Friday Roundtable: Rainier Ave S Bus Lanes

In April 2025, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) painted the Phase 2 bus lane for its Rainier Ave S Bus Lane project. This lane conversion extended the northbound bus-only lane from S Walden Street to S Grand Street. While the bus lane is the project's flagship feature, SDOT is also repairing the sidewalk in various locations and adding 2 new crossings. Signals and crosswalks were recently added on Rainier Ave at Grand St and College St. This project, as well as other projects along Rainier Ave, have been previously covered on the Blog.

Crews installing Bus Only lane striping on Rainier Ave S near S Walden St. (SDOT)Project Area Map (SDOT)

The extended bus lane is a significant improvement for transit riders in Rainier Valley. Metro routes 4, 7, 8, 9, 48, and 106 use the bus lane for part their route. Starting in 2031, the RapidRide R Line will use the bus lane as well (replacing Route 7). SDOT predicts the extended bus lane will save bus riders up to 6 minutes per trip along this segment.

Looking ahead, SDOT should continue the bus lane further north. As noted by The Urbanist in 2022, the segment of Rainier Ave with the worst delays is between I-90 and S Jackson St. Ridership data for Route 7 show many riders from Rainier Valley stay on the bus until downtown, instead of transferring to Link. Ensuring a fast and reliable trip for transit riders is the best way to reduce the number of cars on the road.

Safety Improvements

This northbound bus lane replaced one of the two general purpose northbound traffic lanes. SDOT initially proposed two alternatives. Alternative 1 is shown to the right and Alternative 2 replaces the center turn lane with a second northbound travel lane. SDOT chose Alternative 1, citing survey feedback and safety concerns. Removing one northbound general purpose lane will reduce traffic speeds and improve safety for all road users.

Alternative 1Center median on Rainier Ave between S Kenny St and S Spencer St

SDOT has also started to install several center lane median islands at several locations on Rainier Ave. These medians prevent drivers from using the center lane as a passing lane, while providing a new space for trees and other plants. Unfortunately, some drivers will continue to use the bus lane for passing and speeding. In November 2024, Metro started a 60-day pilot project to record bus lane violators. The agency has yet to share the results of this pilot. The City of Seattle has not installed any Transit Lane enforcement cameras on Rainier Ave.

The extended northbound bus-only lane and the new center medians on Rainier Ave are long overdue improvements for one of Seattle's most dangerous streets. These changes alone will not prevent all crashes and traffic fatalities, but they are a good first step.

This is an open thread.