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More routes for Metro's million-dollar buses

July 17, 2012 @ 6:43 pm (Updated: 2:24 am - 7/18/12 )

Buses with free Wi-Fi, air conditioning, low floors, and three doors for easy loading are showing up on the busiest streets in King County.

RapidRideMan Compared to regular Metro buses, the red and yellow RapidRides look magical. The system even has a superhero mascot - Rapid Ride Man.

RapidRide buses caught my attention because a new line will run through my community, Ballard, this fall.

Lines are already rolling from Federal Way to Tukwila and Bellevue to Redmond. In all there will be six routes by 2013, connecting transit corridors like West Seattle to downtown, Seattle to Shoreline, and Burien to Renton.

Metro is promising "fast, easy, frequent" service with the RapidRide lines.

Service will be every 10 to 15 minutes for most of the day, seven days a week. They have traffic-signal priority at major intersections to keep trips consistent for riders.

The bus shelters have bigger roofs for better protection from bad weather and interior lighting for safety. How's this for modern? There are also passenger-activated bus stop lights to use at night to alter drivers that you're there.

Bus stations have illuminated map routes, and are able to show real-time data on arrival times for the next two buses.

This is starting to seem like a late night, infomercial. But wait, there's more.

The 60-foot articulated buses can accommodate up to 86 passengers and feature no steps when entering or leaving the bus for smooth, easy loading. With a diesel electric hybrid engine, Metro says the bus has "an extremely low level of emissions while providing power and improved gas mileage."

Now, how much would you pay for all of this?

The startup capital cost for the system is around $215 million. That includes $118 million for 113 new buses, about $50 million for road and signal work, and another $35 million to build the bus shelters and other station facilities. RapidRide buses are comparable in price to hybrid green and yellow Metro buses, and about $225,000 more than a regular articulated bus.

How are we paying for these? Remember back in 2006 when King County voters passed the "Transit Now" initiative? No, we forget those things but that's where some of the money comes from through higher sales taxes.

The Federal Transit Administration’s Small Starts grant program is also paying for a chunk of the system. King County has $81 million from federal and state grants, including the most recent FTA grant of $20 million.

I like nice machines, and with the Wi-Fi this could get me to hop on a bus more often. You too?

RapidRide

RapidRideinside

Story and photos By LINDA THOMAS

More from Linda Thomas

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Comments (21)


  • Add A Comment

  • shark75 wrote...
    And THAT'S why we're paying tolls on 520 you morons!
    July 17, 2012 7:34 pm
    $20M is a big chunk of $215M? Since when? It's all waste. AC, wi-fi, etc. What is wrong with the buses we have? Are they getting old? Fix 'em. The morons running king county are always out-doing themselves. Jeeezuzzz!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Sean wrote...
    And we keep...
    July 18, 2012 1:07 pm
    ELECTING THEM!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CH wrote...
    Linda one important point about the story . . . .
    July 17, 2012 9:30 pm
    was the bus made in the USA? Five riders and an open bar I'm in. What is an Open Bar? An open bar is a bar that allows guests [riders] to drink as much as they like for free.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • shark75 wrote...
    I believe the current fleet was built in Germany
    July 17, 2012 10:20 pm
    Not sure about these money holes they are eyeing...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Mister Metro wrote...
    The Buses are Made in Saint Cloud Minnesota.
    August 7, 2012 11:46 pm
    The buses are AMERICAN made. Some of the current buses we drive are close to 20 years old. Do you still drive your Model T?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • make_or_break wrote...
    A million per?
    July 18, 2012 1:45 am
    Pricy buggers, aren't they? But you just KNOW it's going to happen...someone will be walking along and TRIP over that extended ramp that doesn't get retracted quickly enough...or gets stuck. The resultant lawsuits will make that initial price tag look like chump change.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • murr wrote...
    And how much per person, per ride
    July 18, 2012 3:06 am
    The only thing thats good, is it spends, way to much money per rider. Its about feelings, not math. Its a huge waste of money, but look at all the cush and non productive jobs it creates, with wages,retirements,vacations, most of us (real) workers will never see. Its broke, they just dont know it yet. The norm.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • fartforce1 wrote...
    Good to have nice buses, IF they are self sustaining cost-wise by ridership and not a big black hole each day requiring more and more offset by taxes.
    July 18, 2012 3:36 am
    I also notice that none of them move people to WA biggest employer, Boeing, and that's a shame because they would use them.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • fartforce1 wrote...
    Good to have nice buses, IF they are self sustaining cost-wise by ridership and not a big black hole each day requiring more and more offset by taxes.
    July 18, 2012 3:36 am
    I also notice that none of them move people to WA biggest employer, Boeing, and that's a shame because they would use them.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Sean wrote...
    Are you kidding me?
    July 18, 2012 1:08 pm
    The per-ride subsidy for each rider on one of these would likely be $15-20. Just like the Sound Transit trains...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Zoeller wrote...
    What a waste of money!
    July 18, 2012 5:55 am
    The 60-foot articulated buses can accommodate up to 86 passengers but will be driving around empty as usual.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • SickofSeattleite wrote...
    tell me how it is good for the environment to
    July 18, 2012 6:06 am
    run these EMPTY buses every 10-15 minutes. Complete hypocrisy! (I bet they ever run on horrible gasoline.)
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • SickofSeattleite wrote...
    besides, buses are not modern
    July 18, 2012 6:09 am
    they are an old idea. Evey time i get on a public bus i wish i had not. Nothing like sitting next to smelly drunk homeless people or people that look like they want to hurt you on your commute.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • jstumbo wrote...
    Can get a bit rough on the bus.
    July 18, 2012 6:20 am
    Had a coworker, new to the Seattle area, show up for work a few hours early. He wanted to catch the last commuter bus instead of the local bus that ran down Aurora like he did the day before.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • emw wrote...
    One day one bus
    July 18, 2012 6:55 am
    So one person had a bad ride on one day and from that you extrapolate that buses are bad? There are car jackings and road rage so should we assume driving a car is bad too?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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