Bus Improvements on Harrison, but Will There be Buses?

Last May, SDOT released a new fact sheet on its Harrison and Mercer Transit Access project, spanning the blue line in the map above. It's at 30% design, and construction can begin as early as" 2026 (although since the May update, that has slipped to 2027).

The plan is for, more or less, the usual recipe: road repaving, transit priority treatments, and pedestrian safety. The details are subject to the remaining 70% of the design.

Alert readers might notice what's unique about this transit corridor work: there are no bus routes on the corridor! The new-ish Eastlake Layover Facility is at one end, so perhaps it'd be a little easier to start some routes on time. But SDOT and Metro confirmed to me that there is more in the works.

SDOT says they've been working with Metro on this since 2022. It comes from an agency focus on light rail connections, with SLU projected to finally get a station in 2039. What funding there is comes from a mix of grants, Seattle levies, and some cash from Metro, but it's not yet enough to complete the project. The actual start date will depend on the timeline for final design and securing environmental approvals, interagency coordination, and funding considerations."

Metro doesn't have a timetable or funding to put buses in this corridor. But the long-range plan has long envisioned a new East-West corridor connecting North Capitol Hill, SLU, and Seattle Center via Aloha, Lakeview, and Harrison. A Harrison corridor also provides a place for 520 buses using the just-completed HOV access to exit at SLU and not immediately get stuck in Mercer congestion. There's even a route that could go in the SR 99 tunnel, finally rectifying the tunnel and transit" lie.

While Metro isn't committing to any dates right now, spokesperson Jeff Switzer offered that if the ridership benefits are high enough, it would consider trading off other service to get some of these lines up and running. As a limit, one would expect that the 2039 SLU station opening would ultimately result in corresponding changes in bus service to connect with that station."

Here's hoping that we can see some of those new routes well before 2039. The Aloha corridor suffered cuts in the RapidRide G restructure; a new route there would help to establish a grid while also utilizing one of the less congested I-5 crossings. Downtown really extends to the shore of the lake today, so better bus priority would make it easier for buses to serve downtown's full length.