February 2014 Line

Starting February 15, riders traveling along Aurora Avenue N between Shoreline, north Seattle and will experience the benefits of RapidRide.

Improving speed and reliability RapidRide includes many features that will make travel on this heavily used corridor more reliable and quick. These include roadway improvements such as transit signal priority through busy intersections and the spacing of bus stops about every half-mile. In partnership with the cities of Shoreline and Seattle, BAT (business access and transit) lanes are provided along nearly the full length of the corridor to help buses get through congestion.

Funded by the 2006 Transit Now initiative that started Metro’s RapidRide also uses a fare RapidRide program, the E Line—the fifth of six RapidRide payment system that speeds lines—is ready to launch. Ridership has grown quickly on the up boarding. At stations with first four RapidRide lines, which serve busy corridors around off-board ORCA card readers, King County. The A and C lines reached their five-year rider- customers who have ORCA ship goals in only two years. Rider satisfaction is high on all cards can pay their fares before RapidRide lines. getting on the bus and may board at the back doors. Riders Frequent service makes bus riding convenient using paper bus transfers may The hallmark of RapidRide is frequent service. The E Line will also board at the back doors at operate: any RapidRide stop, while riders paying with cash or tickets will board at the front door. Fare enforcement officers will • Weekdays—every 5-12 minutes during peak hours and make sure passengers have paid fares correctly. every 12 minutes other times of the day. • Weekends—every 12-20 minutes. New buses, enhanced passenger amenities • Evenings and late night/early morning—every 20 minutes RapidRide service is provided by 60-foot hybrid diesel- (8-11 p.m.) and every 30 to 60 minutes (11 p.m.-4 a.m.), electric articulated buses that have a unique red-and-yellow seven days a week. color scheme. Features include LED lighting, front-mounted City partnerships helped make E Line service better

The City of Shoreline has invested $150 million in the E Line corridor since 1998 through its Aurora Corridor Project. Benefits to transit riders include upgrades to vehicle and pedestrian safety and access, vehicle capacity and flow, nighttime visibility and safety, and new transit signal priority and BAT lanes. The project has also upgraded stormwater management and streetscape amenities and stimulated economic development.

The City of Seattle has been a strong partner on the RapidRide project. Seattle helped design and install several features along the E Line corridor—new fiber optic communications, signal equipment, BAT lanes, sidewalks, and ”next-bus” signs and ORCA card readers. The City of Seattle is contributing about $500,000 per year through 2016 to increase the frequency of E Line service. bike racks and a passive wheelchair restraint system that enables riders Line using wheelchairs to board more quickly and easily. All buses have N 200th St Aurora Village Transit Center NORTHBOUND SERVICE security cameras, free Wi-Fi connections for customers, and audible stop To Everett via Swift Shoreline Park & Ride N 192nd St announcements. Shoreline N 185th St Shoreline Town Center N 180th St RapidRide stations and stops have well-lit shelters. All stops have extra N 175th St Shoreline Civic Center N 170th St benches and a light beacon that people can turn on to signal bus drivers

N 165th St Meridian Ave N Shoreline Community N 160th St when they’re waiting for buses at night. Every RapidRide station has a College N 155th St customer information sign, a ”next-bus” sign, and an ORCA card reader. N 152nd St

FARE ZONE FARE ZONE N 145th St

N 135th St In the background: an intelligent transportation

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r e Northwest Hospital t & Medical Center u Aurora Ave N An intelligent transportation system (ITS) supports many RapidRide m N 115th St m o rthgate Wy C features. The ITS is made up of a wireless network, a fiber-optic backbone er d N No n N 105th St u So North along the road, and high-bandwidth backhaul to the King County wide- N 100th St Seattle Community MAPLE N 95th St College LEAF Holman Rd NW area network used by Metro. RapidRide buses are equipped with mobile N 90th St N 85th St wireless routers that keep them connected to the system as they travel N 76th St NW 80th St N 76th St along the corridor. This system supports a variety of features that improve N 72nd St N 72nd St Green the customer experience and keep buses moving. These include real-time Lake N 65th St “next bus” signs and off-board ORCA card readers at stations, security Woodland Park Zoo Woodland Park cameras on buses, and transit signal priority systems that make green

Linden Ave N Aurora Ave N N 46th St N 45th St lights stay green longer and change red lights to green faster. UNIVERSITY N 65th St Green DISTRICT Lake Grants offset costs

Aurora Ave N The RapidRide network The budget for all six

Lake Lynn St Union RapidRide lines and 113 QUEEN Snohomish County Aurora Ave N ANNE Galer St King County buses is $212 million. Metro SHORELINE has been awarded $121 KEY CAPITOL Temporary Stop HILL million in federal and state Station Denny Wy Stop grants to offset the local cost Northbound Downtown Only Stop Bell St 3rd Ave Virginia St Temporary Stop Seattle of the program. ELLIOTT Pike St LAKE Commuter Rail Seneca St WASHINGTON REDMOND BAY Cherry St Prefontaine Pl S Yesler Wy

ELLIOTT06/2013 BAY SEATTLE RapidRide E Line by the numbers E Line BELLEVUE Miles 11 Pacific Highway S. Buses 36 Bellevue /Redmond Stations and stops 54 RENTON Ballard/Uptown Priority intersections 22 BURIEN TUKWILA Aurora Avenue N. Next-bus arrival signs 29 Burien/Renton SEATAC Annual service hours 90,000 RapidRide Potential F Line Capital budget (includes buses) $59M extension DES MOINES Grants $25M KENT SWIFT Route Transit Center Projected annual ridership (5 years) 5.4M & station FEDERAL WAY Future Link extension For more information: Sounder commuter www.kingcounty.gov/rapidride rail & station 14011dot/comm/jp