Federal Transit Administrator Rogoff Celebrates Opening of New Bus Rapid Transit Lines in Fast-Growing Seattle Communities
9/28/2012
Contact: Angela Gates
202-366-3669
SEATTLE – Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff today celebrated the opening of two new bus rapid transit (BRT) lines that are part of an ongoing effort to expand transit options in the growing Seattle region and connect residents in Seattle’s suburbs to the downtown area, SeaTac Airport and beyond. He joined Senator Patty Murray, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinnis, King County Executive Dow Constantine and other officials at the opening.
“In Seattle and across America, bus rapid transit is giving more riders more convenient transit options for getting to work, school, medical care and elsewhere,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “This kind of project supports President Obama’s goal of supporting transportation projects that create jobs and support local economies.”
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is providing more than $104 million for six RapidRide BRT lines covering 64 miles in the greater Seattle area. The new RapidRide C and D lines connect residents in the popular neighborhoods of West Seattle, Ballard and Crown Hill to downtown Seattle. Both lines serve major centers of development and activity with new housing, retail and commercial space being developed and under construction within blocks of the bus service.
“King County’s RapidRide lines are a great example of bus rapid transit done right,” said Administrator Rogoff. “RapidRide’s bus lines are a transformational investment in a part of Seattle that is booming economically with housing, retail and commercial space now under construction or recently completed within just blocks of these routes,”
DOT also funded the RapidRide A and B Lines, which opened in 2010 and 2011, respectively, and currently serve more than 13,000 riders on an average weekday. Service on the E and F Lines is slated to begin next fall.
In addition to RapidRide, DOT is helping to fund the expansion of Sound Transit’s light rail service in the Seattle area, creating a seamless network of transit that will take riders from the University of Washington to the Northgate transit center in north Seattle, from downtown Seattle to the University of Washington via Capitol Hill, and from SeaTac Airport to South 200th Street in SeaTac.
