prevents duplication of completed improvements, and ensures the project is prepared for the next phase of design.
Attend an open house
Learn about the RapidRide R Line project, ask questions and share your feedback at an upcoming open house.
In-person
- Wednesday, August 12 at Rainier Beach Library (9125 Rainier Ave S.) 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- Thursday, August 13 at Beacon Hill Library (2821 Beacon Ave S.) from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Virtual
- Wednesday, August 19from noon to 1:00 pm (Zoom meeting ID: 851 2156 4685)
- Saturday, August 22 from 11:00 a.m. to noon (Zoom meeting ID: 823 7413 2513)
Community Engagement
Prior to the project’s pause, between June 2019 and March 2020, Metro reached out to the communities along the proposed RapidRide R Line.
Phase One focused on engaging Rainier Valley residents, introducing the project, and gathering input on transportation needs.
Phase Two involved sharing proposed station locations, gathering feedback, and intentional, inclusive outreach that included briefings, walking tours, in person and online open houses in multiple languages, outreach at community events and bus stops, and conversations with community groups, Route 7 operators, and elected officials. Community feedback on station locations, access improvements, and roadway upgrades directly helped shape and refine the preferred concept.
In the third phase of engagement, Metro shared information about the final preferred concept. That included station locations, proposed features, projects that enhance bus speed and reliability, and projects to make it easier and safer to get to the bus.
Now that Metro has restarted this work, the project will continue with its final phase of engagement by re-introducing the proposed work and re-engaging community members. Outreach activities will consist of outreach across neighborhoods, engaging property owners, hosting virtual and in-person Open House, updating the website, and providing briefings upon request. This engagement phase will run from August 1st to the 31st.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How long is the RapidRide R Line?
The future R Line spans approximately eight miles between Downtown Seattle and Rainier Beach along Rainier Avenue S. The transit corridor passes through a number of neighborhoods and offers connections to and from housing, employment, schools, public services, and transit. Not only is Rainier Avenue S a designated freight route that requires a wider lane for trucks to serve local businesses, it also has the highest number of crashes of any corridor in Seattle. Proposed R Line changes will not only improve reliability and transit travel time, but they will also create a safer place for all users of the area. - Will King County Metro reach out to property owners?
If property impacts are identified, the property owner will be contacted by the project team. If property owners are not contacted, it means there is no planned impact to the property. No matter the impact level, all property owners along the route will continue to receive project notifications throughout the project lifecycle. - What will happen to the Prentice Loop?
RapidRide R Line is planned to end at the Rainier Beach Link station, and Metro is evaluating how transit service will continue to connect people traveling to and from areas south of S Henderson Street when the R Line begins service. As part of this work, Metro will engage the communities south of S Henderson Street to better understand their mobility needs and help inform future transit service decisions. The goal is to ensure transit service remains accessible, reliable, and easy to understand. - Where can I learn more about Metro’s care and presence approach?
Metro’s Care and Presence approach focuses on creating a cleaner, safer, and more welcoming transit system. Learn how Metro is improving cleanliness, increasing staff presence, supporting riders, setting clear expectations, and providing safety tips for riding the bus, using a wheelchair or mobility aid, and traveling by bicycle. Visit Metro’s Rider Safety webpage to learn more.
I have to agree. What on earth makes this take 6 more years. All we really want is bus that shows up on time. Waiting 20 minutes for the 7 in the smoke (when OneBusAway says it will be there in “2 minutes” the whole time) is terrible. Why are we waiting 6 more years for you to fix that?
Thank you for sharing your experience. We understand how frustrating it is to wait for a bus that doesn’t arrive when you expect it to, especially in poor air quality or other difficult conditions. Reliability on Route 7 is one of the main reasons why we’re investing in the RapidRide R Line.
RapidRide projects, such as the R Line, go beyond adding more buses to the route. It includes redesigning the entire corridor to help buses move faster, building new RapidRide stations, improving sidewalks and pedestrian access, upgrading traffic signals to give buses priority at intersections, improving accessibility, relocating utilities where needed, upgrading electrical and communications infrastructure, and other road improvements that help buses travel more reliably.
Projects of this scale require planning, environmental review, engineering and design, public input, permits, and construction before they can be put into service. Construction itself is expected to take about two years. Taking these steps helps ensure the improvements are safe, durable, and deliver long-term benefits for the thousands of people who ride Route 7 every day.
We encourage you to attend one of our upcoming open houses, where you can learn more about the project, ask questions, and share your experience with the project team. There will be two community open houses as well as two virtual open houses.
For more information on the project and the open houses, we encourage you to go the RapidRide R line website: https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/metro/travel-options/bus/rapidride/r-line
7 years to make a bus run… Insanely slow
6 years to make an _existing_ bus route run _slightly faster_. It’s not like we’re paving new roads here. It’s slightly upgraded shelters, not even entirely BRT lanes (in fact, barely any). But we need a few years of studies to make sure that pulling 3,000 cars off the road and adding a dozen buses won’t have an environmental impact… A few years of studies to make sure residents want better transit service…. A few years for Bruce to move all the stations that might impede his friends’ views of the water….