King
County
Department
of Transportation
Metro
Transit
Transit
Speed & Reliability Program
201
South Jackson Street
M.S.
KSC-TR-0411
Seattle,
WA 98104-3856
November 1, 2001
Thank you for
responding to our request for comments on our proposed bus stop consolidation
project for 15th Ave NW. Bus stop consolidation is one element of the
Elliot Avenue/15th Ave NW Multi-modal project partnership with the
City of Seattle. The multi-modal
project includes transit signal priority, signal synchronization, street
lighting and street trees, pedestrian improvements, and street paving and curb
ramps. The bus stop consolidation project is one of the first transit elements
to be implemented this year. This proposal has support from the Elliott/15th
NW Project Advisory Committee, the neighborhood-based 15th Ave
NW Improvement Committee, and the
Ballard District Council.
Fifteen to
twenty years ago a bus stop every two blocks, or in some cases every block, was
not uncommon. Today, bus stops along a
brand new route would typically be placed about 1/4 of a mile apart. In an urban environment with relatively flat
terrain, good sidewalks and frequent service, 4-5 bus stops per mile is
generally a good compromise between convenient customer access to the bus stop
and efficient operation for passengers on the bus.
Bus stop
consolidations can result in a smoother ride, improved schedule adherence, and
higher travel speeds as well as lessening interruption to general traffic.
Additionally, with more riders using fewer stops, we will also be able to
better focus our route facility improvements, such as benches, shelters and
better lighting. Finally, fewer stops will help concentrate pedestrian
crossings and may allow funds for crossing improvements to be targeted to these
areas.
Bus stop
consolidations on two segments of the Route 15 have already been
completed. First Ave between S Jackson and Mercer Street was
completed in 1999, as was 15th Ave W between Garfield and the
Ballard Bridge. The current project
extends improvements to the two mile segment between NW 85th and
Leary Way.
Consistent with
our earlier posting, we had proposed to retain 10 bus stops in each direction
on 15th Avenue NW. About
2,000 riders board the Route 15 everyday in both directions between
N 85th St and Leary Way.
Since posting information about the proposed zone consolidation plan, we
have received 28 calls and comments, some for and some against the
consolidation.
After further
evaluation, we have modified our initial proposal in response to the input we
received. We will proceed with the stop removals in mid-November with these
changes as noted below:
·
The
southbound bus stop at NW 83rd St will remain until a shelter can be
installed at
NW 80th St.
·
The south
bound bus stop at NW 53rd St will remain for now. We will
investigate the feasibility of a new bus stop that would consolidate the stop
at NW 53rd and NW 51st into a new stop somewhere between
these two existing stops. You will be notified of any new proposal that impacts
these two stops.
Additionally,
there were complaints about the length of time southbound buses spent waiting
to go through the traffic signal at Market Street. We will look into the possibility of relocating the southbound
stop and shelters to the south of this
intersection, adjacent to Walgreen's.
We
have attempted to minimize the negative impacts of our initial plan to the
degree that we can. However, even with these adjustments, we understand that
the additional minute or two walk that this revised plan will require for some
riders will still be an inconvenience.
We
value your input as a concerned transit rider and want to revisit the impact of
these changes. In February of 2002 we
will be contacting you and all the other Route 15 riders for comments about the
effects of these changes.
For more
information, please contact Irin Limargo at
irin.limargo AT metrokc D0T gov. Again, on behalf of the City of Seattle and
King County Metro we want to thank you for your comments and suggestions.
Sincerely,
|
Irin Limargo Project
Manager King
County Metro Transit |
|
George Frost Project
Manager City
of Seattle Transportation Department |
Cc: 15th
Ave NW Project Advisory Committee
East Ballard Community Council
Central Ballard Community Council
Loyal Heights Community Center
Olympic Manor Community
Whittier Heights Community Council