RapidRide J Line - Formerly RapidRide Roosevelt

Connecting Downtown Seattle with the neighborhoods of Belltown, South Lake Union, Eastlake, and the University District. Upgrading Route 70 to RapidRide with enhanced bus speed, reliability and stations, paving, installing protected bike lanes, and improving accessibility. 

Updated: April 26, 2023

What's happening now

We are nearly done with design of the project. Public input gathered during design outreach in fall 2022 has helped inform final design. For more information, you can view the Community Design Virtual Meeting Report and Community Design Survey Report. We expect construction to begin in 2024. Service launch planned for 2027.

Sign Up to Learn More

If you would like to learn more about project updates and schedule you can subscribe to receive our project emails.

Project Overview

We're partnering with King County Metro (KCM) to enhance transit connections and upgrade existing bus routes to Metro RapidRide service. The project upgrades the current Route 70 to a RapidRide service, improving transit connections to  Downtown, Belltown, South Lake Union, Eastlake, and the University District neighborhoods. In addition to improving bus reliability with all day transit service, the project will install new bus stations, repave streets, add new protected bike lanes, and improve pedestrian accessibility.

The RapidRide J Line project also addresses current and future mobility needs for travelers, transit capacity constraints along the corridor, and provides equitable transportation access to major institutions, employers, and neighborhoods.

The RapidRide J Line project will:

  • Improve access to transit through upgraded curb ramps, sidewalks, and signals
  • Improve transit travel time and reliability throughout the corridor by adding transit lanes and transit signal priority
  • Provide a high-quality rider experience with stations that include shelters, lighting, real-time arrival information, and all-door boarding
  • Improve connections to Link light rail, other bus lines, and Seattle Streetcar
  • Reduce greenhouse gas emissions with more transit options and fewer cars on the road
  • Install protected bike lanes to improve safety of all travelers
  • Pave Eastlake Ave E from E from Fuhrman Ave E to Fairview Ave E with at least 12 inches of concrete, creating a roadway that will last more than 50 years
  • Partner with Seattle Public Utilities to replace the existing watermain on Eastlake Ave E

Station Amenities

The following amenities will be included at RapidRide J Line stations:

  • A 12-ft bus shelter canopy
  • Real-time arrival information
  • All-door boarding
  • Benches
  • Pedestrian-level lighting
  • Signature signposts and route information maps
  • Next Generation TSP (ngTSP)

Graphic showing components of a typical RapidRide bus station.

    Project Map

    Map showing length of project from downtown up to the U DIstrict

     Click this link to download a higher resolution map

    Schedule

    Timeline showing construction beginning in 2024 and service planned to begin in 2027

    1. Planning (2014-2017): We collected traffic data, reviewed plans, and gathered community experiences to define options.
    2. Design (2017-2023): We are collaborating with the community, working to secure regulatory approval (e.g., Environmental Assessment), and developing a more detailed final design. 
    3. Construction (as soon as 2024): We will construct the project and keep the community informed on the latest construction updates, schedule, and expected impacts. 
    4. Service launch (planned for 2027)

    Funding

    RapidRide J Line is partially funded by the 9-year Levy to Move Seattle, approved by voters in 2015. Additional funding is being sought through a Federal Transit Administration Small Starts Grant.

    How can I get involved?

    We're always interested in meeting with community and neighborhood groups that want to learn more about the project and make their voices heard. You can request a briefing by emailing RapidRide@seattle.gov or calling (206) 257-2202.

    Project Materials'

    March 2023

    December 2022

    September 2022

    May 2022

    Previous National Environmental Policy Act Materials 

    October 2021

    Supplemental Environmental Assessment Appendices

    Scroll down to view the January 2020 Environmental Assessment

    April 2021

    February 2021

    January 2021

    December 2020

    January 2020
     Environmental Assessment Appendices

    October 2019

    July 2019

    April 2019

    January 2019

    October 2018

    September 2018

    December 2017 - Environmental Scoping

    July 2017

    June 2017

    June 2016 Open Houses

    December 2015 Open Houses

    May 2015 Open Houses

    Reference Documents

    RapidRide J Line outreach conducted to date

     From 2015-2023 the project has engaged the public with: 

    • 113 community meetings and briefings
    • More than 1,682 community members engaged
    • Emails and mailers to more than 40,000 neighborhood residents and businesses 

    April 2023Eastlake Community Council Board Meeting

    Date Event
    Phase 1 - Mode Analysis and Existing Conditions
    February 2015                              Presented to Eastlake District Council meeting
    Phase 2 - Characteristics of BRT and Multimodal Components
    March-April 2015 Key stakeholder group outreach, including phone calls to develop an outreach list
    May 2015 Open houses (2) to discuss mode analysis and existing conditions
    July 2015 Joined Cascade Bicycle Club for walking audit of Eastlake Ave E
    August 2015 Presentation to South Lake Union Chamber of Commerce
    September 2015 Forum meeting in South Lake Union to discuss mode options
    September 2015 Forum meeting in South Lake Union to discuss mode options
    October 2015 Presented to Eastlake District Council meeting
    November 2015 Forum meeting in South Lake Union to discuss BRT in-depth
    November 2015 Presented to Roosevelt Neighborhood Association
    December 2015 Open houses (2) to discuss BRT and multi-modal options
    January 2016 Presented to Maple Leaf Community Council
    January 2016 Presented to University Transportation Committee
    January 2016 Presented to Eastlake Community Council
    March 2016 Presented to U-District Partnership
    March 2016 Project staff conducted business access survey
    Phase 3 - Recommended Corridor Concept
    May 2016 Forum meeting to review recommended corridor concept
    June 2016 Presentation to Seattle Transit Advisory Board
    June 2016 Presented to Fred Hutchinson staff
    June 2016 Open houses (2) to review recommended corridor concept
    July 2016 Reviewed recommended corridor concept with Vulcan staff
    September 2016 Presentation to Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board
    July 2017 Submitted Locally Preferred Alternative to Seattle City Council (approved July 2017)
    November 2017 Notifications for public scoping meeting: • Email update • Mailed notice
    December 2017 Public scoping open house to inform project Environmental Assessment
    March 2018 Attended Eastlake Community Council meeting
    April 2018 Attended Eastlake Community Council meeting
    August 2018 Project email update
    September 2018 Presentation to Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board
    October 2018 Notifications for Eastlake neighborhood question and answer meeting: • Email update • Mailed notice
    October 2018 Hosted Eastlake neighborhood question and answer session to review bicycle alternatives analysis and parking analysis
    December 2018 Email invitations sent for Eastlake community parking workshop
    January 2019 Hosted Eastlake community parking workshop to discuss opportunities for RPZ updates, transportation options, shared parking, and load zone relocations
    April 2019 Attended Eastlake Community Council meeting
    April to June 2019 Project outreach staff conducted door-to-door access surveys for Eastlake businesses
    May 2019 Attended WSDOT/SDOT community parking briefing to review parking effects from the SR 520 project
    July 2019 Briefing with Friends of Seattle's Olmsted Parks to review the Ravenna Boulevard park
    July 2019 Briefing with members of Eastlake Community Council and SAFE Eastlake
    July 2019 Notifications for Eastlake business parking workshops: • Mailed notice • Emailed notice • Door-to-door flyers
    July 2019 Hosted Eastlake business parking workshops to discuss opportunities for load zone relocations, transportation options, shared parking, and RPZ updates
    October 2019 Hosted U-District and Roosevelt Open House and Question & Answer Session
    October 2019 Hosted Eastlake, South Lake Union and Downtown Open House and Question & Answer Session
    October 2019 Captured community feedback through online open house
    October 2019 Presentation to Seattle Transit Advisory Board
    October 2019 Briefings with:
    • Eastlake Coffee
    • Patrick's Fly Shop
    November 2019 Briefings with:
    • Seattle Public Library
    • Eastlake Fitness and DJ's Apartments
    • Seattle Children's Hospital
    January 2020

    Notifications for Environmental Assessment and Section 4(f) comment period:

    • Mailed notice
    • Emailed notice
    • Notice at Seattle public libraries
    • Notice of availability
    January 2020 Hosted U District, Roosevelt, Eastlake, and Downtown Drop-in Sessions for Environmental Assessment and Section 4(f) comment period.
    January 2020 Briefing with the Eastlake Community Council Board.
    February 2020 Briefing with the University of Washington.
    December 2020 Route Update Public Meeting(virtual).
    December 2020 (Add new line) Attended North Link Connections Mobility Board meeting
    January 2021 Briefing with Councilmember Alex Pedersen
    March 2021 Briefings with:
    • U District Partnership
    • Belltown United
    March 2021 Attended Roosevelt Neighborhood Association meeting
    March 2021 Attended North Link Connections Mobility Board meeting
    May 2021 Attended Northeast District Council meeting
    June 2021 Briefings with: 
    • Councilmember Girmay Zahilay
    • Council staff
    • SpotHero
    • Interbranch Transit
    June 2021 Attended Mercer Corridor Stakeholder Committee meeting
    July 2021 SpotHero demo at Eastlake Community Council Board meeting
    August 2021 Briefings with:
    • Prime Parking
    • UW Student Life
    October 2021 U District Link light rail station grand opening tabling
    October 2021 Email update to community-based organizations to take Supplemental EA Survey
    October 2021 Presentation to the Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board
    November 2021 Received community feedback through Supplemental EA Survey
    December 2021 Briefing with:
    • Vulcan
    • Eastlake Community Council Board
    • Property owners on Eastlake Ave
    January 2022 Project team responded to email inquiries about shortened route
    February 2022 Project communications with:
    • Seattle Neighborhood Greenways
    • Cascade Bicycle Club
    February 2022 Project outreach staff conducted door to door notification of geotechnical boring work
    March 2022 Briefing with:
    • Eastlake Fitness
    • Property owners on Eastlake Ave
    April 2022 Briefing with Eastlake Community Council
    May 2022 Project email update about FONSI
    May 2022 Briefing with Seattle Police Department
    July 2022 Briefing with Vulcan
    August 2022 Project outreach staff conducted door to door notification of geotechnical boring work
    August 2022 Project email update for geotechnical boring work
    August 2022 Presentation to Eastlake Community Council
    September 2022 Captured community feedback through Community Design Survey
    September 2022 Notifications for virtual Multimodal Engagement Sessions
    • Sent mailer
    • Sent invitation through project email update
    September 2022 Hosted virtual Multimodal Engagement Sessions
    September 2022 Project email update with follow up from Multimodal Engagement Sessions
    September 2022 Briefings with:
    • Seattle Neighborhood Greenways
    • Eastlake Community Council
    • U District Partnership
    October 2022 Briefings with:
    • University of Washington Transportation Services
    • Seattle Pedestrian Advisory Board
    November 2022 SDOT Director Greg Spotts Walking and Listening Tour along Eastlake Ave
    February 2023 Briefings with:
    • Seattle Police Department
    • General Services Administration
    March 2023 Briefings with:
    • Fred Hutch
    • Seattle Police Department
    March 2023 Briefings with Escala Condomuniums
    April 2023 Briefings with Eastlake Community Council
    Updated: 12/12/2017

    Transportation

    Greg Spotts, Director
    Address: 700 5th Ave, Suite 3800, Seattle, WA, 98104
    Mailing Address: PO Box 34996, Seattle, WA, 98124-4996
    Phone: (206) 684-7623
    684-Road@seattle.gov

    Newsletter Updates

    Subscribe

    Sign up for the latest updates from Transportation

    The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is on a mission to deliver a transportation system that provides safe and affordable access to places and opportunities for everyone as we work to achieve our vision of Seattle as a thriving, equitable community powered by dependable transportation.