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Biggest Metro changes in decades: How is Capitol Hill faring?

How’s it going out there? We’ve been posting about this big round of Metro service changes all year — now they’re finally here:

Some transit service delays are expected in downtown Seattle as bus riders, transit operators and traffic adjust to route changes and the pay-on-entry system. Metro personnel will be available to answer rider questions Monday at key transit stops in downtown Seattle, Ballard, Burien, West Seattle and Northgate during the peak commute times 6:30-9:30 a.m. and 3:30-6:30 p.m. Some locations also will have personnel 12:30-3:30 p.m.


  • All routes are now pay on entry
  • The downtown Free Ride Area is gone
  • Route 10: “Route 10 will be separated from Route 12. In downtown Seattle, it will operate on Pine St and Pike St, using 2nd Ave to loop between the two streets. It will no longer serve bus stops on 1st Ave.”
  • Route 11 gets a major boost in weekday midday frequency: “Route 11 will be separated from Route 125. In downtown Seattle, it will operate on Pine St and Pike St, using 2nd Ave to loop between the two streets. It will no longer serve bus stops on 1st Ave.”
  • Route 12: “Route 12 will be separated from Route 10. In downtown Seattle, it will operate on Madison St and Marion St, using 1st Ave to loop between the two streets. It will no longer serve bus stops on 1st Ave.  “
  • The 14 route serving Summit has been separated and is now route 47
  • Routes 8, 43, 48, 49, and 60 remain unchanged on Capitol Hill

Around the rest of the city, there are 

  • New routes 32, 40, 50, 61 and 62
  • Discontinued Routes 15, 17, 18, 23, 34, 35, 39, 45, 46, 51, 53, 54, 56, 81, 85, 133 and 134
  • Details for all here 

What are you seeing out there?

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Guy
Guy
11 years ago

So good. The Route formerly known as the 14 that took me right to my work door is now the 47, and requires me to get off at 5th and Pine to take the tunnel. I got to work 5 minutes faster than than usual, but requires a bit more work and no phone service while underground. But all in all, pretty painless.

However, I am fully stoked for the end of the ride free zone. No longer will I have to make my way from the back of an overcrowded 49 to show I paid my fare. No longer will I have to fear for my life downtown as a drunk rides around with an open beer, cursing at work commuters as metro drivers do nothing.

Just be prepared for Metro’s revenue forecast in a few months…you’d never guess it, but (brace yourselves) they don’t have enough money to continue these service levels!! Strangely, they’re going to threaten the people with cutting about 600k hours of service. For those of you under the age of 10 months or who don’t recall, that is the exact number of hours they threatened to cut last year. I mean honestly, it’s like they’re not even trying anymore.

gap
gap
11 years ago

The 11 appears to have the exact same midday frequency it did before the change (every 30 minutes). What is the “major boost” you are referring to?

Lauren
Lauren
11 years ago

Has anyone at Metro been on the #8 between SLU and Capitol Hill recently? It’s a complete clusterf*ck during rush hour. I can’t believe they’re not adding any service between these neighborhoods.

jay98102
11 years ago

Why add more service on the 8 if it’s just going to get stuck? Enough people have given up on the new and improved Mercer Mess and are trying Denny. The city needs to be on the hook for this one, not Metro.

number8blues
11 years ago

It’s not just during rush hour. Last weekend, I spent over an hour stuck between Queen Anne Ave and roughly Westlake. I ended up just giving up and walking up the rest of the way. Even on foot, uphill, I handily beat the bus. The horror.

R-dizzle
11 years ago

It’s not just between SLU and Capitol Hill. The 8 is a mess the entire distance. But, it isn’t Metro’s fault entirely, the city has done a piss poor job of increasing traffic flow bandwidth as the density along the 8’s route has increased.

Holy cow
11 years ago

People should be more aware that they should now get on in front and get off in the back. It would be helpful if bus drivers could start spreading that word. If people continue to get off in front, the boarding process will continue to be slow…

um Really?
11 years ago

just bear in mind, Metro recently spent almost $200 million dollars according to a story just last week on KIRO to rebrand part of their service as “Rapid Ride” Of that roughtly $197 million, $170 million was a federal grand. That means Metro spent over $25 million out of the operating budget. They’re $2 million short each year.

Yep, that means they fucked everybody over to make unnecessary expenditures.

Metro is a clusterfuck, and has only gotten worse. The only benefit I’m hoping for is that the end of the ride-free zone will mean fewer piss scented buses

Joseph Singer
Joseph Singer
11 years ago

On every bus that I’ve been on that has the automated announcements there’s a message to exit via the rear door.

David Seater
David Seater
11 years ago

The draft of service changes earlier this year showed the midday frequency on the 11 at 15 minutes, but it was a typo (unfortunately).

Disgruntled
11 years ago

Anyone else upset that with the end of the 14 (the 47 doesn’t turn and continue down 3rd) and the 10 no longer turning to continue on to 1st, there is no direct service between Capitol Hill and Pioneer Square?

Seriously inconvenient for Capitol Hill commuters who work south of Pike/Pike area.

mourning the 10 to Pioneer Squ

Drivers on buses I ride are reminding passengers to exit at the rear.

JimS.
11 years ago

There are a LOT of routes where one-bus service between destinations was cut, and now require transfer. Compared to some of the other changes, that constitutes getting off pretty easily. At least you can hop into the tunnel and connect easily, some destinations don’t have it so good.

gap
gap
11 years ago

I used to live on the 14 in Summit and work @ the Smith Tower and I found it to be WAY faster to get off the 14 and take the tunnel to Pioneer Square. I beat the 14 every time. So no, I can’t say I feel overly sorry for you. Also, the 47 is so short, its going to be much much more reliable now. I very fair trade I would say.

JTContinental
11 years ago

The 8 has always sucked, and continues to do so.

Tomster
11 years ago

the #8 hasn’t always sucked. There’s certain problems involved in moving people and/or goods around Seattle. The biggest is that the morons in charge of traffic planning couldn’t plan their way out of a wet paper sack. If they want to move more buses, WHY did they reduce westbound Denny Way to ONE lane from two as you descend Capitol Hill? The gridlock the “mayor” and his ilk have created just bogs down the buses too.