With reporting by Jadenne Radoc Cabahug, CHS intern

Construction has reached about 40% completion on the project to transform Madison between the waterfront and Madison Valley across downtown, First Hill, and Capitol Hill into a new “rapid bus transit” corridor. The three-year project is a surprisingly complete overhaul with everything from the city’s sidewalks and intersections to its water and sewer mains being ripped up and replaced along the 2.4-mile route.

For those living and doing business in the area, the planned 2024 completion of the project will bring major benefits including six minute service during most hours of the day between 1st Ave downtown and MLK Jr Way in Madison Valley with stops across First Hill and Capitol Hill along the way.

But the road to getting there is rough. Crossing Madison as the city’s planned waves of construction pass through different areas of the route can be a tricky endeavor as the project has continued to allow street traffic to use sections of Madison in a regularly shifting maze of barriers and work zones. The city says its contractors have planned their work with effort to try to keep disruptions to pedestrians, traffic, and businesses as limited as possible.

But the work on the $134 million project boosted with a huge influx of federal funding runs deep. Along Madison’s path, the city is also taking advantage of the construction schedule to make massive infrastructure changes with work on underground water and sewer mains. SDOT has said it crews are providing local access for businesses and residences located in the areas while Seattle Public Utilities completes infrastructure work and contractors begin the effort to build the new lanes and stations for the RapidRide G bus route.

Off-duty police officers have also been hired to help direct traffic. But the restricted lanes and closures have made for a challenging area for drivers, bikers, and pedestrians. In April, a man suffered serious injuries when he reportedly fell in front of a Metro bus moving through one construction zone.

Businesses along the route are also finding access to be less than promised.

Doug Holtom, the First Hill Improvement Association’s executive director, says construction has heavily impacted the pedestrians, making it difficult for people to get to doctors appointments due to road and/or sidewalk closures.

Holtom said several businesses have also been broken into including George’s Sausage and Delicatessen, Yoshino Teriyaki, The Hideout, the 206 Burger Company was broken into multiple times. A burglary at Vito’s — closed due to a damaging fire in its building — made headlines when the thieves made off with the club’s giant taxidermied cougar.

“It hasn’t happened in previous years,” Holtom said and emphasized the decreased pedestrian activities on the street alongside the construction could be contributing factors to the high level of reported break-ins.

Frank Taylor, owner of Frank’s Barbershop & Beauty Salon said there was also a break-in at Bartell Drugs, a bakery and several break-ins at Araya’s Place last year.

“There’s a lot of people on this block that you talk to and they will let you know it’s tough and … I mean, it’s chaotic,” Taylor said.

Taylor said he has to spend around $230 a month for parking since there’s no street parking available and that he’s had a decrease in clients because a majority of people drive to his shop, but there’s no available parking.

“You have a lot of construction work going on around here and it’s hard to to be a part of it to come up here to do anything,” Taylor said.

The Barbershop owner shared that he might shut his shop down for a week since construction will move to the sidewalks in front of his store.

Adonis Ducksworth, Madison BRT project outreach lead for the city said the project does outreach to affected residents and businesses through sending weekly email updates, briefings with stakeholders, hospitals and schools. Ducksworth also said they’ve gone door to door to businesses and residents to deliver flyers.

Ducksworth said they’ve implemented feedback they’ve received from the community by shortening their email updates and categorizing by area. SDOT has also provided signage for drivers and pedestrians when lanes, roads and sidewalks are closed due to construction.

The project is intensive and they’re working with Seattle Public Utilities on replacing the water main along the main corridor.

Ducksworth said the project has encouraged people to continue supporting businesses despite construction and update them periodically in weekly meetings with information to plan business horus around it.

“I haven’t heard anything about break ins, with regard to our construction project and businesses,” Ducksworth said.

The project has been in the planning stages since 2012. Voters approving the Move Seattle transportation levy in 2015 and Sound Transit 3 in 2016 together moved the project forward, with $19.2 million in levy funding and $35.8 million from Sound Transit got the project closer to its full $133.4 million cost. A $59.9 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration pushed the project into reality.

The city has said it cannot provide financial support for impacts to residents, organizations, and businesses facing three years of construction, but officials have encouraged the use of existing mitigation opportunities like the Small Business Stabilization Fund that can provide $5,000, $10,000 and $20,000 grants “to be used on operational expenses such as rent, wages, equipment and more.” City Halls also added another $2,000,000 from federal relief funds for $1,000 grants for businesses that are required to enforce vaccination verification.

“The Madison BRT project is a federally funded project and this project does not have money to give businesses as part of their compensation … but there are a number of things that we do to try to make things easier on businesses, like, providing load zones when parking is going to move and just really staying in touch so that the businesses can plan ahead for the work that’s coming,” Ducksworth said.

Taylor said he wants for the city to, “compensate us for disrupting our business.”

“I have to pay $4,000 a month and [because] of construction … a lot of people don’t want to come up here because of the parking. Well then it’s really complicated,” Taylor said. “I’m hanging in there, but I’m saying I should be making more money so I can save some money.”

But relief is coming. 2023 brings what should be the final push of major construction as the system prepares for a 2024 start of service. Along the way, the construction schedule will shift the most intensive work up and down the corridor to hopefully give areas a break.

For merchants worried about street parking it is, indeed, increasingly rare to find in Seattle and SDOT has said the Madison changes will require removal of approximately 160 parking spaces “to make room for new bus-only lanes and bike lanes.” But the trade comes with a good return.

King County Metro will operate service on the line with 60-foot articulated buses running every six minutes during peak times. A diesel-hybrid bus fleet is being assembled to run the route so there won’t be a major installation of new electric trolley cables. Card readers at stations allowing riders to enter any of the five doors, 13-inch platforms making it easier for those with strollers or wheelchairs to get on the bus, and designated areas of the stations for cyclists and those in wheelchairs aim to make the loading and unloading process more efficient.

Planners said they also hope overhauled Madison will address conditions at key intersections including at 12th Ave and 24th Ave where the route will mix with busy traffic flows and bustling streets. SDOT says highlights include shorter crosswalks.

When it finally debuts, RapidRide G will have been a 12-year project. Along with what is hoped to be faster, more efficient bus service in this key Seattle corridor, the neighborhoods along the way will also get new curb ramps, sidewalks, and crossing improvements. Those elements contributed to the high project cost and long construction schedule compared to other RapidRide lines, but, hopefully when all is said and done, will make the costs and the challenges along the way worth it — even for Frank’s Barbershop.

You can get updates on the project including current construction work zones on SDOT’s Madison BRT project page.

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