Route 7 - Transit-Plus Multimodal Corridor

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Updated: June 22, 2022

Keeping buses moving and improving transit access on Rainier Ave S

What’s happening now?

Construction is underway on the Route 7 TPMC project!

Crews are working at the intersection of Rainier Ave S and S Walden St to:

  • Building bike ramps at the north and south sides of the intersection
  • Painting green bike crossing markings through the intersection
  • Upgrading the traffic signal for protected left turns to reduce driver and pedestrian conflicts
  • Increasing the leading pedestrian interval push buttons timing
 Construction crews working on the east side of the Rainier Ave S and S Walden St intersection.

Crews working on the east side of the Rainier Ave S and S Walden St intersection.

During construction you can expect:

  • Dust, noise, and vibration
  • Hauling trucks
  • Temporary staging of equipment and materials near work sites
  • Sidewalk closures and pedestrian detours
  • Advance notification to businesses of driveway closures. Business access will be maintained.
  • Off-peak traffic restrictions and detours
  • Temporary pavement surfaces and steel plates in roadway

Questions about the project?

Email us at 7TransitPlus@seattle.gov or leave us a voicemail at (206) 771-0481.

Project Background

The Route 7 is one of the highest-ridership routes in Seattle, serving over 11,000 daily riders to a wide variety of destinations including schools, community centers, grocery stores, homes, and parks. And while Route 7 buses are scheduled to come every 10 minutes or better throughout most of the day, street conditions can cause delay.


We want to keep what people already love about the 7 and make it easier to connect to Link light rail, the Metro Transit Center, and beyond. To do this, we're making improvements to sidewalks, crossings, signals, and installing ADA compliant curbs.

Project Overview

Building off the input we received from the community in 2018 and 2019, final designs were completed in 2021 and improvements made as a part of this Transit-Plus Multimodal Corridor project will include improvements for people walking, biking, and rolling on Rainier Ave S. For more detail about the improvements coming to your area, check out the maps and decriptions below.

As part of the project, we will add new bus-only lanes north of S Edmonds St in two phases. A brief description of the locations and schedules can be found on this map.

Project Map

A street map showing the location of improvements along Route 7, from South Dearborn Street to South Findlay Street

Key Areas of Improvements

Rainier Ave S and S Charles St

Improvements at this intersection include:

  • Adding new ADA curb ramps at the intersections of Rainier Ave S and S Dearborn and S Charles streets
  • Repairing sidewalks along stretches of Rainier Ave S and S Dearborn and S Charles streets
  • Repairing driveways along the east and west sides of Rainier Ave S to improve sidewalk accessibility

A map showing the location of new curb ramps, sidewalk repairs, and driveway repairs on Rainier Ave S between South Dearborn Street and South Charles Street

Rainier Ave S and I-90

At this intersection of Rainier Ave S and the I-90 off ramp, we'll be making significant upgrades to make crossings safer, including:

  • Add new ADA curb ramps
  • Repairing sidewalks at the intersection and on the west side of Rainier Ave S
  • Installing a new crosswalk on the north side of the Rainier Ave S and I-90 off ramp intersection

A map showing the location of new curb ramps, sidewalk repairs, and a new crosswalk on Rainier Ave South at the I-90 off ramp.

Rainier Ave S and S State St

In its current condition, crossing at Rainier Ave S on the east side of the street requires people walking, rolling, and biking to be in the street for long stretches. Upgrades to this intersection include:

  • Building a landscaped curb bulb to make crossings shorter and safer
  • Adding new ADA curb ramps on the north side of the intersection
  • New concrete in the roadway on the north side of the intersection

Rainier Ave S and S Walden St

Improvements at this intersection including building bike infrastructure to make bike crossings safter. These upgrades include:

  • Building bike ramps at the north and south sides of the intersection
  • Painting green bike crossing markings through the intersection

Improvements will also include:

  • Building new curb ramps
  • Repairing sections of sidewalk on Rainier Ave S and S Walden St
  • Repairing pavement in the street
  • Upgrading the traffic signal for protected left turns to reduce driver and pedestrian conflicts
  • Increasing the leading pedestrian interval push buttons timing
  • Repairing driveways to improve sidewalk accessibility

A street map showing New curb bulbs, sidewalk repairs, driveway repairs, and pavement repairs at the intersection of Rainier Ave South and South Walden Street

Rainier Ave S and S Brandon St

Similar to improvements planned at S State St, we'll be building upgrades to make crossings shorter for people walking, rolling, and biking. Upgrades at this intersection include:

  • Building curb bulbs with ADA curb ramps to make crossing shorter and safer
  • Repairing the sidewalk on the south side of S Brandon St next to City Teriyaki
  • Refreshing existing crosswalk and stop bar paint
  • New concrete in the roadway on the west side of the intersection

Route 7 improvements around Rainier Ave S and S Brandon St

Rainier Ave S and S Findlay St

We'd previously made improvements to this intersection, including painting and installing curb posts in the median to protect people crossing the south, east, and west sides of the intersection. This project will include refreshing the existing paint and posts. Additional improvements include:

  • Building new curb ramps on all four corners of the intersection
  • Repairing sidewalk on the south side of S Findlay St and the northwest side of Rainier Ave S
  • Refresh existing paint/post curb bulbs and median

Route 7 improvements around Rainier Ave S and S Findlay St

Other Projects Along Rainier

Our project team is in close coordination with following projects:

Project History

The 2015 Levey to Move Seattle included funding to upgrade Route 7 to a RapidRide line. This change was also included in the 2016 Transit Master Plan Update and the 2017 Metro Connects Long-Range Plan.

Upgrading the Route 7 to RapidRide R Line requires partnership between SDOT and King County Metro. SDOT is responsible for making improvements to the street, sidewalks, and infrastructure fo people walking, biking, rolling, and driving. We're making these improvements to improve bus reliability and access for people using transit. 

Unfortunately, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic reduced revenue and required Metro to pause RapidRide R Line. They are exploring ways to resume this project as soon as possible. Visit the RapidRide R Line webpage for more information. 

Community Outreach

Early 2020: Metro Open houses
Participated in open houses in coordination with King County Metro RapidRide R Line

July 2019: In-person surveys
Conducted surveys with the businesses on and near Rainier Ave S between S Massachusetts St and S Bayview St to learn more about delivery and customer access to help inform potential bus lanes on Rainier.

June 2019: Stakeholder briefing
Move Seattle Levy Oversight Committee

May 2019: Stakeholder briefing
Seattle Transit Advisory Board

March-April 2018: In-person surveys

  • Chinatown-International District Community Center
  • King Donuts
  • Rainier Community Center
  • Viet Wah Asian Supermarket
  • Asian Counseling and Referral Service
  • Rainier Farmers Market
  • Asian Counseling and Referral Service
  • Bush Apartments
  • Easter Hotel
  • Nihon Terrace
  • Ling King Tin Ye Association
  • All Family Association
  • Pop-ups at various locations including libraries, mini-marts, and apartment complexes

March-April 2018: Stakeholder briefings

  • Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board
  • Seattle Pedestrian Advisory Board
  • Seattle Freight Advisory Board
  • King County Transit Advisory Committee
  • Transportation Choices Coalition and Puget Sound Sage

March 19-April 14, 2018: Online open house
Online open house and survey to collect input on detailed concept options; Notifications included a mailer to 40,000 addresses, listserv emails, media, and emails and phone calls to community groups; Online and paper surveys translated into Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Somali, Amharic, Khmer, Omoro, and Tigrinya.

2017: Early planning outreach
Shared the initial RapidRide plans and timeline in partnership with other SE Seattle projects (included a mailer, open house, community conversations, and social media)

Funding

This project is funded by the 9-year Levy to Move Seattle, approved by voters in 2015. We are also partnering with other projects along Rainier Ave S to deliver pieces of the project sooner and more efficiently.

A text graphic that reads "The Levy to Move Seattle: Your Tax Dollars at Work"