SEATTLE — Bus-only lanes on northbound Rainier Avenue South will be extended and new measures will be taken to prevent drivers from driving in those lanes, according to the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT).
Route 7 services Rainier Avenue South and is one of the busiest lines in the city. About 64,000 trips are made on the route weekly, according to SDOT. The bus-only lane extension will go from South Walden Street to South Grand Street and is estimated to save bus riders five minutes during morning rush hours.
However, SDOT has also acknowledged that the addition of the bus-only lane could increase drive times for those traveling northbound on Rainier Avenue South by up to nine minutes.
SDOT is hoping to lay the groundwork with the bus-only lane extension for future transportation infrastructure projects. This includes connecting buses to the planned Judkins Park Link Light Rail Station, which is scheduled to open in 2025. In addition, there are plans to replace Route 7 with a new RapidRide R Line, which will run from downtown Seattle and the Rainier Beach Link light rail station.
Alongside the bus-only lane extension, SDOT is implementing prevention measures to encourage drivers to stay out of these lanes. This includes launching an educational campaign and installing more signs along the roads. Raised street markings will also be placed in the bus-only lanes so drivers can feel the sound and vibrations when they are driving in the wrong lane.
Officials are also considering installing cameras to track reduction in speeding and lane misuse, but will not be using them for citations. SDOT is also working on guidelines for automated enforcement to use in the future at the bus-only lanes.
Another possible SDOT consideration is to add speed cushions, which are several small speed bumps that allow larger vehicles to pass through smoothly, in order to discourage drivers from using these lanes.
To measure the success of the project, traffic on Rainier Ave South will be observed for six months using tubes placed across the street to track speeding and lane misuse, and further action will be taken based on the results.
