King County Metro will be replacing the current 15 and 15 Express buses which serve Crown Hill with Rapid Ride D Line by the end of 2012. As shown on KC Metro’s graphic (at the end of this article), both the Northern and Southern end of the line details have yet to be firmed up (see below for proposed route). Rapid Ride Line D will serve the route between Crown Hill and Downtown Seattle via Queen Anne.
General information on Rapid Ride is available from Metro’s Rapid Ride web page. Rapid Ride offers many improvements over the current bus service. Some of the improvements include:
- Faster boarding via three doors rather than the current single point of entry
- You won’t need a timetable. Service as frequent as every 10 minutes during the commute periods and into a larger portion of the non-commute day. 15 minute interval at other times during the day, and the same interval as the 15 for the wee morning and late evening hours
- Pre-paid boarding. Pay at the kiosk, and walk on.
- Fewer stops speed transit up with the tradeoff of having to walk a little more
- Improved amenities at stops, including improved lighting, and stop request signals to notify bus drivers of waiting riders
Of interest to many in Crown Hill, Blueridge and Olympic Manor will be how the bus is routed on the northern terminus. The current routing of the 15 turns around using a loop comprised of the residential streets 14th Ave NW, NW 105th St, 13th Ave NW, NW 103rd St, and 14th Ave NW. According to Paul Roybal of Metro, Line D is proposed to use a loop comprised of Holman Rd, 7th Ave NW, NW 100th, 100th Place, 3rd Ave NW, and Holman Road. Stops have not been determined, as yet. This will be music to the ears of many living on the current terminal loop, as articulated buses will no longer be driving on the residential streets adjacent to their homes at all hours. However that also means a longer walk to reach the new bus from many areas in Crown Hill, Blueridge and parts of Olympic Manor. Additionally, this will force a pedestrian crossing of Holman Road for those riders residing North and South of Holman to either board or alight from the bus. The changes will mean easier connections to the 75, 28 and 5 routes running respectively along Holman, 3rd and 8th Aves, and Greenwood Avenue.
View 15/Line D changes in Crown Hill in a larger map
Below is the full route map published by Metro. This is available as a PDF from the Line D information page at Metro.
So, Metro is eliminating the 15 express which stops once between Denny and Market, and replacing it with a bus that stops 11 times before getting to 15th and Market. How is that going to be faster? And they are eliminating the 18 altogether? No service at all to 24th? That whole thing seems like a big scam to me.
@Blake: It will only replace the 18 on the streets served by line D. KC Metro’s information was rather carefully constructed. I doubt that even with the transit signal priority, in lane stops, faster boarding and other changes the new line would be as fast as the current express. It would, however be faster than the current non-express route. The other tradeoff we’ve all made in the past is whether to wait for the express if the “milk-run” is here now. The current expresses are pretty much on-time in the AM, but in the evening the expresses frequently are not so on-time.
Thank you!!!!!! Paul Roybal of Metro, Line D is proposed. Articulated buses will no longer be driving on the residential streets adjacent to their homes at all hours. However that also means a longer walk to reach the new bus from many areas in Crown Hill, Blueridge and parts of Olympic Manor. Happy days after a 49 year milk-run in Crown Hill!!!!
@Dennis: It’s a little difficult to parse the info on Metro’s page. But what it looks like to me, is that there will not be a bus that takes you to Ballard Ave and Market as the current 18 express does now. Instead you will have to walk from 15th/Market OR transfer to the 18 (or whatever local bus there is) to get to Ballard Ave. That does not seem like a good deal either.
As far as the 15 goes, if the bus really does come every 10 minutes during the commute time, that will be better. I guess I doubt they can pull it off. More likely is they will start this service up (which is really a cut in service to begin with) and then complain of lack of funds, reduce the number of stops and space out the pick-up times. Then we are back to the ‘milk-run’ all the time for everyone.