From the Archives: A Bus from MLK to Downtown

ACRS from the bus stop (Photo by the Author. 2011)

It's too late to submit comments to Metro about the Southeast Seattle restructure, but this old post from 2011 remains relevant although the route numbers have changed. In particular, it takes a close look at the claim that a new bus providing a one-seat ride from Little Saigon and Downtown is necessary to adequately serve the Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS), three blocks south of Mt. Baker Station.

Events in the interim have deteriorated this claim further. The Capitol Hill restructure in March will split the 8 and new 38, and the 38 will be a reliable transfer, with minimal walking from Link and zero walking from the 7. The 38 will also address the much more legitimate complaint from people and organizations around Orcas St. that they had no reliable means of accessing the train, due to essentially random southbound arrivals on the 8.

Ironically, sending the 38 downtown (as a 106) would kneecap that improvement, once again subjecting southbound buses to schedule randomness mere months after freeing it from the chaos of Denny Way.