Government Market News StaffThe city of Seattle has reached the final design for a 5.5-mile, corridor-based bus rapid transit system to connect the city’s downtown area. The transit system, called the RapidRide J Line, will feature dedicated bus routes, repaired sidewalks, protected bike lanes and other infrastructure improvements. Construction for the $120.5 million project is slated for summer 2024.
The city will improve neighborhood mobility with 2 miles of bus priority lanes, 3.7 miles of protected bike lanes and 2 miles of repaved streets. Other pedestrian mobility improvements include 177 crosswalks, 33 intersections with updated traffic signals, ADA-compliant curb ramps and over 15,000 feet of repaired sidewalks.
To mitigate the impact on local greenspace and water infrastructure, the project will plant 190 trees and replace 8,900 feet of watermains.
Plans also call for building or upgrading 20 RapidRide stations along the J Line corridor. Each station will feature a 12-foot bus shelter canopy, real-time arrival information, all-door boarding, benches, signature signposts and route information maps, pedestrian-level lighting and transit signal priority systems to modify traffic signal timing for nearby transit vehicles.
