Third Ave, Seattle. Photo by Jeanne Clark.
3rd Ave transit improvements.
One key pillar of our plan for dealing with traffic impacts is investing in transit and working to get 3rd Avenue to work as efficiently as possible. In our quickly growing city, adjusting and prioritizing transit is going to be a key way to make sure people can keep moving reliably and affordably. In August 2018, in partnership with King County Metro, we made a number of changes to 3rd Ave to keep pace with the demand for bus service to and through downtown Seattle.
Optimize bus service on 3rd Ave by extending bus-only hours.
In August, 3rd Ave from Stewart St to just south of Yesler Way was reserved for buses and people biking, from morning to night, 6 AM – 7 PM, seven days a week.
- Cars are allowed on 3rd Ave from 7 PM to 6 AM seven days a week.
- No left turns off 3rd Ave, 24/7.
- You can cross 3rd Ave going east-west, 24/7.
- Permitted commercial vehicles are allowed to use 3rd Ave, from 9 AM – 3 PM and 7 PM – 6 AM, seven days a week.
Other investments include:
- Speed up bus boarding by installing ORCA card readers at all stops along 3rd Avenue so people can pay before their bus arrives.
- Improve bus traffic flow by moving and adding bus stops.
Read more about other 3rd Ave transit investments on our blog here.
Seattle’s new normal – #SeattleSqueeze
Over the next five years, Seattle’s downtown will be in a state of transition to meet the needs of our growing city and region – #SeattleSqueeze. We’re making changes to our city and to our regional transportation system and help people get where they need to go safely and efficiently. New mobility projects are being developed and constructed to connect communities to downtown with fast, regular service and to create the public spaces our growing region needs.
For more information, tools, and resources on #SeattleSqueeze, please visit our website!
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