Seattle City Wire

The City of Seattle has received $59.9 million in federal funding for Madison Bus Rapid Transit, a partnership between the City of Seattle and King County Metro, to construct the RapidRide G Line project, which could open in 2024.

On May 10, the Seattle City Council passed two bills related to the Madison Bus Rapid Transit RapidRide G Line Project. Council Bill 120062 authorized the director of the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) to accept a signal pole and trolley wire easement from Seattle University  in several areas. Council Bill 120063 authorized the director of SDOT to accept the federal grant for the RapidRide G Line project.

“Colleagues, this item at the next council bill on today’s agenda are important steps forward for this Madison Street Bus Rapid Transit RapidRide Project. Council Bill 120062, this item enables our Seattle Department of Transportation to accept two small easements. The next bill, 120063, enables SDOT to accept two grants, totaling $65 million, which we have been expecting from the U.S. Department of Transportation,” said Council Member Alex Pedersen, who is the chair of the city’s transportation and utilities committee, at a City Council meeting.

Alex Pedersen | Seattle.gov

The city has known about this funding since April but was not officially able to take these actions until now. In an April 5 blog post, SDOT announced the funding and explained more about the project.

The Madison BRT- RapidRide G Line “will create a faster, more frequent and safer transportation line between 1st Ave., downtown and Martin Luther King Jr. Way in Madison Valley,” the blog post reads. “The route will serve dense neighborhoods in downtown Seattle, First Hill, Capitol Hill, the Central District and Madison Valley. It will connect people to hospitals, schools, universities and businesses, as well as to dozens of bus routes, the First Hill Streetcar and ferry service at the Colman Dock Ferry Terminal.”

This project was identified as a possibility in the 2012 Seattle Transit Master Plan and is expected to improve the reliability of the transportation system, as well as accessibility and equity. This will improve historically underserved neighborhoods with affordable, reliable service and station platforms that are level with buses to eliminate climbing stairs. New crosswalks, sidewalks, curb ramps and other improvements may be constructed in sections of the project where they are necessary.