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Transit – Increasing speed and reliability and improving bus stop facilities

Thanks to the Bridging the Gap (BTG) transportation initiative passed by Seattle voters in 2006, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has been working hard to improve transit across the city. 

Bus stop on Rainier Avenue S.

Bus stop on Rainier Avenue S.

A Transit Master Plan (TMP) was completed in 2012 and will serve as a long-term guide to help direct future investments in transit across the city.  A key takeaway ffom the plan was that it confirmed 16 priority bus corridors for continuing improvements.  For information on the TMP please visit the webpage

As part of BTG, we committed to completing transit corridor projects along three key corridors – West Seattle, Ballard and Aurora Avenue.  To date,  nine corridor projects have been completed.  Each of these projects helps transit move through the city faster and more reliably.  Completed projects include: Market/45th Phase 1; West Seattle C Line; Rainier/Jackson Phase 1; Belltown Third Avenue; Delridge; Ballard D Line; Dexter Avenue; N/NW 85th Street; and 15th Avenue NE. 

In addition to the nine corridor projects, SDOT has made key spot improvements to many locations throughout the city. Spot improvements have included parking and signal revisions, queue jumps, bus bulbs and bus stop upgrades.  Project have been completed at: 85th and Greenwood; 3rd and Pine; Wall and Battery bus lanes; Columbia bus lanes; 4th Avenue S bus lanes; and the 1st Avenue bus lane. 

A third key element to the transit program is the 44,300 new hours of transit service that are in place courtesy of a partnership between BTG and King County Metro’s Transit Now Initiative.  Service has been increased on routes 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 26, 28, 30, 40, 44, 48, 60 and 70.

For more information on the BTG transit programs please visit their webpage. For additional information on BTG please visit their webpage