Summary

King County Metro invites the public to a joint open house with the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) on Oct. 10 in White Center as the agencies launch the second round of neighborhood conversations to upgrade Route 120 to become the RapidRide H Line in fall 2021.

Story

Metro and Seattle will share updates on the project, including the future route proposal and station locations, and seek feedback on RapidRide station amenities and improvements that make it easier for people to reach transit.

The City of Seattle will also share its early design for a reimagined Delridge Way Southwest with bus lanes, landscaped medians, crosswalk improvements, protected bike lanes and neighborhood greenway connections, signal upgrades, paving, water and sewer pipe upgrades, spot parking and bike lane removal, and public art.

In recent months, King County Metro partnered with the City of Burien to determine routing through their community, and also finalized the preferred route, planned stop locations, and pedestrian, lighting and RapidRide station improvements.

This open house is a chance to learn about routing adjustments, the locations of consolidated and added stops, and safety and roadway improvements to be included in the project. The public also can help prioritize which RapidRide station amenities they would most like to see at each station.

Meetings: In person and online

• Wednesday, Oct. 10, at Mount View Elementary in White Center (10811 12th Ave. SW, Seattle, WA 98146) from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Note: Childcare is provided on site, and interpreter services in Spanish, Vietnamese, Khmer, Somali.

• Online open house: Starting Oct. 10, to be available at Metro’s RapidRide H Line page. This website will be equipped with translations by selecting a language from a drop-down box in the top left corner.

Background

Upgrading route 120 achieves goals of the Metro Connects long-range plan and voter-approved Levy to Move Seattle. RapidRide H Line service is scheduled to launch service in fall 2021.

Today, Metro Route 120 is tied for ninth-busiest bus route in King County and carries approximately 8,700 customers each weekday along the 13-mile corridor between Burien, White Center, Westwood Village, Delridge, and Downtown Seattle. The City of Seattle funds additional bus service on the route 120 thanks to the voter-approved Seattle Transportation Benefit District.

To upgrade the route to RapidRide levels of speed, frequency and reliability, improvements are planned along the corridor that include transit priority treatments – such as bus lanes and more green lights for buses – and RapidRide amenities including unique stations, off-board ORCA fare payment kiosks, and real-time bus arrival information signs. Metro currently operates six RapidRide lines across King County with these amenities.

This project is funded by King County Metro, the voter-approved Levy to Move Seattle and additional grant funding, which has in part been secured and is also being sought by both Seattle and King County.

SDOT and the City of Seattle play a key role in supporting this effort by funding major upgrades to Delridge Way Southwest within the city limits. SDOT is designing new bus lanes to make Metro’s RapidRide transit investment more reliable, and adding bike lanes and neighborhood greenway connections, arterial crosswalks and signals, and walkways to get people between their homes, workplaces and RapidRide.

In addition to proposing a new lane layout for public consideration, the City of Seattle’s investments plan includes basic infrastructure such as paving the northern part of the street, upgrading sections of old water and sewer pipes, and improving street lighting. The project will also invest in the Delridge neighborhood’s future and beautify the street by funding new public art and adding new landscaped median islands.

West Seattle residents and business owners will see these investments in their neighborhood thanks to Seattle voters, who partially funded this project with the nine-year Levy to Move Seattle.

Important links

King County Metro RapidRide H Line project page

Seattle DOT RapidRide H Line project page

About King County Metro RapidRide

King County Metro began RapidRide planning in 2006 and launched the RapidRide A Line in 2010. Today, Metro operates six lines across King County, A through F, offering the best of Metro with more frequent and reliable service, efficient off-board ORCA fare payment, fast all-door boarding, on-board wifi for riders and other amenities. RapidRide routes carry more than 66,000 rides each weekday. Metro Connects, Metro’s long-range plan, envisions 26 RapidRide lines by 2040. RapidRide has consistently proven to attract new riders to transit, making transit a more competitive option for more trips while reducing pollution and giving riders the option of leaving their car at home.