Route 7 - Transit-Plus Multimodal Corridor

Updated: October 22, 2019

Keeping buses moving and improving transit access on Rainier Ave S

What’s happening now?

Building off the input we received last year, our design team is currently evaluating these improvements based on cost, benefits, and feasibility. By early 2020, we expect to finalize what we plan to move further into design. Feel free to contact us to share your input on the potential improvements.

What bus improvements are already happening? We're working closely with the Vision Zero team to improve safety on Rainier Ave S and to keep buses moving at the same time. You may have noticed new bus lanes out there! We installed bus lanes in sections of Rainier within the Othello and Rainier Beach neighborhoods and we're installing more next year. See the Rainier Improvements webpage for more. 

Project Overview

We are partnering with King County Metro to improve transit speed and reliability on Rainier Ave S. King County Metro is planning to upgrade Metro Route 7 to the RapidRide R Line in 2024. SDOT is making street improvements on Rainier by 2022 which could include the key features below.

SDOT Route 7 Transit-Plus key features

Building off the input we received last year, our design team is currently evaluating these improvements based on cost, benefits, and feasibility. By early 2020, we expect to finalize what we plan to move further into design. Key features include: 

• Bus Improvements: Bus-only lanes to separate the bus from traffic (depending on the location, bus lanes may replace parking lanes or travel lanes)
• Walking and Biking Improvements: Improvements to crossings and connections to neighborhood greenways to help people access transit safely
• Signal Upgrades: Signals that prioritize transit with queue jumps that give buses a head start and "smart signals" that activate or extend green lights for buses
• Safety Improvements: Changes to address crashes and improve safety

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.

The community around Route 7 and Rainier Ave S is growing, and many of the people who live along the corridor depend on the 7 to get to where they're going. A key goal is to keep what people already love about the 7, while also providing new and better connections to Link light rail and improved connections for people walking and biking.

Timeline changes

RapidRide Rainier was included in the 2015 Levy to Move Seattle and evaluated in the 2016 Transit Master Plan Update and the 2017 Metro Connects Long-Range Plan.

During early program planning, SDOT and King County Metro anticipated upgrading the Route 7 to the RapidRide R Line as soon as 2021. Based on an assessment of the Levy to Move Seattle and King County Metro’s proposed Capital Improvement Program (CIP), we now expect the RapidRide Rainier Line to open in 2024. SDOT is making improvements to the street and signals to improve bus reliability and access by 2022. We're in the early design phase to determine what improvements are most beneficial and feasible to take to final design and construction. 

See more on the RapidRide program update.

See more on the comprehensive assessment of the Levy to Move Seattle.

Other Projects along Rainier

Our project team is in close coordination with following projects:

• Rainier Improvements - Phase 2 
• Accessible Mt. Baker
• S Kenyon St Neighborhood Greenway
• Safe Routes to School
  • Rainier and Graham
  • Rainier and Rose
• Sound Transit Judkins Park Station
• Metro RapidRide R Line

Timeline - All major projects on Rainier Ave S

Community Outreach

We're always interested in meeting with community and neighborhood groups that want to learn more about the project and provide input. You can request a briefing by emailing 7TransitPlus@Seattle.gov or calling 206-900-8724. 

Materials

• Route 7 Transit-Plus Fact Sheet (November 2019)
• Route 7 Transit-Plus Potential Improvements Map (October 2019)
• Summary of Surveys with North Rainier Businesses (August 2019)
• Presentation to Seattle Transit Advisory Board (May 2019)
• Spring 2018 Outreach Summary* 
• Public Health Assessment of the RapidRide Project (Summer 2018)*
  • University of Washington School of Public Health and College of Built Environments prepared a health assessment of the RapidRide Rainier Project. They examined five topics through a public health and equity lens: health and human services, mobility, infrastructure, community and development and environmental conditions. The report includes expected positive and negative health impacts of the project for each of the focus areas, along with their respective magnitudes of impact and distribution.
• Online open house (Spring 2018)*
• Fact Sheet (March 2018)*
  • Tagalog | Español | 中文 | Tiếng Việt | Oromoo | ትግርኛ | ភាសាខ្មែរ | Soomaali | አማርኛ
• Concept Maps*
  • Chinatown-ID to Mt. Baker
  • Mt. Baker to Columbia City
  • Columbia City to Rainier Beach
  • S Henderson St to the Rainier Beach Station
  • Bus stop changes - S Jackson St
• Online Open House Invitation Mailer (March 2017)*
• SDOT We ❤ Southeast Seattle RapidRide boards (March 2017)*

*Materials shared before summer 2018 reflect previous RapidRide Rainier Line timeline.

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 to deliver pieces of the project sooner and more efficiently.

Translation

If you need this information translated, please call 206-900-8724.

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