Category Archives: Traffic

Rapid Ride Line D is coming

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.

Continue reading Rapid Ride Line D is coming

15th Ave NW Traffic Cameras Now Working

Traffic Camera 15th Ave NW, NW 85th St
15th and 85th (click to go to Traveler's Information Map)

The traffic cameras at NW 85th St. and 15th Ave NW have now gone live, and are beaming back minute by minute images of the intersection.  The cameras were installed earlier in the year at 15th and 85th, 15th and 65th, 15th and Market, and 15th and Leary. They are available on the Department of Transportation’s Travelers Information Map. Refreshing this page will update the image if a new image is available.

These are traffic information cameras designed to provide close to real-time information about traffic congestion. During the Alaska Way Viaduct replacement project, 15th Ave NW is projected to receive additional traffic and these cameras will also provide information to manage the additional traffic. The images from 15th Ave NW and NW 85th  will not be used to issue traffic citations. However, red light cameras are installed for both North- and South-bound traffic at 15th Ave NW and NW 80th.

Other traffic cameras:

Continue reading 15th Ave NW Traffic Cameras Now Working