The King County Council’s Mobility and Environment Committee is expected to vote Tuesday afternoon on final approval for the alignment of RapidRide G on Madison connecting downtown to Madison Valley through First Hill and Capitol Hill.
The vote will make official the county’s RapidRide program for the planned “bus rapid transit” project expected to begin construction in mid to late 2020 and create a new east-west Metro route along Madison between 1st Ave and Martin Luther King Jr. Way.
CHS reported on the project this summer as it moved into the “90%” design phase and decisions were being finalized on features and changes along the $120 million, 2.3 mile, 10-station route including what planners hope are improved crossings for pedestrians and the major decision to focus on a new diesel-hybrid bus fleet for the line.
Pending approval of federal funding that will cover about half of the costs, the start of construction is slated to start next year with service starting late in 2022.
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Does anyone else think we need a rapid route that goes from the top of Capitol Hill to Seattle Center and back with minimal stops, in addition to (not replacing) the 8. The 8 is almost always late. It’s frequently packed over capacity to the point that it is unsafe, and during peak times takes over an hour to go two miles.
We should build a Whistler-style gondola line along Denny Way. It could stop at Denny Park midway, adjacent to the light rail station which will be added as part of the future Ballard line.
Could Seattle use the monorail authority to pay for such a project, perhaps?
I’ve been thinking that for years. With a gondola, you’d never have to wait for a bus or train, since one would arrive every 15 seconds. It’d be much cheaper than a light rail line and more politically and technically feasible than taking away car lanes in both directions on olive and denny for bus lanes. Mexico City, Medellin, and other cities have already built these with great results, including some really cool public art.
Such a thing might be redundant in 2035, when Capitol Hill -> SLU and Seattle Center becomes a two-seat light rail journey.
Well, 2035 before the state election blew the giant hole in ST3 funding.