RapidRide G Line Construction Complete – Bus Service Begins September 14 on a Transformed Madison Street

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At-a-glance:

• Today, officials from the City of Seattle, Federal Transit Administration, King County Metro, Sound Transit, WSDOT, and other partners celebrated the completion of the RapidRide G Line – Madison St Project at a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Capitol Hill.
• This marks the culmination of project construction to maintain and modernize Madison St into a safer street designed for people walking, rolling, and taking the bus. The new design ensures everyone – from schoolchildren to seniors – sees their main street as welcoming and comfortable.
• King County Metro’s new RapidRide G Line bus service begins on September 14, connecting Downtown Seattle with First Hill, Capitol Hill, Central District, and Madison Valley.
• Riders will experience frequent bus arrivals every six minutes most of the day on 1.4 miles of new dedicated bus lanes, and new 60-foot long, five-door buses that can load from curbside and center-running stations.
• Learn more about the new service and how you can hop aboard on the King County Metro Matters blog. You can also find project details on our website.

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The RapidRide G Line – Madison St Project is one of our largest and most complex capital projects to date. It transformed Madison St to shift First Hill and Capitol Hill’s main street from moving as many cars as possible to moving as many people as possible. In addition to miles of red bus lanes for the new G Line, SDOT’s project fixed sidewalks, added new walk and bike signals, rebuilt utilities, and created a street design to keep traffic at slower, safer speeds next to schools, small businesses, libraries, and hospitals.

Construction began in late 2021 after a robust community-focused public engagement process elevated the needs of vulnerable users and transit-dependent workers. Major construction work wrapped up over the summer and more people than ever are expected to visit the neighborhoods in the months ahead.

Metro’s new RapidRide G Line service begins on September 14, connecting Downtown Seattle with the Central District and Madison Valley. Riders will experience the freedom of frequent, reliable bus service with buses arriving every six minutes most of the day. The new Madison St is tailored to keep buses moving and help people walk, roll, and bike to and from new well-lit stations.

“Seattle has many reasons to celebrate this robust new transit line and the wide array of safety, accessibility, and connectivity improvements through some of our most vibrant neighborhoods. This project was made possible because of a strong team effort, and I want to thank our federal, state, and local partners for their investment and collaboration, as well as the neighbors and local small businesses who have supported increased transit service and endured construction. This upgrade and new six-minute service has been long anticipated for neighborhoods like the Central District, Capitol Hill, Downtown, and Madison Valley, and will bring real benefits. Our focus is on making it easier and safer to get where you need to go, and completing this project reflects our commitment to expanding and strengthening transit service throughout Seattle.” – Mayor Harrell

This project was made possible by the voter-approved Levy to Move Seattle and close partnerships with the Federal Transit Administration, King County Metro, Sound Transit, WSDOT, other City of Seattle departments, local businesses, and the community. Partner grants were substantial and invested millions of dollars into fixing Seattle’s aging infrastructure, while allowing the City to employ hundreds of residents with family-wage jobs. Thank you.

“The RapidRide network has become a critical economic and personal asset for millions of riders throughout the Puget Sound region. Adding this service to Madison Street will help connect families to each other, patients to healthcare, students to education, and get everyone where they need to go faster, safer, and more frequently. Thank you to everyone who made this investment a reality.” – FTA Acting Administrator Veronica Vanterpool

Benefits and features

• Frequent travel times: Dedicated bus lanes and faster boarding cut commute times and promote transit ridership.
• More reliable service: With buses arriving every six minutes most of the day, you can count on consistent service. The center bus-only lanes and stations on First Hill eliminate conflicts with other traffic in the busiest parts of Madison St.
• Improved accessibility: New curb ramps, crosswalks, and sidewalks make it easier for people to access the new transit options.
• Environmental impact: Increased use of public transportation reduces greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to a more sustainable city.
• Utilities upgrades: The project replaced a 120-year-old water main, improved the drainage and wastewater system on Madison St, upgraded street lights, and improved Seattle City Lights’s power distribution system.

“The RapidRide G Line is an essential addition to our expanding regional transit network. Traveling along the Madison St. corridor, RapidRide G creates connections to multiple transportation options. You won’t need a car to get from the CID, First Hill or the Madison Valley to downtown Seattle, Link light rail, ferries, water taxis, and more. The RapidRide G Line is a major step forward in reducing pollution and increasing opportunities for all.” – King County Executive Dow Constantine

By the numbers

• 3.8 miles of new or replaced sidewalks
• 9.1 lane-miles of concrete streets
• 2.3 lane-miles of new asphalt
• 1.4 miles of new dedicated bus lanes
• 21 new RapidRide stops
• 2 upgraded bus stops
• 4 new center-running bus stations
• 5 new signals and 36 upgraded signals
• 108 newly planted trees (note: some final tree planting will happen this fall)

Map

A sense of place – reaching many vital community destinations along Madison St

This project connects amazing community destinations between Puget Sound in Downtown Seattle and the heart of Madison Valley. More importantly, it helps people get to where they need to go – whether that’s a medical appointment, commuting to work or school, grabbing groceries, or visiting a family member or friend.

Here are just a few examples:

• Seattle’s Central Waterfront and Waterfront Park, which is making great progress
• The transit corridor on 3rd Ave in downtown Seattle and the Link light rail tunnel
• Seattle’s world-class Central Library
• Healthcare clinics and hospitals such as Swedish, Virginia Mason, and Optum
• Seattle Streetcar – First Hill Line
• Schools including Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences (SAAS), Seattle World School, O’Dea High School, and Seattle University
• Grocery stores such as the Central Co-Op
• Business Districts in First Hill, Capitol Hill, Central District, and Madison Valley

With steep Seattle hills throughout, we want all these vibrant places to be more accessible and easier to reach, particularly for people with disabilities or mobility challenges. We’ve eliminated many barriers for people who use wheelchairs or are deaf and/or blind. This area includes ample low-income housing and essential social service providers used by people across the region. And Capitol Hill’s LGBTQ community will have greater access to community spaces moving forward.

How to use the new center-running bus stations and safe travel reminders

• Center-running bus stations (boarding platforms) are a new feature to help you get on and off the bus more efficiently.
• You can reach the center-running stations from the sidewalk via crosswalks with traffic signals. Please watch out for cars, bikes, and other traffic while crossing the street onto the platforms.
• All bus stops along the RapidRide G Line route are located at intersections with traffic signals, so you can find a safe, marked crossing to catch the next bus.
• Thank you for your attention to safety as everyone adjusts to the new features along Madison St.

Project funding

• The $144.3 million RapidRide G Line project was funded through a combination of sources:
  • Federal grants: $80.5 million (This included $59.9 million from the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Small Starts program and $10.9 million from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan)
  • Sound Transit: $35.8 million
  • The Levy to Move Seattle: $19.7 million
  • King County Metro: $3.5 million
  • WSDOT grants: $2.5 million
  • Other City of Seattle transportation sources: $2.3 million
• The project was supported by the Biden-Harris Administration, Senator Patty Murray, Senator Maria Cantwell, Representative Pramila Jayapal, Representative Adam Smith, and many public agency partners.
• It was also made possible by the voter-approved Levy to Move Seattle. Thank you.

Thank you to everyone who navigated construction since we broke ground on the project in late 2021. You helped us make this project a reality every step of the way. We hope to see you out enjoying a ride on the G Line soon.

What people are saying

“I have been proud to support the RapidRide G project throughout my tenure in Congress and during my time in the Washington State Legislature. While serving on the Washington State Senate Transportation Committee, I helped ensure that RapidRide G received dedicated funding in the Connecting Washington Transportation Package. This project will be transformative for our connecting communities and enhancing regional transportation mobility.” – U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal

“Madison Street is a critical connection for the Madison Valley, Capitol Hill, First Hill, and downtown. The new RapidRide line will help people move efficiently among these vital neighborhoods.” – State Senator Jamie Pedersen

“As we celebrate the completion of this project, I am proud of the progress we’ve made in improving our transportation infrastructure. This new line will not only enhance connectivity for our communities but also reflects our commitment to sustainable, efficient, and equitable public transit. The patience, support, and engagement from the people in our district have been invaluable throughout this process. Together, we are building a future where everyone has access to reliable and safe transit options.” – State Senator Rebecca Saldaña

“As our region grows, it’s important that we also grow our transit options to stay connected with each other and to the places that make up our everyday lives—school, work, healthcare, grocery stores, and our favorite small businesses. This new G Line will provide faster and more frequent connections to enjoy all our downtown, First Hill, and Capitol Hill neighborhoods have to offer. Thank you to Metro for the robust engagement with communities throughout the heart of Seattle in creating this plan. This G Line will make our entire transit network more powerful and help get more people out of their cars and into the downtown core—boosting our local economy, fostering community, and helping us to meet our climate goals. If you ask me, the G in G Line stands for Great!” – King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda

“The RapidRide G Line is a convenience game changer for District 3 residents. This new line gives our neighbors and visitors an easier connection to the downtown core. It’ll also offer greater traffic and an economic bump for the many small businesses on Madison. I want to thank our Seattle Department of Transportation and King County Metro for their phenomenal work on this project.” – Seattle City Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth (District 3)

“I’m thrilled to see the opening of the RapidRide G Line, a crucial step forward in our state’s commitment to multi-modal transportation, Complete Streets and efficient transit services. This line will not only improve connectivity to the newly enhanced Colman Dock ferry terminal, but also contribute to a more resilient and accessible transportation network for Washington.” – Washington Secretary of Transportation Roger Millar, PE, FAICP, Dist.M.ASCE

“The completion of the RapidRide G project demonstrates how our region’s transit agencies – SDOT, KC Metro, and Sound Transit – are successfully partnering to deliver on one shared promise: Making it easier, faster, and less expensive for people to get where they need to go every day.” – Sound Transit Interim CEO Goran Sparrman

“The new RapidRide G Line will deliver frequent and reliable service across Madison Valley, Capitol Hill, the Central District, First Hill, and downtown Seattle. This collaborative, regional effort serving some of Seattle’s oldest neighborhoods will improve lives, help local businesses, and expand access to opportunity.” – King County Metro General Manager Michelle Allison

“You can count on the G Line to get around the heart of Seattle, connecting the ferry dock and downtown with health care facilities on First Hill and neighborhoods along Madison. This infrastructure and mobility project creates safer streets and intersections for all users, while enabling frequent, reliable bus service every six minutes along a unique diagonal corridor within our street grid.” – SDOT Director Greg Spotts

“Mayor Harrell, King County Metro, and SDOT have been key partners with Seattle Academy (SAAS) students and staff over the past three years on this major infrastructure upgrade. Our school prides itself on drawing from diverse neighborhoods, representing 67 zip codes across the city, and we rely on public transportation to get many of our students to school safely, sustainably, and independently. We look forward to what this new line means for our community as we kick off the new school year.” – Giselle Furlonge, Associate Head of School at Seattle Academy